About us: The English Learner Education (ELE) program in Needham serves approximately 165 students who speak more than 25 different languages. The majority of the students in the EL program were born in the United States, but are exposed to another language at home. Some of the English Learner (EL) students are immigrants or children of immigrants who have made the U.S.A. their permanent home, while others are here with adults who come from other countries to study, teach or do research for a year or two. Occasionally, Needham families host exchange students who attend Needham High School.
Purpose: To provide the necessary instruction in English language development and content area support to students who know a language other than English. We aim to provide culturally responsive, customized instruction and a learning environment where students feel connected, valued and loved. We believe that bilingualism and multilingualism are important and necessary assets that strengthen connections in the brain and prepare students to be effective global citizens.
Eligibility: At registration, a student's parent or guardian fills out a Home Language Survey. If the survey indicates that a language other than English is spoken in the home, the student's English proficiency is assessed. We follow the EL identification procedures and criteria outlined by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Instruction: EL instruction in Needham is individualized according to each student's English language and other academic needs. EL staff work on developing students' ability to understand, speak, read, and write English. We also consult with students' other teachers in order to support and reinforce work in their content area classroom(s).
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Director of English Language Learner (ELL) Education
Jamie Singelais
781-455-0461 (x53331)
[email protected]
Broadmeadow Elementary
Jackie O'Doherty
781-455-0448 (x51336)
Jacquelyn_O'[email protected]
Eliot Elementary
Karin Conrad
781-455-0452 (x52219)
[email protected]
Sunita Williams Elementary
Katie Miller
781-455-0461 (x53332)
[email protected]
Jamie Singelais
781-455-0461 (x53331)
[email protected]
Kelly (Condon) Haas
781-455-0461 (x53332)
[email protected]
Mitchell Elementary
Kristin McGrail
781-455-0466 (x54060)
[email protected]
Newman Elementary
Lisa Williams-Ferreira
781-455-0416 (x55244)
[email protected]
Kristin McGrail
781-455-0466 (x54060)
[email protected]
High Rock School
TBD
Pollard Middle School
Elizabeth Albritton
781-455-0480
[email protected]
Needham High School
Anastasia Zander
781-455-0800 (x22763)
[email protected]
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