La Campana Bethlehem Area School District

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program/ Center for Language Assessment (CLA)

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School to Work high school students visit the organic produce farm at St. Luke’s University Health Network. The hospital has partnered with the Rodale Institute to develop an organic produce farm located on the Anderson Campus. Produce from the farm will be utilized in our network cafeterias and served to patients, employees, and visitors. Working with the Rodale Institute to develop the St. Luke’s Rodale Institute Organic Farm will allow St. Luke’s to continue providing patients with a holistic health care experience that creates a positive atmosphere for health and healing.

Apples of Our Eyes!

Freemansburg second grade ESOL students read the book How Do Apples Grow? The students then made a tree with the title, author, and

main idea. Each apple has a detail from the book.

School To Work

Students shown: Daniel De La Cruz, Katiria Hernandez, Ashley Perez, Marnacheliz Rivera Cruz, Keyshla Rodriguez, Stepahnie Batista, Naydine Cruz, Jackeline Garcia, Letchya Molina Rivera, Luis Ortiz Nieves, Nicole Velazquez, Angel Gonzalez Beltran, Camila Contreras Jimenez, Berkelys Guerrero, and Mikaelie Nunes.

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Freemansburg first grade students Yarem Barrigan and Anju Rani (left) and Max Machin (right) write summaries in their journals to prepare for

district-wide comprehensive literacy initiative.

A parent, Mrs. Ramirez, reads the book Clifford the Big Red Dog bilingually to Mrs. Paxton's class during our ESOL Summer Program.

Daniela Chirinos, Leslie Padilla, and Songen Tang have a great time picking pumpkins at

William Penn’s Fall Fest.

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Farmersville Tiger Trek Nidhi Patel (left) Nancy Nguyen (center), and Kevin Cordon Morales (right) help

fundraise by walking during Tiger Trek on a beautiful fall day.

Anaysha (left) and Tiffany (right) from William Penn Elementary School are growing “Tickle Me” plants with the 2nd grade plant unit.

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East Hills Middle School students in Mr. Schaefer’s ESOL class perform a puppet play titled, Friday Night with the theme being: “If you don’t feel

confortable living somewhere, do something about it!” This was a culminating assessment for their story elements’ unit. Each group

developed their own theme/message and then presented it to the class. Using story elements, the students in groups of two and three, wrote their own stories, adapted them as plays, and then practiced and

performed them using puppets.

Vivamus fringilla

This year, one of Thomas Jefferson's kindergarten ESOL students is from the hearing support classroom. Elias has the challenge of learning both English and American Sign Language at the same time! His teachers and classmates are supporting him by helping him with his English AND they are learning some sign language as well! For “p” week, Mrs. Weikert’s all day kindergarten class is signing the word for popcorn as Mrs. Schachter reads, The Popcorn Book by Tomie dePaola.

Students are: (Back Row) Shyana Nepomuceno, Angelica Ortiz, Jeet Patel, Shechaniah Seraphin (Front Row) Jesus Plaza, Alex Murillo-Zapata, Najum Munir

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Fountain Hill students from Mrs.

Amy Jones’ Kindergarten class visited Byler’s Farm

in Slatington for their school pumpkin patch trip. They are cousins, Allisson

Ramirez and Daniel Aguilar. They had fun hiding in the

wooden stalls.

Donegan  Elementary  School  ESOL  students  use  “photo  booth  props”  to  play  act  in  order  to  develop  their  oral  language  skills.  

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Marvine students write about their authentic experiences to learn English! ¡Estudiantes de Marvine escriben de sus experiencias para aprender Inglés!

I see JLo and Maria. They are running in the grass. They are playing tag. Yo veo a JLO y Maria. Ellas están corriendo en el grama. Ellos juegan de coger.

I see the slide and it is purple. Veo la chorrera y es violeta.

I see Joyce and Mrs. Wrobel. Joyce is standing up! Veo a Joyce y a la Señora Wrobel. ¡Joyce está parada!

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PSSA Testing/Examenes

Testing begins April 13 with Math and Reading. Please make sure your children have plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast.

Examenes de PSSA comienzan el 13 de abril.

Favor de asegurarse que su niño se acueste temprano y coma un buen desayuno.

IMPORTANT SCHOOL TIDBITS IMPORTANTES BOCADILLOS

ESCOLARES

ESOL STAFF Doris Correll, Supervisor Annette Zito, ESOL Teacher/Evaluator Carole Devey Schachter, ESOL Teacher/Evaluator Linda López, Secretary/Notary Mariangeli Vásquez, Secretary Asa Packer Miller Heights Lynette Possinger Susan Lutz Buchanan Spring Garden Connie VanBlargan Jessica Drager Calypso Thomas Jefferson Suzanne Lutz Carole Devey Schachter Clearview William Penn Karen Ohrem Connie VanBlargan Donegan Broughal Middle Jose Sanchez Anthony Figueroa Lorie Schwarzbach Carmen Perea-Cross Janice Ford Melissa Mouchref Christine Reed Farmersville Annette Zito East Hills Middle Gary Schaefer Fountain Hill Sandra Thomas Danielle Frank Michelle Sanchez Northeast Middle Mary Velez Tracy Diefenderfer Thomas Mingora Freemansburg Olga Diaz-Casillas Freedom High Kristine Maurer Karen Lynn David Miller Governor Wolf Paulette Bartolacci Liberty High Diane Colom Hanover Judith Danilovicz Suzanne Lutz Antonio Marrero Omar Porrata Lincoln Michelle Bosak Lynette Possinger Colonial Academy Carmen Perez-Cross Marvine Irene Paxton Clarabelle Cipriano-Ortiz Stacy Wrobel

Report Cards Notas de Progreso Elementary & Middle Elemental e Intermedia November 13 13 de noviembre February 9 9 de febrero High School Superior November 7 7 de noviembre January 26 mailed home 26 de enero enviado a la casa

Schools Closed / Escuelas Cerradas November 26 to December 1

Thanksgiving Break

26 de noviembre al 1 de diciembre Acción de Gracias

December 24 to January 2 January 19 Happy Holidays Martin Luther King Day 24 de diciembre al 2 de enero 19 de enero Navidades Dia de Martin Luther King February 13 Teacher Inservice February 16 Presidents’ Day 13 de febrero Taller de Maestros febrero 16 - Dia de Presidentes Parent Conferences/Conferencias de Padres Elementary/elemental y Middle/Intermedia November 24 and 25/24 y 25 de noviembre Elementary/elemental y Middle/Intermedia February 11 & 12/11 y 12 de febrero Middle/Intermedia High School/Superior February 26 / 26 de febrero March 3/ 3 de marzo

ESOL Annual State Testing (WIDA)

begins January 26, 2015, please make sure your children have plenty of sleep and eat a good breakfast. Exámenes Anuales Estatales de ESOL (WIDA) empiezan el 26 de enero de 2015, favor de asegurarse que su niño se acueste temprano y coma un buen desayuno.

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Roadmap to Educational Excellence Based on the annual WIDA: ACCESS evaluation report from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the Bethlehem Area School District (BASD) continues to move English Language Learners (ELLs) into higher levels of English proficiency. For the 2013 school year, the first state target was for districts to move 59% of their ELLs from one level to the next (beginner to intermediate, intermediate to advance, etc.). The BASD advanced 65.2% of its ELLs, higher than the state percentage of 62. The BASD also continues to exit ELLs from the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. The second state target was to exit 24% of the ELLs. The BASD exited 37.1% of our ELLs surpassing the state average percentage of 32. The third target is based on reading and math scores from the state PSSA & Keystone achievement tests. The BASD attained the 17% reading target with a percentage of 23. In math however, our ELLs did not reach the set goal of 29%. We were extremely close at 27%. Overall, our ELLs are doing well in acquiring English and demonstrating their learning in the state assessments. We still need to move more ELLs into the proficient levels on the achievement tests. However, our teachers and students are on the right track on that very road, providing instructional supports as we take alternate linguistic detours to reach the same destination, Educational Excellence for ALL!

Mr. Antonio Marrero

Even though he will miss his students tremendously, there is no doubt that one of our long-time ESOL teachers; Mr. Antonio Marrero will be enjoying his retirement very soon. Perhaps he will relax without a care in the world, soak up the sun’s rays thinking about his many memories of 30 years worth of ESOL students.

Here’s how his students describe MARRERO!

The life of a soon-to-be retired teacher will be asking, “What do I do now?”

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School-2-Work’s Tribute to Mr. Marrero

Tony, You are a colleague, a teacher, a mentor, and a friend.

You have taught us to persevere, to dream big, and to be creative. Thank you for your time, your talents, and your willingness to go the extra mile…

Thank you for your commitment to education, to our ELLs, and for making a difference! Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Judith Danilovicz

Adjective Avalanche!!!!!! Daniel DeLaCruz

Intelligent, Helpful, & Funny Mr. Marrero is intelligent because he knows all about Science and Algebra. He is also very helpful when we are confused, and so

funny when he tells us his great jokes!

Keyshla Rodriguez Funny, Helpful, Communicative

Mr. Marrero is a funny person who makes us laugh in his class. He helps us do better on our quizzes. Mr. Marrero communicates with us by giving us good advice to do the right thing.

Marna Rivera Funny and Clever

Mr. Marrero always makes me laugh and he is clever because he helped to create our School-2-Work program many years ago.

Mikaelle Nunes Patient, Friendly, & Intelligent

Mr. Marrero is a patient teacher and he’s always friendly. We can count on him to help us with our problems. He is also intelligent because he teaches in a way that we can understand.

Nicole Velazquez Funny, Dedicated, & Conscientious

Mr. Marrero tells funny jokes, but is dedicated to his job. He is very conscientious and even visits parents when they can’t make it to school.

Jackeline Garcia Unique, Hilarious, & Knowledgable

Mr. Marrero is extraordinary and there’s no one else like him. He always has something funny to share and he remembers things that happened a long time ago.

Stephanie Batista Funny & Persistent

Mr. Marrero is the funniest teacher I have ever met. He always says something funny to lighten our mood. He is a very persistent teacher because he wants us to do our work well.

Cynthia Reyes Funny & Helpful

Mr. Marrero is a very funny person and he always makes me laugh. He is also very helpful and is always very happy.

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Naydine Cruz Brave, Helpful, & Honest

Mr. Marrero is brave because he has to deal with all kinds of personalities. He is helpful especially if you don’t understand something, and he’s honest when he tells us we’ve done something wrong.

Angel Beltran Humorous, Knowledgeable, & Dedicated

Mr. Marrero is very humorous because he always says something funny about different topics to get us more involved. He is always well prepared and has a lot of knowledge about Science. He is so dedicated and he makes sure that his students get the

material (at any cost) or he’ll stay after school with us for tutoring.

Katiria Hernandez Funny & Helpful

Mr. Marrero is always making me laugh when he tells jokes. He likes to help his students with everything and he tries to make things clearer for us.

Camila Contreras Helpful, Funny, & Generous

Mr. Marrero is a helpful, funny and generous teacher. He is always making me laugh, helping when I am stuck with projects or classwork. Mr. Marrero buys us cookies, even though we are not always the best students in the world.

Berkelys Guerrero Cheerful, Cooperative, & Reliable

Mr. Marrero is always happy. He makes jokes. If someone needs extra help, he will help them, and you can always trust him.

Genesis Velazquez Goofy, Honest, & Compassionate

Mr. Marrero is goofy because he tells lots of funny stories about roaches! He is very honest with us when we do something wrong, but he corrects us with compassion.

Letycha Molina Informative, Funny, & Conversational

Mr. Marrero is like a book because everything he reads, he remembers. He will always make you laugh even on your worst days. He always talks to us and makes us feel welcome.

Luis Ortiz Funny, Friendly, & Helpful

Mr. Marrero is funny because he tells us jokes and makes us laugh. He also helps me when I’m struggling in class. He is so friendly and if we have a problem between each other we can talk it over and work it out with him.

Ashley Perez Rodriguez Responsible, Trustworthy, & Dedicated

I consider Mr. Marrero a responsible, dedicated, and trustworthy teacher. You can go to him with any problem and he will help you with it. He knows how to keep a secret.

Mr. Marrero is unique in the way he teaches us differently from other teachers.

Ann Goldberg Dedicated, Science-focused, Down to Earth

Dedicated to his students, science-focused, down to earth teaching style. Thank you for your work in building the School to Work program, writing curriculum, and making it happen!

You will be missed tremendously! Congratulations on your retirement!

BOARD OF SCHOOL DIRECTORS Michael E. Facchinetto - President

Shannon Patrick - Vice President Basilio A. Bonilla Jr. Michele Cann Eugene C. McKeon Craig Neiman Rogelio Ortiz Angela Sinkler Sudantha K. Vidanage

BETHLEHEM AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

Dr. Joseph J. Roy Superintendent Dr. Jack Silva Assistant Superintendent of Education/Chief Academic Officer Russell Giordano Director for Human Resources Dr. Dean Donaher Director of Student Services Janet Tate Supervisor of Grants

NOTIFICATION OF NONDISCRIMINATION It is the policy of the Bethlehem Area School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, color, age, religion, veteran status or any other legally protected classification in its educational and vocational programs, activities, or employment as required by Title VI, Title IX, Section 504.

POLIZA DE DERECHOS IGUALES Y OPORTUNIDADES El Distrito Escolar de Bethlehem no discriminará en sus programas educacionales, programas vocacionales, 0 prácticas de empleos, basado en su raza, nacionalidad, sexo, incapacidad, edad, religion, status de veterano u otras clasificaciones legales protegidas. Esta notifiación está de acuerdo con las leyes estatales y federales, incluyendo Título VI, Título IX, Sección 504.

BETHLEHEM AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT NON- PROFIT ORG. Center for Language Assessment U.S. POSTAGE PAID Northeast Middle School BETHLEHEM, PA 1170 Fernwood Street PERMIT NO. 504 Bethlehem, PA 18018