EAL Week 3

Important dates

Let's discuss Our Class Tuesday September 22/Wednesday September 23 I am looking forward to meeting you all at these meetings.

Thursday 22 October International Afternoon Parents please join us from 3.30pm until 6.30pm
(Meeting for those interested in participating this Thursday 24 September- in the Junior library. Please see letter sent out on Friday 18)

NB. The Welcome Barbeque in the diaries for the 26 September has been postponed until a later date. New date to be announced shortly.


Reminders
Please see letter sent home concerning collection for "Banco Alimentar" (link YR 3 unit) We would be grateful for your contributions. eg flour, rice, pasta etc. please send them to your child's classroom.


Please be aware that learning a new language is very tiring and your child needs adequate rest and sleep to cope with the demands of the school day. If your child is overtired, it makes it very difficult for him/ her to cope. Some of the children have been very tired this week especially at the end of the day.

This week in the EAL classroom:

Each week we have some time dedicated to revisíng vocabulary and expressions of the week before. Children learn at different paces and some children will take longer and need more repetition than others. Please check your child's folder each evening to see if there are any vocabulary sheets to revise for the following day.

The children need to read each evening with an adult looking at the pictures, words and discussing new vocabulary. Please do not worry if your child does not understand every single word in the reading. The purpose of the books are to stimulate enjoyment of learning a new language and understanding most of the language used.

We will be revising body part vocabulary and making cardboard puppets.
We will also be learning how to express ourselves when we don't feel well eg. I have a headache, stomach ache etc.

We will be looking at clothes vocabulary and having fun deciding what clothes to take on different types of holidays.

Question asking is always adifficult in a new language and we will be devoting time to asking lots of questions this week.


Maths
We will be splitting into two groups this week and after checking the children's abilty to say and recognise numbers in the thousands, we will concentrate on place value and it's importance in understanding the arrangement of numbers.

Yrs 3 and 4 will be looking at numbers up to 9 999 and Yrs 5 and 6 at numbers up to 99 999

We wil look at times tables Yrs 3 and 4 2x, 3x, 4x
Yrs 5 and 6 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, 6x

We will look at the inversion of times sums eg 4x3 being the same as 3x4

It's going to be a busy week that's for sure!

Please keep supporting your child and give them as much encouragement as possible.
They really deserve your approval at the moment. It's rather tough going for them in these early stages.
Thank you.

EAL Week 2

Important Dates
Thursday 17 September 8.30 Coffee / 9.30 Introduction to the PYP for new parents.
Saturday 26 September Welcome Barbeque

Reminders
Please remember to label your child's clothes
Children are allowed to bring water bottles to school (also labelled please.) It is important they drink sufficient water during the day. It is still very hot.
Your child must wear a hat outside. We have a no hat /no play policy.

This has been a busy week in the EA.L classroom. The children have been getting to know one another and getting used to the daily routine. They have shown a lot of enthusiasm to learn their new language and also a willingness to help one another. Here is a list of Who is Who in the E.A.L classroom:

From Portugal
Twins Rodrigo and Francisco
Lourenço
João
Teresa Ana

Andrea (From Italy)
Tomás (From Czech Rebublic)
Belén (From Spain)
Maria Luiza (From Brazil)

From China
Leonardo
Gabriel
Hao

Not forgetting:

Ms Erica (From New Zealand)
Mrs Bradford (From Britain)

This week we will be learning:
Family members vocabulary, body parts vocabulary, present simple sentences eg On Monday I go to school, Maths language - revision of numbers 1 - 100/ 100 - 1000 (depending on level of each child), maths symbols =, -, +. Times tables -eg. How to say 4x3=

We will be involving the children in the following activities activities to help them with their learning:

Making collages of family members, making a marionette puppet to learn body parts.

Reading
Please continue to look at books each evening with your child and at the weekend. Do not worry if the language seems too easy or difficult at this stage. We are still establishing the level of the children.
Please remember to sign the reading card each evening and also the diary.

Adapting to a new school and to a new language isn't easy. Please do not hesitate to let us know if there are any issues which arise at home which you think we should be aware of. In this way we can all work together to make this transition for your child as trouble free as possible.

School Year 2009-2010

This year will be a great adventure for the EAl students at St, Dominic’s. The adventure starts in the EAL classroom. Find us on your left as you walk along the corridor leading to Reception.
There you will find Mrs. Bradford and her assistant Erica with our new non English speakers.
We will be looking after your children as they adjust to a new school and a new language.
We hope to provide a nurturing environment where they will feel secure and grow in confidence as they gradually acquire English.
They will be with us each day from after registration until the end of period 6. For the last two periods of the day they will return to their regular class.
For P.E and Art the children will also join their regular classes. Please check by looking in the diary which days are P.E. days for your child.
He /she will need to have their P.E. uniform on these days.
If the P.E. lessons are in the morning please ensure that your child comes to school in P.E uniform. They need to bring their school uniform (including school shoes) with them in order to change at lunch-time.
If the P.E lessons are in the afternoon, they need to bring the P.E uniform in a bag to school and change into it at lunchtime. Their school uniform needs to go home with them at the end of the day.
In the EAL classes this week we will be getting to know one another and settling into the school environment. The children will learn:
* How to introduce themselves to their peers and to teachers
* How to tell their age and birth date
* Basic numbers and colours
* The days of the week and months of the year
* The vocabulary of classroom objects
* How to express basic needs
* Learn their way around school
* Start to learn who’s who in the school community
Starting a new school without the ability to understand and speak the language of the school community is a challenging experience.
We hope we will be able to help your child cope well with this “adventure.”
Your child will shortly be bringing home flashcards to help them with new vocabulary. Please give them all the support you can to help them with this.
English books will be brought home each evening along with a reading card for you to sign.
Please help them enjoy their new reading material by looking at the pictures together even if some of the language is difficult at this stage.

NB Please remember that the weather is still very hot and it helps if the children have a bottle of water with them at school which they can refill throughout the day. (clearly labelled with their name)