Parents and Families Newsletter

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Boletín informativo para Padres y Familias.

Dear Parents and Families,

Classes have officially started! As your child is increasing their language and academic skills, you may be wondering how you can stay informed of their progress. This month’s newsletter will focus on how you can create an educational team between you, your child, and their teacher(s).

Remember, you can always have web pages translated to your native language by adding the Google Translate Extension for android or Apple devices.

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 TEA English Learner Support Division is excited to host three virtual statewide events this upcoming school year. Families will have an opportunity to attend watch parties hosted by schools or watch virtually from home on a smart device. Our first event will focus on what it looks like to address the language and academic needs of your child based on the program they are enrolled in. Check with your child’s school to see if they are hosting a watch party for this event. Registration is open on our Parents/Families page of txel.org.

If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities and resources available to migrant families, register for the AMET Conference. It will be in San Marcos, Texas on November 16-18, 2022 and will give you the opportunity to meet migrant families as well as educators dedicated to servicing the migrant communities of Texas.

Are you interested in learning more about how to support your child’s learning journey to meeting our state academic standards? Come learn about impactful practices happening in districts, schools, and classrooms and be the spark for change in your child’s school. This in-person conference for educators, parents, and families will take place in beautiful Frisco, Texas on December 8-10 and registration is open!

Research shows that emergent bilingual students are able to learn English faster if they have a strong foundation in their native language. We encourage you to think of language learning as a family activity where both you and your child grow in your native language as well as English. You may use any of the below resources to assist you.

Target Skills:

Reading, Listening, Writing

Recommended Grade Levels: PK-8

Check out videos, games, and more across all subject areas.

Target Skills:

Reading, Listening

Recommended Grade Levels: K-12

Find articles and books for all topics in English and Spanish.

Target Skills: Reading, Listening

Recommended Grade Levels: 9-12

Learn new coding languages.

Have you been able to have a conversation with your child’s teacher about your child’s academic or linguistic progress? Engaging in ongoing conversations with your child’s teacher creates opportunities to monitor their progress before final grades are submitted.

During your conversation with your child’s teacher, ask if there are opportunities available for your child to receive additional academic support. They may need to accelerate learning after disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic so that they can continue to perform at grade-level standards. On the other hand, if you feel that your child may need some more challenging learning experiences, you are encouraged to talk to your child's teacher about that as well.

Learn the basics of House Bill 4545 and how you as a parent can use its resources to help improve academic outcomes for your child.

Learn the process and how you can take part in an Accelerated Learning Committee to help support your child by working with educators to map out a learning plan that suits your child’s needs.

Learn how your child can receive at least 30 hours of tutoring throughout the school year to help him or her master their academic learning.

1. Before the meeting, ask your child about how they feel when they are in their teacher’s class and ask if they are struggling with any schoolwork.
2. During the meeting, you can ask about your child’s areas of strength and areas of improvement in the classroom. Find out about your child’s mental and emotional wellbeing by asking about their participation level and moods.
3. After the meeting, speak with your child about what was discussed and share any plans that you and your child’s teacher talked about.

Below you can find some examples of questions you can use to begin discussions with your child’s teacher:

· How is my child doing in class? Does my child participate?

· What can I do to help my child at home?

· Is my child on track to begin college or a career after graduation?

· What programs are available to help my child prepare for college?

· What programs are available to provide more challenging learning experiences for my child?

Remember that you have the right to ask for an interpreter if you are unsure of attending a meeting in English.

For a more detailed list of recommendations, check out the ColorinColorado article, “Tips for Parents: Parent-Teacher Conferences” in English or Spanish.

While the school year has just begun, for juniors and seniors in high school, graduation is just around the corner. Take a look at the Student Resources page for the next steps after high school for college, military, and careers.

Scholarships Start Early

Fall is a great time to begin applying for scholarships! Scholarships tend to have less competition due to the uncommon deadlines. Check out the Student Scholarships page for scholarships that have application deadlines in the fall. Remember you can filter the scholarships by whether or not they require an essay, by desired degree, and much more.

Career Preparation

Just because your high school student might not be interested in going to college doesn’t mean that they are finished with their education. Career One Stop has a “Certification Finder” that allows prospective applicants to find out which occupations require or benefit from a certificate and how to earn it.

Getting ready for school can be stressful and frustrating, so talk - or sing - it out with your child using some of the suggestions below to help school mornings run smoothly and prepare for school and work at night.

Sorting the Stuff

Is your child’s room a mess? Ask your child to organize their items, but also have them explain their reasoning for grouping things together. For example, are they organizing things by color or by shape? For younger students, you can start with a smaller number of things so that they do not become overwhelmed. Your child may find that cleaning their room could actually be fun if turned into a game where they have to listen to simple directions and clean as fast as they can while they race the clock.

Settle for Bed

It’s time for your child to take charge of the bedtime routine! Older elementary students still need between nine and twelve hours of sleep and should stop watching screens at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Ask your child to read a book to you. This is a great time for you to relax while also getting to witness their reading skills firsthand.

Directions for Driving

Although a teenager getting their driver’s license may feel like the best or worst thing to happen to you, it can still serve as a great opportunity for a conversation with your teenager about growing their “adulting” skills. In preparation for getting their license, have your teenager give you directions to various locations. It can be a mentally and linguistically difficult task, but it will prepare them for many potential situations they may encounter when they are driving independently.

For our third month of exploring the 8 types of self-care for caregivers from the Daily Caring article, we are reviewing steps to ensure our financial self-care. Financial security, or lack thereof, is a major contributor to the daily stress and anxiety we feel as parents and caregivers.

While there is no way to “fix” all financial stressors, here are a few ideas you can try to improve your financial circumstances.

• Talk to experts if you are struggling with your budget. Look for a non-profit organization through the Justice.gov site that offer help in languages other than English.

• Create a calendar of expenses and put it in a place where you can review it each day. Paying bills on time will improve your credit score and reduce stress.

• Many parents are tasked with both caring for their children as well as their aging parents and family. Check out some articles and podcasts about easing the financial burden that comes as your parents age.

Remember to check out our previous newsletter for advice on physical and emotional self-care.

Take a Step into the Classroom

Knowing how busy the lives of parents and caregivers can get, we know that it can feel overwhelming to stay on top of your child’s education. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Try taking just a few minutes per day to strengthen the connection you have with your child and their teacher/s or play some educational games with your child and grow your skills together as a team.

If you would like to access the previous Parent and Family Newsletters, click below.

August Newsletter Highlights

Discover how to help your child adjust to a new school after a move. The August issue offers suggestions to help students navigate through this challenging time.

July Newsletter Highlights

Find out what to do if your child has changed school, help your child develop some practical skills around the house, and get some tips for physical self-care routines.

June Newsletter Highlights

Learn about ways to keep your child engaged both mentally and physically. Also, check out numerous websites for local and digital adult English classes.

May Newsletter Highlights

Visit the Goodwill Community Foundation for free courses about various technology programs.

February Newsletter Highlights

Visit Go-Digital to enhance your technology skills. Also check out the TELPAS parent brochure on how to get your child ready for TELPAS.

January Newsletter Highlights

Visit findhelp.org to find food assistance, help paying bills, and other free or reduced cost programs, including new programs for COVID by entering your zip code.

Stay informed about the resources and support available by subscribing to TEA’s Txel.org web portal. Click on the Subscribe Today!

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

Call: 512-463-9414

Visit: tea.texas.gov