Color of Our Worlds February 2020
Educating ALL Students for Success!
ELL Acommodations Extended to Exited Students for 1-2 Years!
The Florida Department of State approved an amendment on December 22, 2019 to State Rule 6A-6.09091 that is a game changer for our recently exited ELL students.
Currently, students that are identified LY or active support students in our ELL Program, receive accommodations for state testing.
Accommodations shall include:
(a) Flexible Setting. ELLs may be offered the opportunity to be tested in a separate room with the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or heritage language teacher serving as test administrator. Parents must be informed of this option for students not of legal age and shall be given the opportunity to select the preferred method of test administration.
(b) Flexible Scheduling. ELLs may take a test session during several brief periods within one (1) school day; however, each test session must be completed within one (1) school day. ELLs may be provided additional time to complete a test session; however, each test session must be completed within one (1) school day.
(c) Assistance in the Heritage Language. ELLs may be provided limited assistance by an ESOL or heritage language teacher using the student’s heritage language for directions, prompts, items, and answer choices. This should not be interpreted as permission to provide oral presentation of prompts, items, and answer choices in English or in the student’s heritage language. Assistance may not be provided for passages in Reading and Writing tests. Assistance in the heritage language shall be limited to the following:
This made it difficult for newly exited students as they took the state assessments for the first time without accommodations. So, the state approved the same accommodations to students that have been exited for 1 - 2 years.
• ELLs and recently exited ELLs may be provided additional time to complete a test session; however, each test session must be completed within one school day.
• For students who are both ELLs or recently exited ELLs and have an IEP or Section 504 Plan that allows oral presentation, the oral presentation must be in English and not in the studentʼs heritage language. These students may still receive limited assistance in their heritage language.
• The ESOL or heritage language teacher or other trained individual familiar with the student may answer questions about the general test directions in the student’s heritage language. If the test is administered to a group of students, the teacher may answer questions about directions for the benefit of the group. Questions of clarification from individual students must be answered on an individual basis without disturbing other students.
• The ESOL or heritage language teacher or other trained individual familiar with the student may answer specific questions about a word or phrase in a prompt, item, or answer choice that is confusing the student because of limited English proficiency but is prohibited from giving assistance that will help the student produce, correct, or edit responses. Assistance may not be provided for words or phrases in ELA Reading or ELA Writing passages.
ELLs and recently exited ELLs should have access to an English-to-heritage language translation and/or heritage language-to-English translation dictionary or glossary or both, such as those made available to ELLs and recently exited ELLs in an instructional setting. Glossaries containing content specific word-to-word translations in heritage language can also be provided. The dictionary or glossary must provide word-to-word translations only and may not contain definitions or other information. A dictionary or glossary written exclusively in the heritage language or in English shall not be provided. Electronic translation dictionaries or glossaries that meet the same requirements without accessing the Internet may be used.
The Martin County School District's Head Start and Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) programs will begin accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year in February.
The Head Start program will begin accepting applications on Tuesday, February 4.
The VPK programs at Bessey Creek Elementary, Citrus Grove Elementary, Crystal Lake Elementary, Felix A. Williams Elementary, Hobe Sound Elementary, Jensen Beach Elementary and Palm City Elementary will begin accepting applications at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, February 3.
The VPK programs at J.D. Parker Elementary, the Salerno Learning Center and Warfield Elementary will begin accepting applications at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, February 10.
Click here: Learn more about the programs and registration process.
3 Students in Title I Schools Place in Top in Elementary Spelling Bee!
The Martin County School District held its 54th annual Lillian A. Dassori Elementary Spelling Bee on Thursday, January 23, at Jensen Beach High School. Superintendent Laurie J. Gaylord served as the enunciator for this year’s event, which saw students from each local elementary school competing for the chance to win the prestigious Lillian A. Dassori Spelling Bee award.
Named after Lillian A. Dassori, a founding member and charter president of the Soroptomist International of Stuart, the bee provides Martin County’s youngest students with an opportunity to practice their spelling and public speaking skills while also increasing their vocabularies.
This year’s competition lasted 11 rounds, with Nina Goyal of Palm City Elementary School taking home first place honors for the second consecutive year. She will advance to the regional competition with the hopes of ultimately competing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May.
“The Lillian A. Dassori Elementary Spelling Bee is always one of the highlights of the school year in Martin County,” Superintendent Laurie J. Gaylord shared. “We know that literacy and students’ command of language is so important, and it’s always a joy to watch our youngest learners demonstrate their abilities during the spelling bee.”
The District would like to congratulate all of this year’s participants, with a special kudos going out to our Title I school winners:
10th place – Barry Carson, Pinewood Elementary School
9th place – Gabriel Abad, Indiantown Middle School (5th grade)
6th place – Ana Rodriguez Castell, Port Salerno Elementary School
AMS Student places 4th in Middle School Spelling Bee
Congratulations to Gavin Boggs of Anderson Middle School, who placed 4th in competition.
The Martin County School District held its annual Middle School Spelling Bee at South Fork High School on January 15, 2020. More than 40 of the District's top spellers from each of the five middle schools participated in this year's Bee, tackling the spelling of words such as "quotidian", "albeit" and "guffaw." The winning word was "ancillary."
Martin County Kids Tag Art (KTA) Program
Martin County Tax Collector office is proud to claim the leadership role in implementing and supervising kids TAG ART project in elementary schools of our county. Thanks to the close cooperation and support of the Martin County School District and business partners, our 5th graders express themselves by creating unique designs, compete for the awards and their work is available for purchase . All profits from the sale go back into the classroom to support art education. Please, recognize our partners, as the KTA program brings great value to all involved.
Hobe Sound Elementary Participates in KTA
Parent Resources
Learning Together at Home
When you are with your child, there is a lot that you can learn together! This section has all kinds of ideas for activities that you can do around the house, outside, in your neighborhood, and during vacations at different times of year. It also has ideas related to math and science that are easy to try at home (like sorting socks). Try some of these out, and if you find an activity that your child enjoys, look for different ways and places to try it, or share it with your child’s teacher — you may find something that other kids and families will enjoy too!
Recommended Resource from Understood.org
For more great ideas, take a look at the bilingual resources on Learning Together at Home from Understood.org, a free website focused on learning and attention issues.
Math
Science
In the Neighborhood
Exploring the Outdoors
Winter & Holiday Activities
Summer Learning & Reading
Stories for the Chinese New Year! Year of the Rat!
Bringing In the New Year by Grace Lin
Grace Lin brings the Chinese New Year traditions to life through the eyes of a young girl and her family as they prepare for their family New Year celebration. Vivid color and bold line illustrate their planning which concludes with a dragon and noisemaking for a joyful celebration of this special Chinese festival.
Case of the Goblin Pearls by Laurence Yep
When Aunt Tiger Lil comes to Chinatown, she and Lily, her niece and namesake, prepare for the New Year's celebration, solve the mystery of a stolen pearl necklace, and help a sweatshop worker. Humor is used in this lively mystery with likable characters in an authentic setting.
Celebrate Chinese New Year by Carolyn Otto
Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn
Sam can't believe that he has his very own lucky money to spend while walking through Chinatown's New Year celebrations! Perhaps some sweets or sticky buns or a new basketball? But when Sam meets an old homeless man on the street without any shoes, he realizes that perhaps there are more important things that he can do with his lucky money. Soft watercolor paintings emphasize the emotional impact of this tale of generosity for the New Year.
My Chinatown by Kam Mak
It's a New Year in Chinatown, but one little boy from Hong Kong wonders, "How can it ever be a good year thousands of miles from home?" As he moves through the seasons, however, New York finally begins to feel like home. Told in verse, these poems capture the challenges of adapting to a new life from a child's point of view. Vivid paintings with a photograph-like quality bring the poems to life.
The Runaway Rice Cake by Ying Chang Compestine
"It all happened one Chinese New Year's Eve." So begins the tale of the Chang family and the rice cake that ran away! Author Ying Chang Compestine presents a magical tale from a traditional Chinese village that captures the selflessness of a humble family with three young boys — even in a time of drought. Tungwai Chau's illustrations convey the whimsy and p
School Happenings
Hobe Sound Nature Center at HSE!
VPK was Off to See the World during CLW!
On, Wednesday, January 29th at 9:00 am, VPK students across the Martin County School District participated in a simultaneous read aloud of Eric Carle's Rooster's Off to See the World as part of the Department of Education / Office of Early Learning's Celebrate Literacy, Florida! BOOK Your Trip: Adventure Awaits 2020 campaign. VPK students at Port Salerno Learning Center had the honor of hosting a guest reader, Mrs. Barbara Clowdus, an Early Learning Coalition of Indian River, Martin and Okeechobee counties board member. As a follow up activity, students made story bracelets with different colored beads representing the animals in the story to wear around campus and take home to verbally share the story with friends and family. Creative and fun experiences like this are just a snapshot of what we to do create lifelong readers in VPK each day!
David Anderson Middle School
SeaWind Elementary School
SeaWind hosted a Love to Read event for their kindergarten and 1st grade students and parents. After the outdoor reading event, parents were invited to stay for Coffee Talks, a time for parents to ask questions and get answers from the school’s literacy coaches.
SWE AND MMS work together for literacy with Bingo for Books!
Pinewood Elementary School
Ms. Frazier's first-graders curled up with some great reads while enjoying the beautiful weather!
J.D. Parker Elementary School
Indiantown Middle School
Warfield Elementary School
Riverbend Academy
Port Salerno Elementary School
Dr. Carlos Perez spent one morning reading to students at Port Salerno Elementary. His book of choice? “Duck on a Bike” by David Shannon!
City of Stuart Mayor Mike Meier visited Port Salerno Elementary School to read to students as part Florida Celebrates Literacy Week! An urban farmer by trade, Mayor Meier read a book about farming and shared stories with students about his experience owning a farm.
Hobe Sound Elementary School
What is Your Why?
Martin County School District is for Relationships
MCSD Superintendent Laurie J. Gaylord never misses an opportunity to mentor and and speak with students. Her visit to Indiantown Middle School resulted in smiles all around as students shared what they have been working on in class!
Coins & More Beacuse We Care at Warfield Elementary School
Warfield Elementary School
donated "Coins & More Because WE CARE" to Hurricane Dorian relief efforts in the Bahamas.ClassLink SingleSignOn
Google G-Suite
Focus School Software
Community Resources
Martin County School District Title I Schools and Program Staff
Elementary Schools:
Hobe Sound Elementary
JD Parker Elementary School
Pinewood Elementary School
Port Salerno Elementary School
Seawind Elementary School
Warfield Elementary School
Secondary Schools:
David Anderson Middle School
Indiantown Middle School
Spectrum Academy
Willoughby Learning Center
Title I Program Staff
Shela Khanal, Director of Title I Programs
Debra George, Coordinator of Title I Programs
Deb Stull, Coordinator District Title Programs: ELL, Immigrant, and FIT
Casey Vasko, Federal Programs/ Equitable Services Liaison
Yvonne Blanco, Title I Department Secretary
Website: https://fl02202359.schoolwires.net/Domain/360
Phone: 772-219-1200