School Support Services Newsletters
TEAM Solutions Secondary School ESOL Newsletter Term 1: 2006
Kia ora te whanau, ESOL teachers
Welcome back. Hope you have all had lots of rest and recreation. With Chinese New Year starting on January 29 this year, you may be interested to know it is the Year of the Dog. Those born in the Year of the Dog are, according to google, loyal, honest and inspire other people's confidence. With this in mind, we congratulate all newly appointed HoDs, ESOL teachers and those who received Dip TESSOL Scholarships. We include this whakatauki for the beginning of the year:
'Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa'
Let us keep close together, not wide apart.
The TEAM Solutions ESOL team remains the same as in 2005: Jenni Bedford as .4, Lyn Groves, Denise McKay and Helen Panayiodou as full-time facilitators.
Congratulations
You will be pleased to know that Susan Gamble has been appointed to a new position as the Team Leader, National Migrant, Refugee and International ESOL Team. We all share in congratulating her and wish her well in her new position.
Congratulations, too, to Song Lam Wong who was awarded a QSM in the New Year Honours for her many years of work with migrants.
Important Message from the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee
University Entrance
Missed literacy by one credit
The sub-committee is aware that a small number of students are applying for admission without university entrance, having missed literacy by one credit. In some cases it appears that the schools involved have been at fault in not ensuring that this requirement was met. Some of the students are in all other respects worthy of admission.
The sub-committee on university entrance has therefore adopted the following statement:
The universities agree that they will adhere to the common entrance standard set by NZQA. An exception may be made where a student has all the subject requirements (3 x 14 level 3 credits) plus numeracy and has failed to achieve literacy by no more than 1 credit. Where such a student shows clear evidence of preparedness for university study and has achieved credits in a literacy-rich subject (e.g. classics, history), which is not for the time being recognised as contributing to the literacy requirement of the entrance standard, the university may in its discretion admit the student as if the student had met the entrance standard in its entirety.
This procedure applies equally to domestic and international students presenting with NCEA results. Each university may determine its own process for handing such cases.
Dates for the diary
CLANZ Seminar - Saturday 6 May 2006, 9.30 - 3.30pm
Venue:
Fickling Center
546 Mt Albert Road
Three Kings
Language is part of my identity
Language maintenance - agenda for the future
- Recognize the opportunities presented by research and national initiatives.
- Understand the importance of viewing challenges from the point of view of others.
- Opportunity to contribute to the developments in fostering mother tongue maintenance.
Contact person: Helen Panayiodou:
h.panayiodou@auckland.ac.nz
CLESOL 2006 is being held in Napier this year from September 29 - October 2. The theme of the conference is Origins and Connections: Linking Theory, Research and Practice.
The deadline for the call for papers closes on the 24th February 2006. If you would like some mentoring TEAM Solutions can assist you with this.
AKTESOL AGM: Thursday, March 30, Kohia Teachers' Centre, for the first meeting for 2006. We will start with drinks and nibbles at 6.30pm. The speaker is still to be confirmed. Those of you who are AKTESOL members will receive the AKTESOL newsletter with more details. Do come along and join in the fun! If you would like to become a member you can get the new application form from the TESOLANZ website.
Workshops for 2006
All workshops will be held at Kohi Teachers Centre. You need to ring or email to book a place: 623 8977 or kohia@auckland.ac.nz
Title |
Date |
Facilitators |
NCEA for ESOL teachers (see below for further details) |
Thursday, 16 March |
Jenni Bedford, Denise McKay
|
Strategies for teaching new learners of English (see below) |
Tuesday, 4 April |
Lyn Groves, Denise McKay
|
Teacher-aide workshop |
Wednesday, 17 May |
Denise McKay, Helen Panayiodou |
Using appropriate tools for placing students |
Tuesday, 13 June |
Lyn Groves, Helen Panayiodou
|
Focus on Language Structure for ESOL Planning |
Wednesday, 2 August |
Lyn Groves, Denise McKay
|
ESOL HoD Update |
Thursday, 7 September |
Jenni Bedford, Helen Panayiodou |
Term 1 Workshops:
- NCEA for ESOL teachers
Date: Thursday March 16
Target Group: Secondary ESOL teachers
Course Description
This workshop will focus on sound planning models for NCEA classes. It will include:
- Choosing standards to meet the needs of students
- Coping with multi -level classes
- Assessing student work against the standard
- Models of good practice
Facilitators
Jenni Bedford and Denise McKay are Secondary ESOL Facilitators for TEAM Solutions.
- Strategies for teaching new learners of English
Date: Tuesday, 4 April
Target Group: mainstream teachers, not ESOL teachers
Course description
This workshop will provide practical strategies for multi-level classes. It will address:
- The impact of L1 on second language acquisition
- Using resources to link to prior knowledge
- Making cross-curricula links
- Scaffolding strategies for reading and writing
Facilitators
Lyn Groves and Denise McKay are secondary ESOL facilitators for TEAM Solutions.
NCEA Days
As you may know, all schools have been given MoE funding for professional development, from Term 4 last year to the end of Term 2 this year. This money has been used in different ways and has been given different names. Do make sure that you find out how this money is being spent and that you are included in the planning. Some ESOL departments have missed out!
Professional Learning Communities (AKA Cluster Groups)
Lead schools of cluster groups who will be sent the MoE funding of $500 per cluster will receive their official MoE letter mid-February. The funding will be for the academic year and this year will include the refugee cluster. Thank you to the MoE for this.
If you do not belong to a cluster and would like to, contact us and we will put you in touch with the one nearest to you. It has been suggested that clusters might join forces if there is going to be a speaker, not only from the expense point of view, but to extend the camaraderie of a learning community.
ELLF (English Language Learning Framework)
Last year focus group meetings were held with teachers from five secondary schools to trial the Framework. The trial will continue in 2006 with five different schools, as well as continued support for the original schools. ELLF is not an assessment tool but provides a framework for measuring and reporting on progress made by English language learners. Denise McKay is the contact person for this initiative.
ESOL Funding and Assessment
As I am sure you are all fully aware, it is time to get the remaining assessments done and returns completed. These are due in with the Ministry of Education by 1 March 2006. Look out for Pasifika students in mainstream classes who are entitled to funding but may not be currently receiving it.
The updated ESOL Funding Assessment Guidelines(2004) are available as a download on the ESOL website www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/esol
The new MOE resource called the Progressive Assessment Guidelines (2005) is very useful in helping you decide which tests are most suitable for your students.
TKI AND ESOL/ ENGLISH
The beginning of the year is probably a good time to refresh our collective memories about what is available and/ or important on the TKI website.
To get to the relevant page go to
www.tki.org.nz and then select the ESOL community from the drop down box.
Some of the more pertinent information available here is summarised below.
English Unit Standards Review 2006
This is an important review and it is vital that all of our voices are heard. You will see that the deadline for initial comments is mid March.
The unit standards for English will be reviewed during 2006. Comments and suggestions for changes to any of the standards are invited on levels and credits, additions or deletions, groupings of elements and performance criteria, and special notes. Email comments are preferred. Please include your name, school, and contact details, and the id number of the unit standard, and send to gill.robinson@nzqa.govt.nz with ENGLISH REVIEW in the subject line, by 17 March 2006.
Curriculum Project
Marlene Mak (primary) and Margaret Kitchen (secondary) were elected by AKTESOL members at a meeting held at Penrose High School on 23 November, 2005. They will represent us in ongoing discussions with TESOLANZ and the MoE about the inclusion of language provision for ESOL students in all curriculum essence statements and the draft curriculum.
ESOL Online - thank you Margaret - mkitchen@unitec.ac.nz
You will see a big change in terms of the home page in a few weeks that will make it easier for you to find material you want on the site. You will access the site as a 'secondary ESOL teacher' or 'secondary mainstream teacher'.
Probably of most interest to you at the moment will be the revamped English unit standard and achievement standard activities.
To receive fortnightly updates on the latest additions to the site please add your details here: http://www.tki.org.nz/r/esol/esolonline/classroom/esol_forum_e.php
You can get to this page by clicking ' Contact' on the home page and then 'ESOL Forum'.
Also...
If your school does not have a policy for ESOL students, or they are not included in the Strategic Plan, there is a very good model from Hagley Community College, Christchurch. Just click on School Policies. (Helen Panayiodou at TEAM Solutions has been working on a language policy so you can contact her for more information).
Festivals and religious days
It has come to our attention that some students from different ethnic backgrounds are attending festivals and religious days without notifying schools of their intended absence. Last week there were a number of students who were absent for Mahrum, a religious festival, not absent as a protest against the cartoons which have caused so much concern. It is important that your school has a policy which addresses these issues in the school calendar to avoid misunderstandings.
Communications
ESOL group email: If you are not on the group email or your address has changed or, if you are a new HoD, could you please send us any change of address/email to
l.groves@auckland.ac.nz
The ESOL team welcomes your enquiries and can come to visit you at school, give online and phone support. We can work with you on whole staff development, department planning as well as modeling strategies through team teaching. We look forward to working with you this year.
Jenni Bedford
Ph: 6238880 x48349
j.bedford@auckland.ac.nz
Lyn Groves
Ph: 623 8880 x46364
l.groves@auckland.ac.nz
Denise McKay
Ph: 623880 X46335
d.mckay@auckland.ac.nz
Helen Panayiodou
Ph: 623 8880 x48334
h.panayiodou@auckland.ac.nz
Song Lam Wong
Ph: 623 8880 X48347
sl.wong@auckland.ac.nz
