English Learner

Parent Advisory Council (ELPAC)

General Meeting

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

7:00-8:15 PM

WELCOME!!

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Public Schools of Brookline • Office of English Language Education

Interpretation Services

• We will use language specific audio channels for interpretation �services available through Zoom.
• Click on the interpretation feature at the bottom of your screen
• Select your preferred language
• You will now be able to hear the meeting in your preferred language
• If you would like to reply or ask questions during the meeting, you �may do so in your preferred language. The interpreter will either return to the main meeting to translate or type into the chat.

Interpreters for this evening:

Haitian Creole: Kerline M. Korean: Jane J. Mandarin: Yudi W. Spanish: Thomas W.

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Agenda

Introductions and Contact Information

Mindy Paulo, ELE Director�mindy_paulo@psbma.org

Betsy Davis, ELE Family and Community Engagement Coordinator�betsy_davis@psbma.org

Sarah Moghtader, ELPAC Liaison to the Brookline School Committee

sarah_moghtader@psbma.org

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820

There are 820 English learners in grades PK-12 in the Public Schools of Brookline.

(As of January 3, 2025)

12%

English learners make up 12% of the district’s PK-12 student enrollment.

(As of January 3, 2025)

Did you know….

Important Announcements

• ACCESS for ELLs (January 6-February 14, 2025)

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• A required exam
• Measures the English progress of our English learners
• Students take the test between now and February vacation
• Taken during the school day
• Results will be sent home in the late spring by mail
• There will be an information session to understand results in the spring
• All ELs and opt-outs must take this test

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Important Announcements

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• EFP - English classes for English learner parents/caregivers

Session 1 January 6 - February 10 (No class January 20th for MLK Day)

Session 2 March 3 - April 4 (These dates may change slightly)

Session 3 April 28 - June 2 (These dates may change slightly)

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• What’s New?? Newsletter - are you receiving it?

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Important Announcements

• 2025 STAR Academy - Summer Program

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Dates and application information will be released at the beginning of February

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Important Announcements

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Would you like to have a leadership role in ELPAC? We are looking for 1-2 parents to join Mindy and Betsy in planning 2-3 more ELPAC meetings this year.

This is a great opportunity to represent the English learner community!

Please email Betsy with any questions or if you would like to be an ELPAC leader (betsy_davis@psbma.org)

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Supporting our Students:

-Student Mental Health-

Engagement and Adjustment

Guest Speaker: Dr. Matt DuBois

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Brookline’s Senior Director of Clinical Services and Social-Emotional Learning

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Social and Emotional Learning

Child and Teen Mental Health

• Prior to the pandemic, about 1 in 5 children met criteria for a mental health diagnosis.
• The majority of children with mental health diagnoses do not access treatment.
• Majority (70%) of children primarily access mental health services at school.

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Mental Health

• Being mentally healthy DOES NOT mean feeling good all of the time.

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• Being mentally healthy means that you:
• Experience all emotions.
• Have feelings that match the situations you’re in.
• When you experience unpleasant emotions, you can handle them so that you can meet your goals.

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Mental Health

Every emotion is important.

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• The goal is to develop skills to influence our emotions, not to eliminate them.
• Pleasant emotions communicate that something is safe, desirable, and/or preferred.
• Sadness communicates that you have lost something that is important to you.
• Worry/fear communicates that a threat might be present.

Mental Health

• Culture influences our emotional experiences, the way we express emotions, and the way we regulate emotions.

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• For example, there is a continuum of how people express emotions that is heavily influenced by culture.

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• In schools, we want to make sure that kids can express and regulate emotions in culturally-affirming ways.

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Emotions Impact Learning

Protective Factors

All Students

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Protective Factors

All Students

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Transitions are Stressful!

• Most people experience transitions (e.g., moving, starting a new job, starting a new school) as stressful.

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• Adjusting to new cultures, a new language, a new country, a new community, and a new school can feel:
• Exciting, hopeful, sad, worrisome, and frustrating (all at the same time).

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• Feeling stressed, upset, angry, or sad after a transition is normal (and healthy).
• If feels persistent for several weeks/months AND impact your child’s ability to do school and other activities, additional support will be helpful.

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Supporting Your Child

• We want kids to form healthy relationships with their feelings.
• Feelings are not bad. Feelings are information.

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• It is normal for kids to be sad, tearful, worried, anxious, stressed in the weeks following a transition.
• Validate these feelings in yourself and your child(ren).
• Talk about ways to honor unpleasant feelings (e.g., feeling sad) AND ways to feel hopeful about current experience.

When to get help?

• If you see significant changes in your child’s mood or behavior that lasts for several weeks.
• Statements that indicate a desire to harm oneself or others
• Difficulties attending (or staying) at school
• Regularly having difficulty controlling worry (without a clear stressor).
• Changes in eating habits
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• Engagement in unhealthy coping skills (e.g., substance use, self-injury)
• If you are concerned about your child, email your child’s counselor or teacher(s).

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If you have concerns regarding safety:

• 988
• Contact the BEST team: 800-981-4357
• Consider accessing Emergency Department

Care Solace

The Public Schools of Brookline has partnered with Care Solace to support the well-being of students, staff, and their family members. Care Solace is a confidential care coordination service that can help you quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to your needs regardless of circumstance. If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:

• Call 888-515-0595 available 24/7/365 in any language.
• Visit www.caresolace.com/brookline and either search on your own OR click “Call Now” for assistance by video chat, email, or phone.

Questions?

Guest Speaker: Cristina Hernandez

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Brookline’s Associate Director of Educational Equity

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What is Restorative Justice?:

• Restorative Justice – a process that aims to build relationships between students, teachers, and others and to repair harm when conflict has occurred.
• Community
• Collaboration and healing
• Structured space to talk
• “You don’t bully someone whose story you deeply know.”
• Community Building Circle

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General Protocol for Facilitators:

1. Establish norms
1. Joint process with students, facilitated by teacher

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2. Utilize a talking piece

3. Talking piece moves in one direction around entire circle

4. Participants have the option to “pass”

5. Actively listen and give micro-affirmations

Exemplar Norms:

• I see you. I am here to be seen.
• We honor each other’s confidentiality.
• We are courageous in speaking our truths.
• We listen to deeply know each other.
• We allow ourselves to learn, grow, and be transformed.
• The only way we do this is if we move past the fear of making mistakes and choose to engage, trusting that our team members will correct us when necessary, and will do it with love and because they believe in the best of us.

Sample RJ Circle Questions

Sample Questions for Community Building Circles

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Classroom Advisory Circle:

Community Building

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Center for Restorative Justice, Suffolk University, Boston, MA

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdKhcQrLD1w&t=5s

What’s the Point?

• To create environments of belonging for all kids
• To support students in developing friendships
• To help kids learn to understand their feelings, express them productively to others, listen to others, and self-advocate
• To drive academic achievement and learning

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Importance of Extracurriculars and Socialization

• To create environments of belonging for all kids
• To support students in developing friendships
• To drive academic achievement and learning

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Let’s hear from you!

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Please send a private message, a message through the chat, or share out loud

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Sharing document

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Discussion questions - ELPAC January 10, 2024

It’s important that children feel happy coming to school, find social connections, and feel part of a community.

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Discussion Question #1

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What is your child’s experience?

Ex: My child feels lonely.

Ex: My child would like to join a club.

Ex: My child met friends through their ELE class.

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Discussion Question #2

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What does your child do after school? �

Is your child involved in any activities outside �of the classroom? �

If yes, which activities?

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Discussion Question #3

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What kinds of activities might interest your child?

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What activities could the Brookline Schools �offer to engage your child?

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Opportunities for Engagement

Guest Speaker: Katy Frost Ouellette, BHS International Student Advisor

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Contact Information:��Katy_Ouellette@psbma.org

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Please email Katy with any follow-up questions!

Opportunities for involvement

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Please see this document for a listing of activities offered at each K-8 school.

Click on these sites / check the What’s New?? newsletter to learn about programs for children, teens, and adults:

The Brookline Recreation Department (financial assistance is available)

The Brookline Library

The Brookline Adult and Community Education Program

The Brookline Music School

The Brookline Booksmith

Words of Advice from our English Learners

• “Be patient. Making new friends takes time, but it’s not impossible.”
• “Be brave. Set a challenge for yourself to do something uncomfortable.”
• “Sometimes your new friends don’t look or act like old friends, but they can still become good friends. Be open.”

What has been the most successful way to engage in school life at BHS?

BHS Athletic Opportunities

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After-school Intramurals: Fitness Center, Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:00-4:30 in the Tappan Gym. *Schedule may vary so confirm before attending.

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Spring Sports Teams: Spring sports registration will take place in late February / early March. Look at this page for more information.

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BHS Club Opportunities

Student-Led Clubs: Most meet weekly during X Block (typically Wednesdays) for 35 minutes; some meet after-school. Link to full list of clubs.

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Clubs are usually organized around common identity or common interests!

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It’s not too late to join!

Examples of Popular Identity Based Clubs

APAC:Affinity and planning space for AAPI students at BHS. This includes LNY, Holi, Diwali etc.

LatinX and Allies Club: This is an identity group in which we try to nurture and embrace the multiplicity of cultures and belongings that exist in the Hispanic world.

Jewish Student Union: To explore Judaism and connect with our amazing community through food, activities, and fun.

Russian Club: Watch movies, discuss culture (all in Russian).

SWANA: The purpose is to create a safe space for people of Southwest Asian and North African people of descent and educate allies.

Japanese Club: A space to celebrate and discuss Japanese culture

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Examples of Popular Interest-Based Clubs

ACG Club: This is a place for people who like anime, animated Japanese movies, manga and other ACG related subjects to hang out, share interests and watch anime or read manga together.

Badminton: Play Badminton at the Tappan Gym!

Quiz Bowl: (After-school) Compete in Academic Competitions!

BHS Science Olympiad: BHS Science Olympiad Club is a great resource for students to learn about specific areas of science and compete against other high schools in said subject(s).

K-Pop: High-energy, choreographed dance group!

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Ambassadors Program

BHS Social Events

Our English learner/ international community holds social events periodically where we come together to have some fun!

Here are some upcoming events that we hope to offer in Semester 2: Wednesdays: Monthly X Block Socials for International Community! (food, friends, fun for and with international students!)

This Winter/Spring…

• Brookline Teen Center Orientation/Social
• After-School Movie or Game Night
• Spring Field Trip into Boston

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Do you have any ideas/suggestions?

Please send Katy an email with any questions related to these opportunities and/or ideas for additional opportunities!

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Katy_Ouellette@psbma.org

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The Brookline Teen Center (BTC)

WHERE: 40 Aspinwall Avenue, Brookline

WHAT: Clubs, music, games, sports, tutoring, special events and more! Video + sample calendar

HOW: Parents must sign their children up, using the form on the website. Free memberships are available to families who would benefit.

WHEN: Middle school: Mondays - Fridays from 2:00-6:00 PM for 6th, 7th, 8th graders Transportation is provided - van (Runkle, Hayes, Baker) and walking (FRR, Driscoll, Runkle)

High school: Mondays-Fridays from 3:00-8:00 PM

Watch the WHAT’S NEW?? Newsletter for information about planned events at the BTC.

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Next Meeting�Tentative date: Wednesday, March 12

7:00-8:15 PM on Zoom

Tentative agenda topic:

Summer Opportunities for English Learners

Zoom links and interpretation request forms are available before each meeting in the What’s New?? Newsletter

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See you there!

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Contact Information for tonight’s presenters

Mindy Paulo, ELE Director�mindy_paulo@psbma.org

Betsy Davis, ELE Family and Community Engagement Coordinator�betsy_davis@psbma.org

Katy Frost Ouellette, BHS International Student Advisor

katy_ouellette@psbma.org

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Matt DuBois, PSB Senior Director of Clinical Services and Social-Emotional Learning matthew_dubois@psbma.org

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Cristina Hernandez, Assistant Director of Educational Equity

Cristina_Hernandez@psbma.org

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Thank you for joining us this evening!

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