It's the little things citizens do. That's what will make the difference. My little thing is planting trees.

-Dr. Wangari Maathai

Our summer intensive program for EL students was a success, serving up to 22 learners daily. Students explored Vermont's rich heritage, covering topics from John Deere's origins to the state's natural wonders. Students enhanced their math and literacy skills, and dove into scientific methods through hands-on experiments. Highlights included making friends, building airplanes and visiting Essex High School's chemistry lab. This program fostered cultural exchange and impactful learning experiences. A huge thank you to EL teachers Christine Sealey, Maria Royer and Magda Lucia for making this summer program an outstanding experience for students!

Are you interested in being a part of the EWSD Multilingual Advisory Council? Our application process can be found on our new webpage. The council meets monthly to provide guidance on the direction of the EWSD Multilingual Program. You can also ask any Multilingual Liaison or translator to help you apply. We hope you can join us! A big huge thank you to lead facilitator Seham Alsakkaf and the EWSD Multilingual Advisory Council for all that you do!

Here are some translated lists of resources for families. The resources on the lists are the ones we use the most frequently. If you know of a resource that should be included that provides support to all people, regardless of immigration status, please let us know. There are many wonderful community organizations that provide support to the EWSD community and beyond.

EWSD Open Job List

Come work with us in the EWSD! Please see the link below for the full list:

https://ewsd.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx

EWSD Language Support

The amazing EWSD Language Access Team created videos in multiple languages to share with families. There is a phone number applicants can call to leave a message with an interpreter who will help them apply. The link for the translated videos is below. The videos are provided in Nepali, Vietnamese, Spanish, Swahili and French. We hope to add more videos soon.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkrb-d3iMBwYb_gPfEyImUhhylRyGKXE1

The Vermont Multilingual Program Coordinators and Directors Support Group is a group that meets monthly with the goal of fostering meaningful collaboration, advocacy, and inclusivity among educators who serve multilingual learners across the state. We are inclusive of anyone who runs any part of a multilingual program no matter your title, so please don't hesitate to join! If you are interested in joining the support group, please email tparks@ewsd.org.

Conference Title: Bridging Cultures EMPOWERING multilingual voices

Location: Pittsburg, PA

Date: Oct 15-18th, 2024

Every year, all identified English learners must take the WIDA ACCESS test. Here is a link to the Vermont WIDA calendar. If you are an EWSD school test coordinator for ACCESS, please make sure to send Tamara your certificates of WIDA training. Thank you to the EL teachers for all your hard work during ACCESS testing season!

Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District is looking for elementary educators to join their Spanish Immersion program for the 2024-2025 school year! Click here for more info.

Learning more than one language is an asset to individuals, families, and our entire society.

Early childhood teachers can share the benefits of bilingualism with families and their communities, find ways to support children’s home languages, and encourage families to keep their language strong.

Developing the child’s home language provides the foundation for reading and writing, preparing children to be biliterate.

Researchers have found many benefits to being bilingual and biliterate. Click here to see just a few!

Dozens of languages other than English are now spoken in the homes of many of Vermont’s school children. EL teachers provide the bridge for learning for these students.

Licensed teachers interested in earning an additional endorsement in teaching English Language Learners, may do so through the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program, the Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MATESOL) program (36 credits), or as a stand-alone Certificate in Teaching English Language Learners program (18 credits).

All three programs prepare successful candidates to teach English learners in Vermont public schools in grades PK-12.

In the EWSD, the Multilingual program serves English learners and multilingual parent/guardians who require translation and/or interpretation. Are you curious about the main federal laws and policies that protect K-12 Immigrant Students and English learners and their families? If so, please click here to read an article by Julie Sugarman from the Migration Policy Institute.

Evaluating students for special education who are multilingual and learning English requires additional considerations. EWSD teachers and leaders have developed this tool to support teams in that process. We want to provide this resource to help with special education referral and determination for multilingual learners.

Initial Considerations

Special Education Referral & Determination Checklist for Students Receiving EL Services

For EWSD Staff: After reviewing the checklists, please let us know what types of follow-up would be most helpful by completing this short survey.

Image source: Colorin Colorado

Would you like to learn more about the EWSD Multilingual Program?

Here are a few links you may find helpful:

• EWSD Multilingual Program Home Page
• Eligibility for EL (English Learner) Services
• Resources for Families
• Translation Services
• EWSD Lau Plan/Program Procedures

Email: tparks@ewsd.org
Website: https://www.ewsd.org/page/multilingual-learner-program
Phone: (802) 857-2008