English Language Learners

We warmly welcome all foreign language speakers to TCS!  We have about 80 children at our school who are English Language Learners (ELL's). Some are born in Canada and may have more than one language spoken at home, while others come from countries far away.  There is a wide range of English language fluency among these ELL's.  

At TCS, we recognize that each child is created and loved by God.  We want all students and families to find a sense of belonging within our community, and feel proud to share their heritage.  Our mandate in the classroom is to provide differentiated learning for all students.  Read below to see how we are working to meet the needs of each ELL.

ELL Assessment and Programming

ELL students in Palliser receive additive funding from Alberta Education in order to provide extra support.  This funding is provided for students learning English for up to five years based on the results of an approved assessment of English language proficiency. 

Any student is eligible to be considered an English Language Learner if there is a language other than English spoken in the home.

To help determine their students' English language level, teachers at TCS use different types of assessments, including the Alberta K-12 English as a Second Language (ESL) Proficiency Benchmarks.  Click here for more information about the benchmarks.

Teachers then use information from their assessment to plan appropriate programming for moving students toward becoming fluent in listening, speaking, reading, and writing English. 

Some students with limited English proficiency use the online Imagine Learning program (see below) to help boost their language and literacy skills.