Below is a copy of the newsletter item that is in today's school newsletter (in case your copy hasn't reached you yet!)
Chris Smith organises the timetables, supports
teachers and deals with the Ministry of Education requirements for ELLs, as
well as working with individuals and small groups. Twice a term she and Kathleen host a parent
meeting, which is held on a Wednesday morning from 9.00 – 9.45 am in the school
library. It is a time for parents to
meet and discuss any topics or issues that interest them and for them to get to
know other Oaklands’ parents.
English Language Learners at Oaklands
As is the case with an increasing number of schools in New
Zealand, Oaklands School hosts students from a variety of cultures and many
classes have students who speak more than one language. Currently, at our school there are pupils
from around 20 different cultures who speak at least 13 different languages. Our school population is made up of the
following groups: NZ European 70.3%, NZ Maori 11.5%, Asian 9.4%, Pasifika 2%,
other nationalities 6.8%. Having
students from such a variety of countries and backgrounds mirrors life in New
Zealand now and it is great to hear our children sometimes speaking their own
language in the classroom and in the playground.
Two staff members work with our English Language Learners by
supporting classroom programmes, either by working alongside the children in
their classroom or by withdrawing students for individual or small group
instruction.
Kathleen Kingston has worked with the English Language
Learners at Oaklands for many years. She
works in classrooms across the school on a daily basis, she supports the ELLs
in the Kakano Team Discovery programme each Friday and she facilitates the
Tuesday Culture Club for the younger children.
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