Mihi
Aqoon la’aan waa iftiin la’aan.
'To be without knowledge is to be without light.'
Somali
Nau mai, haere mai. Welcome to the ESOL, Migrant and Refugee news.
This regular bulletin aims to highlight culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) learners and includes:
- information and reminders about events related to supporting CALD learners
- stories highlighting initiatives from schools and communities
- data insights on CALD learners
- ESOL, Migrant and Refugee team news.
ESOL Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)#
PLCs are lead and coordinated by enthusiastic and committed school staff members across the country, with the support of the Ministry ESOL, Migrant and Refugee team. Coordinators bring together interested colleagues once a term to share ideas, resources, teaching strategies, and best practice to strengthen support for bilingual and multilingual learners.
PLCs are important networks for those teaching ESOL. Experienced, specialist ESOL teachers, who can impart their wisdom, gather with those new to the ESOL teaching-space, who bring new ideas, resources, and questions to the group. PLCs are not just for teachers - teacher aides, RTLB and learning support coordinators (to name a few) are all welcome.
As PLCs are formed within a cluster of schools in a particular area, members have a shared understanding of the specific opportunities, and challenges, of teaching ESOL within the local context, and can support each other with issues that are relevant to their learners and their schools.
There are both primary and secondary ESOL PLCs.
The secondary PLCs keep members up to date on a range of topics including English language learners working towards the literacy co-requisite, the revised English Language and English for Academic Purposes unit standards and important communications from the Ministry ESOL, Migrant and Refugee team. Other topics covered in term 1 have included: how to use AI to give targeted feedback to your learners, using ChatGPT for developing ESOL resources, differentiated teaching approaches, how to plan an ESOL programme and effective support for former refugee students. Different groups have also made use of the creativity and expertise of their members by inviting individual teachers to present a topic of interest to the group or inviting a speaker from the community who has information and knowledge to share.
Topics covered in term 1 primary meetings have included: using the ELLP Pathway as a planning, teaching, monitoring, and tracking document, ways schools celebrate cultural diversity in meaningful ways, supporting the development of oral language, activities for foundation English learners, how to effectively engage with whānau and utilise the cultural expertise they bring, and the relationship between the ELLP Pathway and the refreshed English curriculum.
There are currently 45 primary PLCs and 12 secondary PLCs across the country. We are aware that some areas do not have a cluster, and we are keen to hear from anyone who would like to start one in their area. We are also considering offering an online secondary PLC group in Term 2. Contact Rosemary Gillies if you would like to be part of this.
Email: [email protected]
If you do not currently belong to a PLC group and would like to find out if there is a PLC in your area, contact us.
Email: [email protected]
Supporting the Myanmar community#
On 28 March, a powerful earthquake of 7.7 magnitude struck central Myanmar. The exact extent of this devastation is still not known but to date, there are over 2,700 people killed, 4,500 injured and many missing. This significant event has also impacted the Myanmar diaspora living overseas. If you have students who have a connection to Myanmar and are dealing with missing family members, they can be directed to New Zealand Red Cross, Restoring Family Links services via an online form.
Online form – New Zealand Red Cross
More information on this in various languages, including Myanmar languages, can be found here.
Community Partnership termly webinar#
The Community Partnership team coordinates the Learning Community Hubs. Every term the team organises a webinar for ethnic communities which offers a closer look at an aspect of education in New Zealand.
The Term 2 webinar is 'Navigating NCEA: Literacy, Numeracy, and Your Pathway to Tertiary Study'.
Help spread the word by sharing the registration link with families and community groups that could benefit from this kōrero.
Monday 19 May, from 6:00pm- 7:30pm: Register here
Team profile#
When space allows, we will include a short profile on one of the ESOL, Migrant and Refugee team members.
Our first profile highlights: Team Manager, Maree Jeurissen.
To start#
- What's your role, and how long have you been with the organisation?
- Can you describe a typical day in your job?
I am the Manager for ESOL, Refugee and Migrant Education and I have been in this role for 7.5 years.
There is no such thing as a ‘typical’ day… and that is one of the reasons I love my job. It is full of variety, surprise, challenge, and reward. With a team of 22 across the country I spend a lot of time talking with them and making sure they have the support and resources they need to provide guidance and advice to schools, communities, and other organisations working with migrant and former refugee ākonga. Our initiatives include professional development, community support, and targeted support for ākonga in schools. Like everyone else in the ministry we also deal with ministerial requests, OIAs, and media requests as they come in.
Professional background#
- What inspired you to pursue this career path?
Very early in my teaching career I worked in International Schools in Papua New Guinea, where almost every child in my class was fluent in two or three languages, and tasked with learning English to succeed at school. I realised that these children possessed a wealth of knowledge far beyond what they could share with me due to the barrier of language.
When I returned to New Zealand, I stumbled across a course at the then Auckland College of Education – the National Diploma of Teaching English in Schools to Speakers of Other Languages. I knew this was the missing link to my kete of tools as a teacher. While completing this study I was teaching at a central Auckland primary school where around 80% of the ākonga were bi/multilingual. It quickly became evident that the explicit and targeted teaching of language features through authentic and meaningful tasks which I learned about in my study was effective; all of my students, not only English Language Learners, benefitted from this approach.
Job insights#
- What do you enjoy most about your role?
- Can you share a project you're particularly proud of?
Seeing the impacts of our work in schools and communities is the most rewarding part of this role. Every day we hear stories of learners, families and teachers who have achieved things, or made things happen as a result of funding or guidance our team has provided.
I’m proud of the work we do via a number of our initiatives which utilise and support students’ first languages. We know that students learn best when they can draw on their total language repertoire.
Advice and inspiration#
- Who or what inspires you in your work?
I’ve been a learner of te reo Māori, most of my life but am nowhere near a fluent speaker and would definitely not describe myself as ‘bilingual’. So, I’m inspired by the multilingual people with whom I work and those we serve, who are able to walk and talk in two or more worlds with confidence, grace, humility, and compassion. I learn from you all every day.
Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi,
Engari he toa takitini
My success is not mine alone,
It is the success of the collective.
