Harlem 5th grade bilingual students enjoyed the active and engaging STAAR preparation lessons taught

by Janie Jimenez, Bilingual/ESL specialist. Students answer questions about drama in a carrousel format

in pairs. Students had to choose and agree on the best answer and explain why using text evidence.

Issue # 5, May 2015 Message from the Director of Bilingual/ESL Education

June 9th-30th- Bilingual/ESL Pre-K-K

summer school

June 9th- 26th -Language Acquisition

Camp 3rd-5th

June 9th-22th -Language Acquisition Camp

for newcomer students in grades 6th-8th

June 11th July 1st -Language Acquisition

Camp for newcomer students in grades

9th-12th

Important Dates:

Dear Administrators and Teachers:

Welcome to the fifth issue of the Bilingual/ESL department E-

newsletter. We are one week away from the end of this 2014-2015

academic year. We look forward to the exciting work of the upcoming

summer schools.

This month’s newsletter showcases the Goose Creek CISD winners of

the district HAABE (Houston Area Association for Bilingual

Education) bilingual/ESL teacher of the year competition. We share

with you how Banuelos teachers get together to ensure their LPAC

folders contain all documentation impacting decision of English

language learners at end-of-the-year. Do not miss the pictures of the

TELPAS data analysis done at our bilingual/ESL PLC at Alamo May

18th. Our curriculum writing cadres had an opportunity to network in

an open lab session at Bañuelos May 19th to work diligently to finalize

the Spanish language arts (SLAR) and English as a second language

(ESL) scope and sequences for next school semester. We share

information and pictures about our newcomer program. Thank you for

sharing pictures of best practices you observe in your classrooms.

Sincerely,

Pilar Moreno-Recio

Bilingual/ESL Department E-Newsletter

2

Goose Creek CISD HAABE

Bilingual/ESL Teachers

of the Year Banquet at the

Hilton University of

Houston

Goose Creek CISD Bilingual Elementary Teacher

of the Year, Ms. Fabiola Avena, and ESL

Secondary Teacher of the Year, Ms. Natalia

Heckman, posing with the gifts presented to

them at the May HAABE Bilingual/ESL Teacher of the Year banquet.

Thank you to Ms. Beatrice Baca, principal at Hopper Primary School and Mr. Kevin Foxworth,

principal at Ross Sterling High School, for their attendance to the HAABE Bilingual/ESL

Teacher banquet and support to their teachers. Ms. Avena’s family attended the event to show their support.

OUR LPAC FOLDERS ARE ALL READY!!

Bañuelos Elementary bilingual teachers get together

after school to ensure LPAC folders contain all

documentation pertaining decisions about English

language learners in preparation for end-of-the-year

LPAC annual review. Way to Go, Bulldogs!

WE LOVE OUR LPAC ADMINISTRATORS!

.

Thank you for your hard work to make all

decisions impacting our English language learners

a success. Ms. Gonzalez, LPAC administrator at

San Jacinto Elementary, always ensures her

paperwork is ready prior to LPAC meetings,

which guarantees a smooth process and time for

quality instructional decision-making.

4

District Bilingual/ESL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY AT ALAMO

Elementary

Bilingual/ESL Teachers met at the last PLC of this scholastic year to analyze TELPAS data. Teachers

wrote individual instructional goals for the next academic year to support English language acquisition

and shared those goals with colleagues.

Heather Witcher, Imagine Learning Educational

Consultant, recognized top campus Imagine Learning

program users. Ms. Walmsley, 2nd grade bilingual

teacher, from Travis was the top user with more than

40 hours of students’ program use.

Ms. Ana Carlson and Marcia Walmsley, present

at the last bilingual/ESL PLC, will be retiring

this year. They were recognized for their work

with Goose Creek CISD. Thank you for your

contribution to the education of our English

language learners.

Thank you Alamo Elementary for opening the doors of the campus to

host the District Bilingual/ESL Teacher PLC Meeting!

We wish you well !

5

Curriculum writing Cadres Below Cadres of writers sharing their progress on their SLAR and ESL scope

and sequences. PEER review and constructive feedback ARE making the

curriculum documents powerful

PURPOSE OF THE SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTS SCOPE AND SEQUENCE WRITING

Provide bilingual students with foundation in first language so that they can build on the

transfer of skills in their second language. Establishing connections with their first language

to help them acquire English easily.

Provide teachers with an opportunity to master and own their own created curriculum.

PURPOSE OF THE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE CURRICULUM WRITING

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE.

Teach/reinforce English language arts skills during the ESL block of time. The ESL block of

time is a component of the Bilingual/ESL program necessary to expose bilingual students to

English language arts skills and thus closing the gap with requirements of early transition into

a second language.

Daily ESL Framework (45 minutes) in the Bilingual Classroom Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Word

Study/Grammar

and Phonics

Reader’s

Workshop

Mini-lesson

Small Group

Instruction/

Independent

Work

Small Group

Instruction/

Independent

Work

Writer’s

Workshop

6

-

-

ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY

NEWCOMER ACADEMIES

GOOSE CREEK CISD NEWCOMER ACADEMIES

-Developing Scholars-

’ 1 —2nd year

in U.S. schools

HLS indicates language

other than English

OLPT is administered

(IPT II)

-

-

Student* exits Newcomer Academy and returns to home campus upon reaching Advanced

on TELPAS Reading OR after a maximum of two years

*In order to exit ELL (LEP) status, students must meet all state exit criteria. For the purposes of this chart, exiting only refers to Newcomer Academy placement, not bilingual program placement.

After year 1 in US, newcomer students are

scheduled in ESL English classes and

Sheltered Instruction teams.

Ms. Emilee Morales and Ms. Michelle Hicks, Baytown Junior School newcomer academy teachers, use

technology during direct teaching. Newcomer students interact with technology to provide text evidence.

7

.

Ms. Hernandez, Prek bilingual teacher at Banuelos

Imagine Learning Forum 2015, Provo, Utah

-A Learning Experience-

Pilar Moreno-Recio, Director of Bilingual/ESL

and Ahime Ornelas, Bilingual/ESL Specialist at

the Imagine Learning Headquarters learning about

the research and benefits of the Imagine Learning

program.

Howard Stephanson, Utah State

Senator, and Pilar Moreno-Recio,

GCCISD Director of Bilingual/ESL

Education, at Utah State Capitol

after speech on the importance of

digital learning and Utah’s

commitment to support ELLs in the acquisition of English.

Goose Creek CISD district representatives, Pilar Moreno-Recio and Ahime Ornelas, were

able to see the Imagine Learning team in action behind the scenes. Above, the Production

and Art Drama/Video Departments explaining what is takes to create a research-based quality digital program that students enjoy.