Home and School Connections

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Grand Canyon University *

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546

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English

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Feb 20, 2024

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Home and School Connections College of Education, Grand Canyon University ESL 546: Methods of Structured English Immersion for K-12 Education Professor Lisa Hernbloom February 21, 2024 1

Home and School Connections Part 1: School-wide Event Proposal Event: Multi-cultural Day Description: MultiCultural Day is a school event created to bolster the relationship between the school and our families. The event’s purpose is to acknowledge and enhance understanding of the cultural and linguistic variety in our school community. The day will be filled with fun educational activities. Students will work to create presentations about their culture. Presentations can include dancing, traditional clothing, artifacts that specific to their heritage, and food. Rationale: English language learners face many challenges in the classroom. Teachers often struggle to understand student cultures and how to best support students and their families to enhance student performance. Multi-cultural day will allow students, their families, and teachers to learn about the various cultures that are on campus and within the community. The event has multiple benefits such as, students gaining more understanding of their peers in a safe environment, encouraging family involvement, and increased student motivation. Agenda:  9:00 AM-9:30 AM- Welcome and Introductions o Principal will introduce staff and community partners  9:30 AM-1:00 AM- Multi-cultural Showcase o Student showcases of their countries and cultures o Families and community partners will be invited to share about their heritage  11:00 AM–12:30 PM- Workshop 2

o Interactive learning stations led by ELL students and their families. Those in attendance will be able to learn basic greetings, how to prepare traditional foods, learn dances, rudimentary embroidery and embellishment for cultural garments.  12:30 PM–2:00 PM- Food Fest o Foods from various cultures provided by families and community partners o Food will be provided in a pot-luck style setting, so those in attendance can mingle, share recipes, and make connection with others in the community. Equipment and Supplies:  Smart boards and projector to display presentations  Sound system and speakers  Tables and chairs  Art supplies o Paint, thread, sequins, fabric  Kitchen equipment and utensils for food prep  Plates, bowls, and eating utensils Part 2: Cultural Connections Multi-Cultural Day is a school wide event designed to enhance the relationships between the school and ELL families in the school community. This event will be a time to celebrate ethnic and cultural diversity and honor the unique contributions made by the families and community partners. The hope is this cultural celebration will promote positive school, family, and community relationships by implementing methods to encourage family involvement, creating an inviting school community, and welcoming the role of the family home in learning language. 3

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Cultural Influences, Cultural Competence, and Social-emotional Needs of ELLs in Teaching and Learning This event is a celebration of the diverse cultures within the school community. For instance, families will be sharing things about their heritage during the showcase by performing cultural dances, costumes, music, and artifacts relevant to their family histories. This will provide ELL students to showcase who they are, and build self-esteem and belonging. Students are able to obtain cultural competence through interactive workshops provided by ELL students and their families (Diaz-Rico, 2017), which in turn, promotes cultural learning. Family and Community Engagement When there are positive relationships between families and the school community, student outcomes are improved. According to the National Center for Cultural Competence (2006), family-school-community partnerships encourage parents to assist their children with school work, when families and communities are involved in student learning activities, it improves their academic performance. This event will enhance family-school relationships, since families will be assisting their students with their presentations, and sharing their heritage during workshops. With families and schools working together, students will have greater academic success. A day of celebrating the various cultures of the school community, will also increase the school’s understanding of their students’ backgrounds allowing the school to have a better grasp of student needs. Inclusive School and Classroom Environment The cultural day event will be a fun, friendly environment, where all students feel valued and supported. The goal is that the positive feelings of belonging with continue into the classroom, no matter the students’ differences. When teachers have the opportunity to learn about their 4

students and develop positive relationships, they create a good learning environment for all. Research shows, students are more apt to flourish intellectually in environments that implement cooperative learning strategies that acknowledge students’ individual backgrounds (Breiseth, 2011). This event will offer school staff the chance to make connections with students’ families and create a more collaborative classroom setting. Role of Family and Community Practices Positive relationships with the families of students and members of the community, creates an environment that gives students the ability to learn language as they hear it. When parents are working with their child to showcase their cultures, students will be more motivated to learn. Involving students’ families and community partners in school events like multi-cultural day will reinforce students’ language learning. This event will also allow teachers to have a better understanding of student backgrounds that may delay student progress in language development. In addition, teachers will be able to share information with families on activities that encourage language development in their children. Alignment to Asset-based Behaviors and Expectations In alignment with asset-based behaviors and expectations, a multi-cultural event supports students’ academic progress. Students will have the ability to show their understanding about their cultural heritage and the cultures of their classmates. This event will shine a light on the distinctive characteristics of various cultures which will create an environment where students feel supported and encouraged to participate in class activities (Breiseth, 2011). Educators will also learn about their students’ preferences, which will help guide instruction. 5

References Breiseth, L. (2011). A Guide for Engaging ELL Families: Twenty strategies for school leaders. Colorin Colorado. https://www.bostonpublicschools.org/cms/lib07/MA01906464/Centricity/Domain/112/En gaging-ELL-Families.pdf Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2017). The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook: A complete K-12 reference guide (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. The National Center for Cultural Competence. (2006). A Closer Look at Culture. https://nccc.georgetown.edu/documents/pptculture.pdf 6

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