Perry Township’s English Learners (EL) Program serves as an advocate for all language minority students. We are committed to fostering the acquisition of English language skills necessary for full transition into a regular academic program and participation in the total school community. We are dedicated to providing programs, practices, and services which reflect the changing educational and cultural needs of our students.

No doubt that this year has been a whirlwind and everyone is experiencing unknowns which can be stressful. Here are a few (research-based) tips to help you maneuver through the twists and turns, and to keep finding the positive amongst the uncertainty.

What to do when you are stressed out. (Mel Robbins Video)

Promising Morning Rituals

• Meditation, silence
• Music, Exercise
• Dedicated time with a trusted colleague
• Coffee/tea

Midday Practices

• Breathe some fresh air.
• Note the positive.
• Honor your own work and progress during this unprecedented time.

Emotional Sustainability

• Breathe and reframe thinking.
• Seek support/guidance.
• Use a mantra to ground yourself in your why.

If nothing else, listen to this song to remind yourself that "Every little thing will be alright."

Looking for a way to frontload/review vocabulary-Try the Virtual Word Wall. This word wall features audio of the word, a picture, and can also feature a definition.

Here is a template (you will need to make a copy).

One way to use this will be to tie these to modules in your Canvas courses for easy student access. Examples below.

New tool available from the tech department, and it reads aloud. Users will be able to adjust for their preferences.

Tutorial here. It is awesome!

This year, the need for innovation to meet student needs is like no other. Clinton Young 3rd grade team has come up with a simple way to help students do their best.

Spelling tests were challenging at the beginning of the school year because teachers' masks were making it difficult for students to understand similar words. The team put their heads together and came up with a great solution. Each week one of the team of teachers reads the spelling list and records it. It is available on the Canvas module. Another great feature is that students are able to pause and hear it again. Each student is working at their own pace! Fantastic work team!

Perry Township Schools Office of English Learners

Phone number: 317-789-3720

Twitter: @PerryTwpEL

Whitney Wilkowski-Director

email: wwilkowski@perryschools.org

Twitter: @w_wilkowski

Lisa Netsch-EL Supervisor

email: lnetstsch@perryschools.org

Twitter: @CanDo_Teaching

Nichole Seal-EL Coach

email: nseal@perryschools.org

Twitter: @NicholeSeal2