Autism Awareness

April is Autism Awareness Month and Monday, April 2 is World Autism Day. My 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students have been learning about autism for the last couple of weeks. They have read some non-fiction articles and books, in addition to some stories about autism. The students have also made informational posters that we have hung up in the hallway.

Here are some pictures of my students hard at work while they learned about autism:

Even More Benefits of Bilingualism

Check out this article from the NY Times to learn more about the benefits of speaking two languages.

Benefits of Biligualism

Reused 2-liter Soda Bottles Became Bird Feeders

This week the Green Team made bird feeders from 2-liter soda bottles and other found objects. They hung them in trees on school grounds.

Does Speaking Two Languages Make Immigrants Healthier?

Check out this interesting article about some of the effects of bilingualism:

http://www.cfah.org/hbns/archives/getDocument.cfm?documentID=22487

Second Grade Ambassador Butterflies

The ambassador butterflies that our second graders made and sent to Mexico arrived at their final destination. You can check it out here:

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sm/escuelasbyschool.html?schoolname=monroe&submit=Search

WIDA: ACCESS for ELLs (February 1 - February 17)

It is time again for the annual administration of the ACCESS for ELLs test  (Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners). This test is used to:

• Monitor student progress on an annual basis
• Establish when ELLs have attained English language proficiency according to state criteria
• Inform classroom instruction and assessment
• Aid in programmatic decision-making

With the exception of kindergarten students, the test is administered in three different sessions. These sessions are reading/listening, writing, and speaking. The reading/listening and writing portions of the test are given in group settings, while the speaking test is administered one-on-one to each student. The kindergarten test is usually administered in one session which includes all four language domains. Kindergarten students are tested individually in a one-on-one setting.