Resources for Teachers

Important Links

Prince George's County Public Schools Website

School Year 2027 Calendar

Bladensburg High School Website 

Free and Reduce Lunch Forms

Student Rights and Responsibility Handbook and Code of Conduct

PGCPS ELD Office

Bladensburg High Bell Schedule 

ELD 7 Key Strategies

• Visuals

• Sentence stems/frames with or without word banks

• Learning by doing (hands-on activities)

• Collaboratives Conversations

• Modified Graphic Organizers

• Direct Vocabulary Instruction

• Building Background Knowledge

Service-Learning Hours

In the State of Maryland, students are required to complete 24 Service Hours to graduate. These are some approved ways to complete your hours:

• Tutor at an after-school program

• Work with a program that promotes positive messages to young children

• Participate in a reading program to read to children at a local library

• Assist city governments or civic associations with the planting of trees, flowers, or a park clean-up

• Participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program

• Establish a recycling program in the community

• Work with the local Boys and Girls Club

• Help with the Boy Scouts /Girl Scouts or Little League

• Work on a community clean-up campaign

• Assist at the local nursing home or hospital

• Organize a walk-a-thon to support diabetes research

• Set-up a tutor /buddy program for international students

The deadlines for submission of the Student Service-Learning Verification forms are as follows:

-October 15 (for any independent hours obtained between July 1 and August 30)

-January 31 (for any independent hours obtained between September 1 and January 31)

-July 15 (for any independent hours obtained between February 1 and June 30).

Graduation Assessments - They are 20% of your Final Grade

Graduation Requirements

Maryland ESSA Plan

ELD Summary Sheet for Staff (requires access to PGCPS staff account)

Models of ELD Support:

• Bladensburg High uses Sheltered Instruction and Co-taught models to support MLs in Core Subjects. Paraprofessionals provide supports to elective courses that are graduation requirements.

• Starting SY27, the school will start offering Consultative Services to support MLs who do not have an ELD course as part of their schedule.

Equity & Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners

Provide a safe and inclusive setting for students.

• Assign a buddy or two buddies—preferably a mature, reliable, communicative student to act as a guide and friend.

• Seat the student and their buddy near the main teaching area of the room.

• Allow one or two students from the same language background to act as an interpreter in the early days, when possible. Discourage reliance in subsequent weeks.

• Ensure everyone pronounces the student's name correctly.

• Speak naturally and simplify language without omitting essential grammatical elements, such as articles and pronouns. Avoid raising your voice, as it does not aid in comprehension.

• Avoid rapid speech.

• Honor the silent period at the beginning of a MLs' language journey.

• Expect the students to experience fluctuating attention span during the early weeks while they are making many linguistic, cultural, and environmental adjustments.

Become familiar with as many culturally sensitive/trauma sensitive areas as possible.

• Respect students' reluctance to eat certain foods or drink milk.

• Understand cultural differences regarding personal space and physical contact (personal space, being touched on the head, etc.).

• Respect students' reluctance to make eye contact.

• Acknowledge possible differences in personal hygiene practices (bathroom use, changing clothes for P.E. requirements.).

• Honor cultural and religious dress and practices.

• Be aware of gestures that may be unfamiliar or inappropriate in another culture.

• Avoid slang and idioms.

Prepare the class members by helping them understand how MLs feel.

• Explain by example how customs may differ from one country to another (method of greeting, schooling, eating, etc.)

• Ask students to imagine what it would be like for them to experience another culture and language.

• Share multicultural and/or travel experiences among students, classmates, and staff.

• Allow the class to listen to a guest speaker or tape of someone speaking in another language so that they can experience a brief period of immersion.

Be patient. MLs usually have a silent period before they are ready to begin speaking in English. Students have varying comfort levels and paces in adapting to new linguistic and cultural skills.

• Correct selectively.

• Encourage, but do not insist on responses, and provide for appropriate wait time.

• Praise judiciously.

• Be optimistic.

"A supportive and inclusive classroom environment, combined with thoughtful and effective teaching strategies, empowers students to thrive and adapt to new languages and cultures. By fostering a nurturing, language-rich, and engaging atmosphere, educators play a crucial role in helping multilingual learners succeed." - Adapted from educational best practices, 2024