Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday
Elected Officers
- LeighAnn Matthews, President
- Maria Cecilia Vila Chave, Vice President/President-Elect
- Michelle Land, Past-President
- Kathryn Tepedino, Secretary
- Maria Jaume, Treasurer (Appointed)
- Abdul-Qawwee Shabazz, Liaison
Presidential Appointees
- Sonya Bertini, Socio-political Representative
- Margaret Churchill, WIDA Representative
- Julia Coronel, Graduate Student Representative
- Fernando Gasparoto, Parent/Family Representative
- Joan Pujol, Membership Chair
- kiina dordoni, Social Media Coordinator
Contractors
- Kathleen Fernandez, Executive Director
- Gwen Franks, Business Administrator
- Marilyn Pongracz, Technology Coordinator
- Caia Schlessinger, Conference Coordinator
- Tina Kern, Exhibitor Liaison
- Dale Egan, Technology Assistant
Elected Representative
- Mary Mansfield, Representative-at-large
Special Interest Group Representatives
- Bilingual/ESL Early childhood / Pre-K -K – Veronica Murillo
- Kathleen Bowman, Bilingual Elementary 1-5
- Open Position
- Jenna Maneri, ESL Elementary 1-5
- Luigina Finneran, Bilingual/ESL Middle School 6-8
- Jessica Duran, Bilingual Secondary
- Liz Farro, ESL Secondary
- Leah Carmona, Higher Education
- Alex Guzman, Teacher Education
- Kimberly Sharkey, Adult Education
- Aphrodite Dellaporta, Special Education
- Keith Perkins, Supervisors
- Nurka Nieves, Family/Community Action
Committees
- Advocacy Sub-Committee, Chair: Sonya Bertini
- Professional Development Committee, Chair: Maria Cecilia Vila Chave
- Countering Anti-Black Racism Committee, Chair: kiina dordoni
- Parent Expo, Chair: Kathleen Fernandez
Announcements
All members of NJTESOL/NJBE are invited to attend our Countering Anti-Black Racism (CABR) Committee Meeting on Wednesday, December 18, from 7:00-8:30 pm. We will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month through June. Register on Eventbrite.
FOR DECEMBER: We will continue unpacking anti-blackness in Latinidad including the implications for Hispanic Heritage Month. We will then discuss what this means for our actionable work on this committee, in this organization, as educators, and as advocates. A Zoom link can be sent to you on the day of the event. You must be a member of NJTESOL/NJBE to attend.
Please make sure you get a confirmation email from Eventbrite acknowledging your registration. The Zoom link will be sent to that same email address on the day of the event. Be aware that school websites may block emails from Eventbrite.
__________
The Passaic County Chapter invites you to our next virtual meeting, December 19, 2024, 4:30pm – 5:30pm, International ESOL Opportunities with Hansley Cazeau. Register for ALL our events via Eventbrite here.
__________
There will be no Advocacy Meeting in December. Thank you for all of your hard work this year, the Advocacy Committee is grateful for all you do for MLs and their families every day!
__________
Share your successes with other members by writing an article for the annual Voices Journal! Topics include
- Current issues
- Classroom explorations
- Program descriptions/exemplary scheduling
- Alternative perspectives
Here are the guidelines. You can read previous issues here.
Submissions are due January 15th for publication in early March.
__________
Teachers and other educators, please invite your students’ family members and guardians to NJTESOL/NJBE’s FREE Virtual Padres con Poder/Parent Power workshop on Saturday, January 25, from 9:30 – 12:30! Here is a sharable Parent Expo Flyer and here is the Registration link on Eventbrite.
Parents of Multilingual Learners join us for NJTESOL/NJBE’s FREE Virtual Parent Expo, Padres con Poder/Parent Power, on Saturday, January 25, from 9:30 – 12:30! There will be live presentations, recordings, and an online library of resources available. Topics will include applying for financial aid and college preparation, free health insurance programs for children, attendance issues, parent advocacy at school, and a presentation by Seal of Biliteracy graduates.
Gift card drawing and certificates for participants. Register on Eventbrite
__________
Registration for the 2025 Spring Conference is open!
Theme – Intersectionality: Shaping Experiences and Creating Opportunities
Two components to choose from:
In-Person Conference at the Hyatt Regency Hotel
May 20, 21 & 22 (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) – All Three Days: General Interest, Content Area Instruction/ESL Pre-K through 12, Higher Ed, Teacher Ed, Adult Ed, K-12, Dual Language/Biliteracy
OR
Virtual Library Conference: Access starting on May 27 through August 21
Take advantage of discounted early registration through January 31, 2025
or regular registration through April 25, 2025
See more information here.
__________
Nominate the member of the month!
NJTESOL/NJBE has so many amazing teachers throughout our state that it would be fitting to highlight some of them. Nominees could be colleagues who are available to answer questions about ELLs or the Bilingual Education code; educators who support students and their families beyond the classroom with projects, college applications, and extracurricular activities; someone who joins committees in support of ELLS or to implement positive change for the community. The nominee must be a member of NJTESOL/NJBE. Nomination Link
ARTICLES:
Meet Our New Executive Board Members
Science of Reading Podcast 3:
Diagnosing Dyslexia in Multilingual Learners
– with Francisco Usero-González
and
Science of Reading Podcast 4:
Practical Strategies for Multilingual Learning– with Diane August, Ph.D.
Communication is KEY!
and
Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Has Consequences. What Schools Can Do to Help
Congratulations to October’s
NJTESOL/NJBE Member of the Month Kellie Cuccaro
and
Every Teacher Is a Language Teacher: Strategies for Supporting Multilingual Learners of English in the Mainstream Classroom– Naashia Mohamed
3 Ways to Ensure English Learners Benefit from the Science of Reading
-Leslie Villegas
and
Supporting Multilingual Learners in Developing Reading Fluency across the School Day– Kate Kinsella
Announcing the 2025 Spring Conference Keynote Speakers!
Congratulations to November’s
NJTESOL/NJBE Member of the Month Mrs. Singh
and
4 Ways to Support Long-Term English Learners – Sarah Said
Word Analyzer Vocabulary Tool
and
Online Dictionaries
Notebook LM
-Jessica Duran
and
5 Ways to Use AI-Generated Images in Your Classroom -Brent Warner
Inspirational Quotations
and
A Chorus of Reasons Why We Teach
Invitation to Write an Article for the Yearly Voices Journal
and
Padres con Poder/Parent Power Parent Expo
5 Ways to Bring Cultural Diversity into Your Classroom -Carol Higho
and
Defying Labels at Tables -Joyce Farr