Embedded Files
For Families
For Families
Websites for Free Multilingual Books: Chalk Academy
Cuidando Mi Salud Mental Durante El COVID -19 (Caring for My Mental Health During COVID-19) From Sylvia Trevino-Maack, Social Worker at LHS
USD 497 Translation & Interpretation Supports
USD 497 Translation & Interpretation Supports
Interpretation Calendar: Sign up for an interpreter using this gmail spreadsheet. This will be in effect for the remainder of the school year.
Translation Log: Look here for treasures! The 497 Translation log shows a comprehensive list WITH accessible LINKS to materials that have been translated since late March 2020. Translated materials include but are not limited to district choice boards and community resources. Requests for additional translations can be made via emailing Kasey or translator@usd497.org
Additional Features:
Send a class poll
Schedule a message to go out at the same time each week.
Share a class you've made with a colleague
Text to Speech Feature for your text messages
How to send video or images via TalkingPoints
How to add PDFs to a message in TalkingPoints
Stay connected with your students and families via text. Sign up for an individual subscription. They're free through June, but if it's something we like and will use, we can propose purchasing it at that time.
Tips for composing language that is easy to translate.
Tips for composing language that is easy to translate.
Be concise. English often translates into longer text.
Use simple sentences. Avoid compound ones.
Use active voice (as opposed to passive).
Use standard English word order: subject —> verb —> object
Avoid long noun strings.
Avoid humor in most cases.
Avoid jargon, slang, and idioms. Use only literal terms (e.g., met instead of ran into).
Try to use words that have a single meaning (e.g., angry instead of mad).
Use relative pronouns like "that" and "which."
Click here to learn how Talking Points translates your messages.
Resources Shared by Colorin Colorado
Resources Shared by Colorin Colorado
Math Expressions Support
Math Expressions Support
From Amanda Green, Inst. Coach @ Cordley: Here is a padlet with some some video tutorials.
1. open the padlet from the link above or HERE
2. scroll over to the heading Video Tutorials
3. scroll down to find the video of your choosing (you can open these into new windows, copy the link to share them with others, etc)
Wide Open School is a free collection of the best online learning experiences for kids curated by the editors at Common Sense. It helps make learning from home an experience that inspires kids, supports teachers, relieves families, and restores community.
This site was built in a matter of days on a shared vision. The creators plan to keep building until things get back to normal. A group of more than 25 organizations came together and raised their hands to help, and many more are joining on a daily basis. Watch for new features and content partners frequently.
The creators of the IPT ESOL Placement test are sharing some free (downloadable) resources for distance learning w/ ELs. The list will be continually updated and currently includes topics such as, but not limited to, family/school units, text-based w/ Zora Neale Hurston, & activities on idioms and dictionaries.
The Center for Applied Linguistics is offering free weekly webinars to support you and ELs. They're also archiving past session presentations & handouts for reference.
Topics include, but are not limited to...
Fri. 4/17 @ 2: Kitchen Chemistry & Backyard Biology
Beyond Numbers: Math & Language in the Home
SeeSaw Resources
SeeSaw Resources
Blog Feature: The blog feature on SeeSaw may provide a great opportunity for this to continue and still respect/protect student privacy. Watch this (less than 6 minute) 'how to' video to learn more.
Seesaw Language Settings
Seesaw Language Settings
"How to" change language settings on See Saw Instructions (English)
"How to" change language settings on See Saw Instructions (Spanish)
Miscellaneous Resources
Miscellaneous Resources
Enable Captioning in Screencastify
For Students with Dyslexia or Dysgraphia: Microsoft Immersive Reader
Technology Support
Technology Support
Contact Information
Contact Information
Help Desk & PS Support: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Help Desk
Phone: 785-330-4357. Push 1 for HS, 2 for MS, 3 for Elem. & 4 for PS support.
Help Desk Email: ITWorkOrder@usd497.org
PS Help Desk: 330-4300
PS Ticket Email: pstech@usd497.org
Resources & Updates Shared by KSDE ESOL
Resources & Updates Shared by KSDE ESOL
Professional Development Opportunities
Professional Development Opportunities
KSDE ESOL Friday Zooms: Collaborate with other ESOL teachers in KS by joining an ESOL Zoom Collaboration Hour. On Fridays from 9:30-10:30a
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) at a Distance- Monday, Apr. 20 @ 1 pm REGISTER HERE
Supporting Every Student Online: Differentiating Literacy Instruction Across Content Areas - Tuesday, Apr. 21 @ 4 pm REGISTER HERE
Social Reading in an Era of Social Distancing- Wednesday, Apr. 22 @ 2 pm REGISTER HERE
Equity: We’ve Started the Work, So Why Aren’t We There Yet?- Thursday, Apr. 23 @ 4 pm REGISTER HERE
Other Resources
Other Resources
BreakoutEDU: Live sessions on Wednesdays @ 3p
English Central (videos & lessons by proficiency level), 4/17/20
Choice Board Examples (other KS districts) 4/7/20
EL Continuous Learning Resource from Southwest Plans Regional Service Center, shared 4/7/20
Fairfax County Public Schools (scroll down for ESOL resources by grade level), shared 4/7/20
7 Tips for Remote Learning video by Gary Ferlazzo, shared 4/3/2020
Other Updates from KSDE
Other Updates from KSDE
Seal of Biliteracy Update: recently discussed the issue of whether to allow the AAPPL and STAMP at home assessment options for the Seal of Biliteracy. The Advisory Council agreed unanimously (by vote) to allow parents and guardians to administer the STAMP and AAPPL assessments this year due to the pandemic. Both of these assessments have security features built in to the test and detailed protocols for parents and schools to follow. Contact Kasey for more details.
Continuous Learning Support from Greenbush, The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center
Continuous Learning Support from Greenbush, The Southeast Kansas Education Service Center
Professional Learning & Collaboration Opportunities
Professional Learning & Collaboration Opportunities
Honoring Home to Build Trust
Honoring Home to Build Trust
The videos below (in English) may help families feel better about the supports they can give when they're feeling overwhelmed trying to be workers, teachers, and parents.
Technology Ideas From Greenbush
Technology Ideas From Greenbush
30+ Youtube Channels for Teachers - Youtube is a great place to find new ideas, but it's tough to know where to look with so much content available. This week's EdTech tip will share with you a website that compiles 30+ awesome Youtube channels for teachers.
Google’s Applied Digital Skills - Google Applied Digital Skills is a free online curriculum that can be accessed by individual learners or used in a classroom setting. Project-based units help students practice basic digital skills using Google's G Suite for Education applications (Gmail, Docs, Sheets, etc.).
EdPuzzle - EdPuzzle is a website that allows you to easily add questions, teacher notes, and other types of content to videos. Students play the video and are engaged throughout by content that you add. Free, simple, effective.
Ideas Worth Sharing
Ideas Worth Sharing
Socio-Emotional
Socio-Emotional
CASEL Cares Initiative: The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning supports educators and has COVID-19 specific resources available.
Headspace for Educators: Meditations & Supports shared by Catherine Bolton @ Cordley
Teacher-created items to share can be found in the file below. To "share" an item and avoid having to make a copy of it, use the "shift+Z" trick.
From LPS Special Education
From LPS Special Education
USD 497 SPED Facilitators have put in some SERIOUS work. Here is the collection of resources they've made available.
For Students with Dyslexia or Dysgraphia: Microsoft Immersive Reader
Available from
9a-5p & 7:30-8:30p
Click on the day of the week to join the Check-In.
Open Check-In:
12:30-1:30
Available from
8a-12p & 7:15-8:15p
Click on the day of the week to join the Check-In.
Open Check-In:
8-9a
Available from
9a-5p & 7:30-8:30p
Click on the day of the week to join the Check-In.
Open Check-In:
1-2p
Available from
8a-12p & 7:15-8:15p
Click on the day of the week to join the Check-In.
Open Check-In:
8:30-9:30a
Available from
9a-5p & 7:30-8:30p
Click on the day of the week to join Check-In.
Open Check-In:
1-2p
Highlights worth sharing and celebrating
Highlights worth sharing and celebrating
04.15.20: Hearing from several of you how the sometimes LONG conversations w/ students and parents are paying off. More students are able to join class sessions and/or are completing work.
04.09.20: Being part of a 5-way call with an interpreter, someone from IT, a gen ed teacher, and a family (mom and English speaking sibling). Six participants in total! The family had the internet and iPad ready for the 1st grader, but were locked out of SeeSaw. It warms my heart to think of Kathy McCall's dedication to her student in working beyond language barriers and how the team managed a 5-way call without interrupting one another...talk about coming a long way with technology norms!
03.27.20: I am grateful for the KELPA scorers that volunteered their time amongst first week craziness back, to kick butt and score all 1,200+ reading and writing assessments that needed scored: Amy Alumbaugh, Rita Beyer, JT Brown, Valisha Buselt, Emma Cook-Sudbeck, Cari Davis, Rachel Driggers, Elaine Hendrickson, Kenny Holt, Bethany Jeppsen, Jessica Larsen, and Nicole Rice
03.31.20: After advocacy and A LOT of meetings, a student that's been her less than 3 years was identified for gifted education!
03.31.20: MS ESOL meeting. Cari shared her student home scavenger hunt--it's amazing how fast kids can race to get things, such as a spoon, on their screen first!
03.23.20: I saw PEOPLE apart from my family! It felt sooooo good to see and touch base with you all!
Sunflower International Night 2019
Sunflower International Night 2019
Hillcrest in Action
Hillcrest in Action
Sunflower Women's Group Adventures
Sunflower Women's Group Adventures
In February, the Sunflower ESOL team worked with Ms. Martins, the art teacher to have a Women's group lesson on painting. Valisha and Molly shared that several of the moms had never painted before, so it was a very unique experience. The moms then followed up the February session by organizing the March Women's group meeting where the Arabic-speaking moms brought tea & showed the group how to make a Saudi treat. There was also a cake decorating lesson!
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