RBERN West Newsletter

ELL Administrator of the Year

This award is given to an administrator who goes above and beyond to support the ELLs in their school/district. This is someone who knows and advocates for best practice for ELLs, provides robust professional learning opportunities for staff that empower them to best serve ELLs, and acts as a local leader to champion ELL education. We are delighted to announce this year’s recipient is Scott Wolf, Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at Sweet Home CSD!

Teacher Leader Award

This award is given to a teacher who has exhibited exceptional leadership in support of ELL education. This is someone who steps outside of their normal classroom responsibilities to support their colleagues, provide professional learning opportunities, and bring awareness to others about best practices to support ELL students. We are excited to announce this year’s recipient is Alicia Monaco, ENL Teacher at Maryvale UFSD!

ELL Advocate Award

This award is given to a staff member who has engaged in meaningful advocacy work on behalf of English language learners. This can include work in the local community and any impact on changes in a local school district and beyond. The intention is to recognize advocacy efforts that have a significant impact, but might not otherwise be known or receive attention. We are pleased to announce this year’s recipient is Theresa Haungs, ENL Teacher at West Seneca CSD!

After 38 dedicated years of service to the students and educators of Western New York, Denise Gonez-Santos, Executive Director of the RBERN West, has decided to retire! She has left an indelible mark on our community and on everyone who has met her. From her first class of 4th graders in 1984, to the newest generation who sees her celebrated among her contemporaries as an agent of change in our community, Denise has been a fierce advocate for multilingual students from day one. She has done this with great kindness and compassion for others.

While her daily presence will be missed, she really only plans to shift to part-time work. She remains dedicated to supporting state-level work related to ELL students with disabilities and various other projects connected to the RBERN contract. She will also remain as involved as ever in her community. We wish her rest, relaxation, and fulfillment in this next chapter.

On behalf of everyone you have supported over the years in WNY and across New York State: thank you, thank you, thank you...and CONGRATULATIONS!

• This is a temporary expansion of the existing process to appeal to graduate with a lower score on a Regents Examination, providing flexibility to students taking Regents examinations in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years.

• Any student who meets all of the following criteria may utilize the special appeal:

• The student must have taken the Regents exam during the June 2022, August 2022, January 2023, June 2023 or August 2023 test administration periods.

• The student must have a score of 50-64 on the exam being appealed and which was taken during one of the above administrations.

• The student has attained a course average in the course that meets or exceeds the required passing grade by the school and is recorded on the student’s official transcript with grades achieved by the student in each quarter of the school year.

• Under this limited rule, a student only has to take the examination under appeal one time during the specific administrations listed above to be eligible to appeal. Unlike the ordinary appeal provision, the student does not need to have taken the examination under special appeal twice, nor participated in academic assistance.

• The appeal process may be completed any time prior to a student’s graduation, as long as the exam was taken during one of the specific administration periods. The appeal approval process for special appeals will be the same as the current appeal process.

• An appeal may be initiated by the student, the student's parent or guardian, the student's teacher including the guidance counselor, or the department chairperson, and shall be submitted in a form prescribed by the commissioner to the student's school principal.

• If a student was eligible for an exemption due to COVID-19, those exemptions still apply.

• Regarding ELLs/MLLs, since these special appeals may be applied to any diploma type, schools should consider a student’s eligibility for a special appeal prior to exercising additional safety nets.

Read the full memo.

The Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages is soliciting short video clips of 2021-22 NYSSB candidates speaking about why they chose to pursue the NYSSB in order to create both statewide and regional videos to program the NYSSB project. We would like to hear more student voices on NYSSB, and hopefully in the near future, we can reach out to other stakeholders' reviews.

Attention Title III Consortium districts! Your orders are arriving and Dawn Novak, RBERN Office Manager, Chief Boxcutter and Papercut Champion, is diligently organizing your orders* as they come in. She will reach out to you once your order is in and complete. Please coordinate a time to pick up your materials as soon as possible, before we lose her in the cardboard abyss!

*Not pictured: all of the boxes spilling into various offices and conference rooms.

In an effort to assure that as many educators as possible are prepared to revise their Checkpoint A curricula prior to implementation of the revised NYS Learning Standards for World Languages in September of 2023, OBEWL will host collaborative unit design workshops in the summer of 2022 in eight regions of New York (Capital District, Hudson Valley, Long Island, Mid-State, Mid-West, New York City, Southern Tier, and Western regions). Teachers can attend one or both days to work collaboratively with others who teach the same language to develop sample Checkpoint A unit plans aligned to the revised standards. The events will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on each day with a one hour break for lunch (not provided). A total of four (4) hours of CTLE credit will be awarded for each day attended. To participate, educators must register in advance using the following online form. Registrations will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the venue capacity has been reached.

RBERN West is hosting sessions on Monday, July 18 and Tuesday, July 26 at Erie 1 BOCES.

The Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBEWL) has 17 recorded webinars ready for world language teachers to access on our website whenever it is convenient for them. The webinars are generally one hour in length and are all designed to help educators transition to the revised NYS Learning Standards for World Languages, which were adopted by the NYS Board of Regents in March of 2021. Educators can earn CTLE credit by watching a webinar and taking a multiple-choice online post assessment and earning a score of at least 7 out of 10. There are even multiple versions of these post assessments if additional attempts are needed. OBEWL encourages teachers and administrators overseeing world language departments to consider reviewing the various workshops available and putting together a professional learning plan for the summer.

Offerings in the Professional Learning Series include:

• Curating Authentic Resources for the World Language Classroom by Leslie Grahn
• Embedding Authentic Resources into Lesson Plans by Leslie Grahn
• From Skills to Modes - Standard 1: Interpretive Communication by Dr. Joanne O'Toole
• From Skills to Modes - Standard 2: Interpersonal Communication by Bill Heller
• From Skills to Modes - Standard 3: Presentational Communication by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez
• From Skills to Modes - Part 4 - Planning for Learning: Integrating the Modes of Communication by Laura Terrill
• From Facts to Functions - The Cultures Standards by Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez and Dr. Joanne O'Toole
• Understanding Checkpoint Proficiency Targets by Bill Heller & Dr. Joanne O'Toole
• Understanding Performance Indicators & Can-Do Statements by Bill Heller & Dr. Joanne O'Toole
• Understanding NYS World Language Themes & Topics by Bill Heller, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Dr. Joanne O'Toole
• Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards - Part 1 by Bill Heller, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Dr. Joanne O'Toole
• Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards Part 2 - Checkpoint A by Rebecca Blouwolff
• Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards Part 3 - Checkpoint B by Lisa Shepard (November 30, 2021) - (Post assessments for this workshop are pending.)
• Understanding Unit Planning with the Revised NYS World Language Standards Part 4 - Checkpoint C by Regina O'Neal
• Understanding Vocabulary Development in Standards-Based Teaching by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Bill Heller
• Understanding the Role of Grammar in Proficiency Development Parts 1 and 2, by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez, and Bill Heller
• Understanding Standards-Based Lesson Planning, by Dr. Joanne O'Toole, Bill Heller, and Dr. Lori Langer de Ramirez

We have some exciting changes coming to the MLS! These updates went live on May 16, 2022.

We have updated our Spanish reading comprehension test, and math tests in 5 languages. These improvements will increase the range of possible grade placements (to K-9 for reading comprehension and 1-9 for math), provide more specific information about student performance as measured by NGLS standard in the PDF reports, and shorten average testing time.

We will publish a pre-recorded webinar in mid-May describing the changes, and will host a virtual training session on June 9 from 10:00-11:30am. Please fill out this google form to register for a virtual training. Registration is required to receive the zoom link (https://forms.gle/TCx6H3sr4PtsumM77).

Thank you for your continued engagement with the MLS, please feel free to contact us at mls.email.server@gmail.com with any questions.

For STUDENTS, By STUDENTS!

The WNYIT (Western New York Information and Technology) Conference is an opportunity for students in WNY to connect with peers and industry partners about education and career paths that align with their passions.

The conference will be comprised of multiple 45-minute sessions relating to STEM.

The Innovation Exhibition Conference from the Erie 1 BOCES Envisions Program is a showcase of 8th grade student work from 5 WNY districts.

SIGN UP HERE

In response to May 14ths racially motivated hate crime attack, targeting our black East Side Community, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources. These resources can be used to help children, families, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together.

Additionally, here is a link to a Loving Kindness Meditation that can be done with students, staff, or for oneself.

Created by our colleague from the NYC RBERN, Fausto Salazar, Adelante is a Spanish language podcast for immigrant families navigating high school in New York State. Its content also helps school staff prepare to serve these families as it includes questions from immigrant families and explores the situations that affect them. Each episode includes a description of the episode in English and Spanish, a link for listeners to write comments or ask questions, a list of links to additional resources, and a bilingual glossary of terms used in the episode

In short, this podcast is about empowering families. We hope you enjoy it!

Listen here!

NYS TESOL

2022 Student Projects Contest

“My Community, My Identities”

Shifting Language Landscapes: Criticality, Diversity and Multimodality

Essay -A piece of writing written from an author’s personal point of view.

Click HERE for more info on the essay contest.

Multimodal Storytelling - The art of telling stories with a variety of multimedia (such as audio, video, graphics, or photos)

Click HERE for more info on the multimodal contest.

Theme

Reflection on one’s cultures, identities, and personal experiences

Grades 4-5 & Grades 6-8 - 250 words or less

Examples:

• Video/vlog
• E-posters, e-newsletters, e-brochures
• Comics with captions and speech bubbles
• Slideshows with videos, music, stories, memes
• Multilingual e-resources for the school community such as signage, welcome packs, teaching, and learning resources.

Grades 9-12 & University/Adult - 500 words or less

Contest Entry Form

Contest Resources and References

More information HERE

This blog explores the work of the Cross-REL English Learner Working Group over the past eight years, which has served to advance the work of identifying and addressing the needs and priorities of EL students. The blog includes a comprehensive list of EL resources across the REL Program.

This link houses a variety of translated documents for teachers and administrators that has been shared with RBERN West. If you have any translated documents that you would like RBERN West to add, please contact Melissa Duquette, mduquette@e1b.org

Register here.

Register here.

Register here.

The Native American Indian Education Association of New York (NAIEA/NY) held a spring conference on May 20th at the Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Hotel Conference Center in Niagara Falls, New York. Seneca Nation President Matt Pagels and Dr. Lori V. Quigley, Conference Chairperson, welcomed 160 educators and leaders that gathered to discuss indigenous language teacher certification, bilingual first-language development, Haudenosaunee curriculum, national and state priorities for indigenous education, and the educational needs of indigenous students at all levels of education from pre-school to college graduation.

The conference entitled: Strength in Unity included featured speakers: Rusty Creed, J.D., Deputy Director of Administration for the National Indian Education Association; Clarissa Jacobs, Coordinator, NYSED Native American Unit; and Julian Guerrero, Jr., Director, Office of Indian Education, U.S. Department of Education. The conference’s 17 breakout sessions were provided by indigenous educators and leaders from throughout New York State. Monica Antone-Watson, Brandon Van Every, Cheryl John, Tammy Bluewolf-Kennedy, along with Dr. Lori V. Quigley were the 2022 Spring Gathering Committee. The RBERN West team at Erie 1 BOCES, together with Dr. Lynn Fusco, Dr. Elizabeth Freas, and Mr. Charles Rinaldi, were happy supporters of this important conference. Special thanks to Candace Black, Associate, Office of Bilingual Education and World Language who attended the conference.

The RBERN West at Erie 1 BOCES salutes our very own Champion of Education Dr. José Guillermo Rivera (A.K.A. Chegui) who has officially retired as an educator after more than 40 years of meritorious service as a bilingual science teacher, building administrator, district leader, Puerto Rican/Hispanic Youth Leadership Institute delegation leader and trainer, and longtime RBERN West Consultant. In recognition of his exemplary leadership, fearless advocacy and unwavering commitment to the children of New York State and Bilingual Education we want to say thank you to our beloved Chegui for being a role model to us all through your genuine collegiality, love, and friendship. We will miss you!

Dr. Elena Dokshansky, ESL Teacher at Buffalo International School #45 and long-time RBERN West professional development collaborator and presenter received her Ph.D. in Bilingual Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo on May 20, 2022. Elena we know that your parents, brother, and son Mark join us in the immense pride we feel for all you have accomplished to earn this degree. CONGRATULATIONS!

The Niagara Falls High School AP Art Students spent Friday, May 20, 2022 painting Dr. Bloneva Bond mural at Niagara Street School. Even the rain washing their work away couldn't stop them from being resilient, kind, funny , polite, hard working and cooperative. Jetzel Jimenez, a former ELL from Puerto Rico and Seal of Biliteracy recipient and awesome AP student participated in the great community event!

Email us your story and submit a picture so we can honor the contributions of our dedicated WNY educators, administrators, and community members in our monthly newsletter. Send all submissions to Mike Duffy at mjduffy@e1b.org

The Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network West is part of a statewide system of support, funded by the NYSED Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages (OBE-WL).

Mission: Collaborate with educators, parents, and community members to promote academic excellence and ensure high school graduation for all multilingual learners.

Vision: A community that provides access to an excellent and equitable education for multilingual learners that prepares them to be prosperous participants of a free and democratic society.

Email: rbernwest@e1b.org
Website: www.rbernwest.e1b.org
Location: 355 Harlem Road, Buffalo, NY, USA
Phone: (716)821-7531
Twitter: @RBERNwest