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In case you missed the letters home, here they are again..........

February 2010

Dear Parents and Caregivers, Welcome to ESOL at Russley School for 2010. This year we will have two staff working with the students for whom English is not a first language; Mrs Helen McIlhone ( called Mrs Mac by the children) and Mrs Marielle Styles, the ESOL teacher aide. Every morning from Monday to Thursday, students will have opportunities to learn English in a variety of situations. This may be in their class or in the ESOL room and will include one to one and small group work. Depending on needs, children will receive between 2-4 lessons each week, with the focus on listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. They will sometimes bring home activities to complete or books to read with you. We are looking forward to working with the ESOL students this year and hope to meet you all as the year continues. Sincerely, Helen McIlhone and Marielle Styles

March 2010

Dear Parents and Caregivers, Our ESOL students have been working hard this term and have made steady progress in learning to understand and use English.  Syndicate 1 children visited the museum as part of their topic  "Who am I?" They were looking back in history and comparing it to the way we live today, in their unit called "Now and Then." Syndicate 2 also went to the museum to study Kiwiana and National Treasures. The children from Syndicates 3 and 4 who went on camp had a fantastic time and had a lot to share with us when they returned. This gave the children great experiences to talk and write about, and rich vocabulary to work with. DIGITAL CAMERAS We will be using the digital cameras with our ESOL students at the start of Term 2 to develop language based on “Things I like to Do”. If you have a photo of your child involved in an activity they like to do (e.g. swimming, reading, playing a sport) please send it along to school for us to photo copy. We will return all photos to you. Or you could email it to marielle@xnet.co.nz during the holidays. TERM 2 SHARED LUNCH Next term we would like to invite you to join us in the Russley School hall on Wednesday 28 April at 12.15 for a shared lunch. Your children will join the ESOL staff and other ESOL caregivers at 12.30 for lunch, and afterwards you may like to watch your children playing with their friends in the playground until 1.20, when they return to their classes. Please bring a plate of finger food to share. Tea and coffee will be provided. We will send a reminder notice home at the beginning of Term 2, to confirm the day and time. We look forward to seeing you then. Have a safe and happy holiday break. Sincerely, Helen McIlhone and Marielle Styles

TERM 2 ESOL SHARED LUNCH This term we would like to invite you to join us in the Russley School hall on Wednesday 28 April at 12.15 for a shared lunch. Your children will join the ESOL staff and other ESOL caregivers at 12.30 for lunch, and afterwards you may like to watch your children playing with their friends in the playground until 1.20, when they return to their classes. Please bring a plate of finger food to share. Tea and coffee will be provided. We look forward to seeing you then. Regards Helen McIlhone and Marielle Styles