St. John Parish’s English learning population increasing
Published 12:05 am Wednesday, May 10, 2017
- Emily C. Watkins Elementary School’s top English Language learners, from left, are Daphne Mejia, Kevin Zunun and Ian Gonzalez.
RESERVE — The St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District recently recognized its top English language learners.
These students, school officials said, are learning English while striving to master content standards to help them be successful with state standardized assessments and in their daily school activities.
English language learners are students who require specialized instruction in the English language and their academic courses.
Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School’s top English Language learners, from left, are Ruben Hernandez, Jared Galeano and Estrella Lara-Soto.
The top 3 English language learners in the district are Ruben Hernandez, first place with a 291 scale score improvement; Daphne Mejia, second place with a 243 scale score improvement; and Steven Wang, third place with a 229 scale score improvement.
Tasaman Carlin and Elizabeth Thompson are the English language teachers.
“They both work very hard with our English Language learners,” said Erica Merrick, coordinator of the Title III Federal Program.
The English language learners population in the St. John the Baptist Parish Public School District has been increasing steadily during the past five years. In response, the district has implemented several support systems, instructional strategies and academic programs to help English language learners be successful.
“I am very proud of the support all the principals, regular education teachers and guidance counselors in our schools have been doing to ensure our English Language Learners receive what they need, both academically and socially,” Merrick said.
The district utilizes Imagine Learning, a computer-based resource for the English Language Learner.
The program is designed to engage students in an award-winning language and literacy software program that features interactive content including activities, videos, songs and games.
It’s research-based, instructionally differentiated and fun to use, school officials said.
Top Performers
Top performers at East St. John Elementary are third grader Rainiere Pinales, first place; second grader Duhans Pavon, second place; and fourth grader Yariel Berrios, third place.
Top performers at LaPlace Elementary are third grader Steven Wang, first place; fourth grader Jesus Guevara, second place; and first grader Lucy Wang, third place.
Top performers at Fifth Ward Elementary are fifth-grader Jonatan Osorio, first place; fourth-grader Sydney Ramos, second grade; and first-grader Nicole Salmeron, third place.
Top performers at John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet School are second-grader Angel Carpio, first place; second-grader Jireh Hall, second place; kindergartner Anthony Carrillo, third place.
John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet School’s top English Language learners, from left, are Angel Carpio, Jireh Hall and Anthony Carrillo.
