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So this is it! We made it!!
Today, Monday, June 10th, 2019, was the last meeting class with newcomers at Concord High School. It's a happy day because I get to see, hear, and read how much English my students have learned. This, of course, brings joy to my heart since I had them from day one as newcomer students in the USA.
But as happy as this day can be - there's also sadness. My heart feels heavy knowing that they will no longer be in room #225 with me. English for Beginners is a course our school/county designed to provide the foundations of the English language our students need to be able to fully engage in our school, and mainstream classrooms. We meet every day for 90 minutes and we create an environment where risk-taking and changes are supported. I have students who started the school year with only enough English to understand questions such as "What's your name?" - Today, they were writing complete sentences and sharing with peers how far they've come. Of course, I couldn't just say good-bye and not have any memories written to show the world how awesome our class was this school year. So...we created our own presentation with moments that are forever in our mind and heart.
Using Google classroom, I shared with students a folder with over 250 random pictures I took over this 2018-2019 school year. I wish you could hear the ooohs and ahhhs when they opened the folder with all their pictures!
They immediately began talking about a moment that was significant to them and began writing and creating their Slides. I was very excited to see how many of them chose pictures from our visit to Irvin Elementary school. I know without a doubt that this was a life changing experience! I hope you enjoy their class memories as much as I do. 
Links to Newcomers' Memories
Brian's Memories 2018-2019 School Year
Oliver's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Ani's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Ana's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Ruth's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Jorge's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Whitner's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Marlon's Memories 2018-2019 School Year Avizaid's Memories 2018-2019 School Year 
Our Last Class Group Picture!
Thank you so much for reading!
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 If you're like me, I'm always looking for opportunities to learn and better my craft. This is why I wanted to share this with you. On June 5th, 2019, I had the amazing opportunity to present on a webinar with 3 other incredible educators. This webinar was made available through Achieving the Core, an excellent website that provides free, ready-to-use classroom resources that support excellent, standards-aligned instruction for all students. This webinar helped kick off Achieving the Core's Summer Reading Challenge 2019, which I highly recommend you check out! As "most popular authors" from Aligned, we introduced some of the transformative practices we’ve implemented in our schools that have helped boost engagement and achievement. 
On Thursday, May 23rd, 2019 I had the amazing privilege to attend the 15th Annual Maryland ELL Family Involvement Network (MELLFIN) Conference.
MELLFIN is a non-profit organization, committed to sharing information and resources in support of immigrant families living in Maryland. MELLFIN is a collaborative body, cultivating effective strategies to appropriately meet the needs of Maryland's increasingly diverse and fast-growing immigrant population.
The theme for the 15th annual conference was "Schools and Community Partnership = EL Success". I was honored and humbled to be one of two keynote speakers - Ms. Becky Pringle, Vice President of the National Education Association was our morning keynote and I served as the afternoon keynote.
I had the privilege to share my immigrant journey as well as a few tips to support families and English learners to reach their full (and sometimes hidden) potential. |
