Parents and Families Newsletter

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Boletín informativo para Padres y Familias.

Welcome to another great and helpful newsletter that connects you to educational resources and links to information that are intended to increase the language proficiency and academic success of your child.

In this issue, information is provided around some of the following topics:

• Language Proficiency Assessment Committee

• Helpful Websites for At-Home Learning

• Fall At-Home Activities

• Self-Care Tips

Visit the Student Resources section of the txel.org portal to access websites that may assist your child in learning English.

Stay informed about the resources and support available by subscribing to the site by clicking on the Subscribe Today button.

Don’t forget to fill out a quick survey to share any information or suggestions you might have for the next newsletter. We value your input!

The term “English learner” has been replaced by the term “emergent bilingual student” in accordance with decisions made in the 2021 Texas legislative session. You may continue to hear the use of the term English learner. Reach out to your child’s teacher or school if you have questions about this term.

Throughout the month of October, the Language Proficiency Assessment Committee (LPAC) at your child’s school will be sending you some forms and communicating with you to keep you up-to-date regarding your emergent bilingual student.

• If your child has been identified as an emergent bilingual student, then you will be notified of the reason for identification and of the annual progress of your child in the acquisition of English, based on participation in either the bilingual or ESL education program.

• If your child has been recently reclassified as English Proficient, then parental approval of exit from either the bilingual or English as a second language (ESL) program is required.

Reach out to your child’s teacher or school if you have questions about the LPAC process or your child’s progress. You can also get more information by viewing the following video: “The Process for Serving English Learners”.

Free Virtual Parent Sessions November 17-18, 2021 5:00- 6:30 p.m.

This year’s Association for Migrant Educators of Texas (AMET) state conference is pleased to be able to provide 2 virtual (online), evening learning/sharing sessions, during the conference, at no cost to Migratory Parents. To learn more about the parent session, visit the AMET Parent Sessions web page.

Attend this great event from the comfort of your home to learn about ways to support your child’s academic and mental health needs. Visit statewideparents.com to register.

Topics to be discussed:

• Tips to help with homework

• Managing their behavior with loving discipline

• Bullying and cyberbullying

• Internet and school safety

The Texas School Ready project focuses on improving children’s “school readiness”—the foundational knowledge children need to be prepared for Kindergarten. Through the new CLI Engage platform, the Texas School Ready project also provides opportunities for parents to participate and help support important school readiness skills for children ages 0-6.

Visit cliengagefamily.org to access hands-on activities that families can do at home in English and Spanish. No login required!

The mission of Communities In Schools (CIS) in Texas is to surround students with a community of support, empowering students to stay in school and achieve in life. Visit the Communities in Schools of Texas homepage to find a program in your area.

On the Community Partners page, you can access information about Career Readiness Services such as searching for employment, career opportunities, and other resources.

The Tips for Families with English Learners document is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Arabic and provides helpful information about translation support and understanding your child’s school work.

Additional TEA resources are provided in this section and can also be found by visiting the https://tea.texas.gov/ website. Feel free to reach out to your child’s school or the district if you have any questions about some of these TEA resources.

TEA supports high-quality prekindergarten that is developmentally appropriate, multi-sensory, and experiential. TEA has developed tools and parent guides to help families understand some of the things their child will learn each school year. Check out these resource documents that have been developed for the following grades.

• Prekindergarten 3 (English, Spanish)

• Prekindergarten 4 (English, Spanish)

• Kindergarten (English, Spanish)

• 1st Grade (English, Spanish)

• 2nd Grade (English, Spanish)

TEA has created general resources such as fact sheets in English and Spanish to help families understand what dyslexia is and risk factors and signs of dyslexia.

TEA recognizes the challenges faced by military-connected students and their families and has provided many resources to keep families informed. Texas has several programs and initiatives accessible to military-connected students and their families located on and off military installations within their community. Visit the Military One Source website for more information on programs available.

Parents and families can learn more about supporting and assisting their child in planning for their high school years and beyond, by accessing the Graduation Toolkit.

Parents and families can learn more about G/T programs throughout the state, by visiting the Gifted/Talented resources for families and educators.

Engage in exercises for all Emergent Bilinguals with online grammar activities, vocabulary videos, and interactive quizzes. Check out English Media Lab for more information.

With fall upon us and the weather changing, here are some creative ways to engage your child in some outdoor learning activities while promoting their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

It’s Time for the Harvest!

The fall season provides a great opportunity to experience the harvest of a local community garden or a local farm. Your child can explore the fruits and vegetables that are ready for harvesting, talk about what they observe, and then write about their experience.

Let’s Get Lost!

This time of year offers a chance for you and your child to visit local corn mazes. Your child can research and read about the process of harvesting corn and write about how mazes are created.

Take a Hike

With temperatures cooling down, autumn is the perfect time to explore Texas’ many nature trails. Your child can read about local and near-by nature trails or parks, take pictures of their observations, talk about what they observe, and create a checklist of the items they come across.

For a more detailed list of these activities, read this article 5 Outdoor Learning Experiences and Activities for Kids in the Fall Season.

As you and your family adjust to any changes in the weather, remember that different seasons provide an opportunity for new beginnings and allow you to “reset” your mind and body. Here are some ideas for some self-care tips.

• Continue with outdoor activities and enjoy the cooler weather while appreciating the changes the new season brings.

• Observe your emotional responses to the season and how you are feeling. You can write about your reflections of the past year and your goals and hopes for this new season.

• Plan for any upcoming seasonal celebrations and discuss your ideas with your family.

For additional activities, read this article, 10 Activities for (Fun) Fall Maintenance for Mental Health and Wellbeing.

Watch this video to learn 7 ways on How to Lower Stress

As your family adjusts to the routines and transitions of being back in school, be sure that you are taking some quality time to engage in conversations with your family. Check in with yourself and your family to ensure that everyone is doing well. Take some time to share in any celebrations no matter how big or small.

TXEL.org is a web portal that provides information and resources that are relevant, accessible, and impactful to support educational leaders, teachers, parents and families, and community partners to ensure the academic success of the State’s English learners.

Contact us at :https://www.txel.org/contact/

Email: EnglishLearnerSupport@tea.texas.gov
Website: https://tea.texas.gov
Phone: 512-463-9414