ESL DEPARTMENT

Email: tstaples@mcssk12.org

Website: https://www.mcssk12.org/department/federal-programs/english-learners

Phone: 256-852-2557 ext. 62245

Happy November MCSS Family!

As we enter this season of Thanksgiving, I find myself being incredibly thankful to be working with all of you to support the needs of our ESL students. The quote by Norman Vincent Peale, "The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for," rings so true to me! I have a note in my phone titled "Thankfulness List." I add to it periodically when something amazing happens, when I think of something I don't want to take for granted, or when life gets hard and I need to refocus my thinking and remind myself of everything I have to be thankful for in my life. Added most recently to my list is that I get to come to work every day at MCSS and am fortunate enough to be able to help lead in a capacity that truly impacts the lives of others. I am so thankful for each of you as you take the time to learn about ESL instruction, to genuinely care about the education of our ELLs and to seek ways to not only support our ESL students, but their families as well.

I pray that you all have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving and enjoy some much deserved rest and time with your family and friends.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need assistance. I am always here to help!

Tanya

We are so incredibly proud of Heather Ray, Buckhorn Middle & High School ESL Specialist, for being named Madison County Schools Secondary Teacher of the Year! 🎉 Mrs. Ray not only represents MCSS ESL Specialists and teachers, but all ESL Specialists by being a shining example of what it means to be an innovative, caring, motivated and determined ESL Specialist. She is so worthy of this honor and our ESL Department is beaming with pride for her! CONGRATULATIONS, Mrs. Ray! 🌟

We would like to congratulate Anabella for achieving a PERFECT 6.0 score on the ACCESS for ELLs test at the end of last year. 🎉Anabella is a 5th grader at Madison Cross Roads Elementary School. She exited the ESL program with flying colors by achieving a perfect score of 6.0 on the ACCESS test at the end of her fourth grade year. When asked what has helped her to master English, her mother stated that watching TV programs and videos in English, listening to music in English, and having great teachers and guides at school have all boosted her performance. Congratulations, Anabella, on a remarkable accomplishment!

We would also like to celebrate Brittany Gallegos, a senior at Buckhorn High School, for her recent participation in Huntsville Hospital's Nurse Camp. This camp is an immersive program for rising seniors who are exploring nursing careers. Brittany's favorite part of the week was shadowing a CNA, where she learned practical skills like medicine administration and patient charting. She toured several hospital departments, including radiology, CT, and ultrasound, and even observed a live surgery through the x-ray room.

One of the most impactful experiences for Brittany was taking part in realistic trauma simulations. Acting as a plane crash patient, she was wheeled through the hospital's trauma room by medical training teams. Reflecting on the experience, Brittany said, "Being in the hospital and seeing patients made becoming a nurse seem real. I knew after college that I would be a nurse, but this experience made it feel real." This hands-on experience confirmed her passion for the profession.

Brittany plans to graduate in December, start college at Calhoun in January, earn her CNA certification this summer, and eventually work as a labor and delivery nurse at Huntsville Hospital's Women and Children's Hospital. Her parents are proud of her dedication to exploring nursing thoughtfully and making her dreams a reality.

Magic School holds a WEALTH of tools that can support ESL students in the general education classroom. Check out the three featured tools below by logging into Magic School through your Clever account and searching for the tool title in the search bar.

Students from Madison County High School and Buckhorn High School took a tour of several programs offered at Calhoun Community College's Decatur campus. Throughout the tour, students were able to get a first-hand glimpse of the Advanced Technology Center, Health Sciences Department, Computer Information Department and Automotive Department. Mr. Jonathan Anderson, Calhoun Hispanic Outreach Coordinator, shared many resources and tools with students, such as how to apply for admission to Calhoun and also how to fill out the FAFSA. Additionally, a current Calhoun student was able to share her journey at Calhoun with students and answer any questions they had about the school. Students were accompanied by Ms. Sarah Threlkeld - ESL Specialists at MCHS, Ms. Heather Ray - ESL Specialist at BHS and Mr. Jerrod Bradford - Career Coach at BHS.

Mrs. Charlotte Morris, 8th grade ELA teacher at Monrovia Middle School, has been nominated as this month's ESL Rockstar! Mrs. Morris was nominated by Monrovia MS's ESL Specialist, Hope Watkins, for going above and beyond for her ELLs. Mrs. Morris has an ESOL endorsement through her undergraduate work and earned her M.Ed. in Differentiated Instruction with a specific focus on ESOL through UAH's Project Happens grant. She also continued her studies over the past two summers through UAH's Project Dial program. Mrs. Morris reflects on her practice by making audio recordings of her lessons so she can improve her instruction. She stated that she will do whatever she can to make sure students have access to the skills and content and said "I love what I do!"

Mrs. Morris, we are thankful to you for pouring into our students each and every day in order to make sure they get the best education possible. CONGRATULATIONS on being named November's ESL Rockstar of the Month!

Project DIAL at UAH is excited to announce that their grant has been renewed, and they are now accepting applications for Cohort #4 of the DIAL Scholarship!

As in previous years, they are offering two fully online master’s degree options:

• MEd in Differentiated Instruction (ESOL) - Flyer
• MEd in Differentiated Instruction (Instructional Leadership with an emphasis in ESOL) - Flyer

The DIAL Scholarship covers 6 of the 11 required courses in each program. In addition, the College of Education, Sport, and Human Sciences is offering an extra 25% tuition discount on top of the DIAL Scholarship, making this an incredible opportunity for educators to earn their degree at a significantly reduced cost.

Interested applicants should apply here! Space is limited, so don’t wait! Apply today!

If you have questions or would like to learn more, you can schedule a time to chat with Dr. Amanda Giles, UAH here. Additionally, more information about the opportunity can be found in this presentation: DIAL Presentation 2025-2026

UAH looks forward to connecting with you and sharing more about this exciting opportunity!

We would like to say a special CONGRATULATIONS to our community partner, Kate O'Neal of The Caring Link, on being named the Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award recipient. We would also like to say a huge THANK YOU to The Caring Link for their support of our ESL teachers and students. Not only is Kate a valuable member of our EL Advisory Committee, she also showed up in a big way to provide a special Chick-fil-A lunch for our ESL students during a recent field trip. We SO appreciate your generosity and support...it truly takes a village!

November's Strategy of the Month is the Dialogue Journal. This strategy can help students build confidence in their writing abilities by answering a prompt in their journals, swapping journals with a peer to read their response, and then responding back in writing. Below is an example of how to use this in a middle school social studies class. To see ideas for incorporating this strategy into other content areas and grade levels, click on the picture below, login to Ellevation, and click on the Srategies tab at the top of the page. If you need assistance with accessing Ellevation, please reach out to Tanya Staples, tstaples@madison.k12.al.us.

Are you looking for a translated document for your parents or students? Click on the picture below to access multiple documents that have been translated into several different languages in our shared MCSS Translated Documents folder. If you don't see what you need, please reach out to Tanya Staples at tstaples@mcssk12.org with your request.