Welcome Note

Happy New Year! We're so excited to welcome another year of growth and learning with you. The Winter quarter begins this month with two new classes and many new students. Because of high demand, we have split our ESOL 2/3 class into two separate classes for each level and we've also added a second Basic Computer Skills class. But before we move into this new quarter, let’s look back at the fall quarter:

• Students in our ESOL classes of course explored English language skills: grammar, vocabulary, and everything in between. Our level 4-5 classes focused on history through reading biographies of famous people this quarter, and our Level 2-3 classes gave presentations on how to have a successful school life.
• Students in our GED classes learned how to read and write essays, discussed the meaning of history, and explored how "different views on perspectives on the same story all have different outcomes". As their final project, students wrote Perspectives in History essays: here is one about the Louisiana Purchase.
• In our Beginning Computer Skills class, students learned how to use google classroom, email, Zoom, and shared that they have a better understanding of icons, chats, and web addresses.
• Ready to Work students learned about how to fill out application forms, interview content and strategies, English verb tenses and important daily and work-related vocabulary, communication, computer skills, job skills, new phrases, just to name a few! In our new Ready to Work bridge class, students explored the importance of education. Zeinab's explanation of why education is important to her encapsulates sentiments that so many of our students have expressed: from building confidence, to communicating with her son's teacher and helping him with his homework, it reminds us of just how our partnerships with students to create a better life for them, their families and their communities.

Seeing the progress our students continue to make and hearing from them about how important these skills are in their lives reminds us how lucky we are to be a part of this wonderful community. We are so thankful to have you as a part of it also and look forward to another great year!

In Community,