NJTESOL/NJBE sends best wishes for a wonderful and productive school year to all our members. We are excited about providing stimulating professional learning and support through our programming and communication platforms.

Our website provides links and content relating to our organization and Multilingual Learners. For members who register for our hotlist, Executive Board representatives and others offer information and insight on current issues and topics of interest.

Look for information on our upcoming PLC series which will focus on MLs and reading instruction, particularly the Science of Reading. We will also be running our very successful Parent Expo on January 25, 2025. Videos from previous PLC presentations and Parent Expo workshops are available on our YouTube channels.

NJTESOL/NJBE is represented on social media too. You can find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) NJTESOL_NJBE (@NJTESOL_NJBE), and Instagram njtesolnjbe.

Please consider presenting at our spring conference Intersectionality: Shaping Experiences & Creating Opportunities. The Call for Proposals and Registration links will be available later this month. The dates for this year’s conference are May 20, 21, & 22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick. You can also register for our Video Conference Library.

We have been expanding the number of scholarship winners, so look for applications on our website opening on January 6, 2025 and consider donating to our scholarship program at this link. Scholarships are available for 4th, 8th, and 12th grade students and adult learners attending college. We also have our new Barbara Tedesco Award for an ESL/Bilingual educator and a non ESL/Bilingual educator with whom they have a collaborative partnership in the same district. The winners will each receive a one day free registration to the NJTESOL/NJBE Conference.

Let us know if you have any suggestions or questions related to NJTESOL/NJBE by contacting any of our Executive Board members and have a great school year!

Announcements

2024 Spring Conference Silver Sponsor

We are so excited to share our FIRST Morris/Sussex Chapter meeting for 2024-2025. It will be on Thursday September 12th from 4:30-6:30. The topic will be: How to use student ACCESS/MODEL/WIDA screener scores to plan and set goals with students for the beginning of the year. In response to the survey we sent out, this first meeting will be virtual. Please mark your calendars and sign up here. If you have any questions, please let either me or Kathryn Tepedino morris-sussex-1@njtesol-njbe.org (the leader of the Morris/Sussex Chapter) know.
Michelle Land past-president@njtesol-njbe.org
NJTESOL/NJBE Past President and Scholarship Chair
TESOL International Incoming Social Responsibility Co-Chair

All members of NJTESOL/NJBE are invited to attend our 1st Countering Anti-Black Racism (CABR) Committee Meeting for the 2024-2025 School Year on Wednesday, September 18th, from 7:00-8:30 pm. We will meet on the 3rd Wednesday of every month through June.

FOR SEPTEMBER: Our Summer Book Study was “Black Immigrant Literacies: Intersections of Race, Language and Culture in the Classroom” by Dr. Patriann Smith. We will continue the work of understanding how race, language, and culture intersect in order to inform our work as professionals and as an organization. To prepare for our September Meeting, please watch this webinar (which we will discuss) on Dr. Patriann Smith’s blog in order to recap the book and prepare for our Q&A session with her during our October Meeting. You did not have to read the book in order to participate! Please join us for collaborative learning and discussion.

Please sign up at Eventbrite for a free ticket so that 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 Advocacy Committee will meet on Thursday, September 19th at 5:00. All NJTESOL/NJBE members are invited to participate. Please complete this Google form to receive the Zoom link. The Advocacy Committee meets on the 3rd Thursday of the month.

T-Shirt Design Contest – All NJTESOL/NJBE members and their students are invited to participate in this first-ever competition. The winning design will be featured on the 2025 Spring Conference t-shirts sold to raise funds for the NJTESOL/NJBE Scholarship Fund. Submissions are due by Nov. 15, 2024. See more information here.

First Day Jitters

Read-alouds of picture books are my favorite, especially at the beginning of the year. First Day Jitters is a great book to use the first week to help connect with students and let them know they are not alone in being nervous. There is great vocabulary, illustrations and more to get the conversation started in your classroom. Check out the link below to get more lesson plan ideas to use.

Luigina Finneran, NJTESOL/NJBE Bilingual/ESL Middle School 6-8 Representative

Summary by Jodi Durgin with lesson ideas.

The story First Day Jitters tells the story of Sarah, who is very nervous for her first day of school. Her dad tries to get her out of bed and Sarah says she is not going. She is worried about starting her new school and not knowing anyone. As Sarah gets ready for school, she becomes increasingly nervous; even her hands are clammy.

Sarah’s dad drives her to school and she begins to feel sick with nerves. When they arrive at the school, Sarah’s principal is there to greet her and show her where to go. The principal leads Sarah through the crowded halls to her new class.Students will love the surprise at the end of the story when they discover that teachers also get nervous on the first day of school!

September’s NJTESOL/NJBE Member of the Month, Karen Demarest
and
Lesson Plans from Dave’s ESL Cafe

Announcements

First Day Jitters

ARTICLES: SUMMER 2024