Mrs. Aldinger assists a Kindergarten student while they work on their Chromebook
Genet Elementary School is excited to offer students the opportunity to showcase their development in a language other than English through the Elementary Bilingual Achievement Program (EBAP), a new program designed to recognize and celebrate students in Kindergarten through 5th grade who demonstrate proficiency development in an additional language.
Led by Genet English as a New Language (ENL) teachers Jennifer Carraher and Kelly Aldinger, the program gives participating students the opportunity to self-select any language they would like to learn, either independently or with a family member.
The program’s goal is to get students interested in learning a new language while also honoring and supporting students within the school district who are already multilingual or speak multiple languages in their home. Participating families will be connected with educational resources through East Greenbush Community Library.
“It’s open for any student who is interested in grades K-5 at Genet. They could be an English language learner who wants to study their home language more or it could be an English speaker who wants to dabble in a new language,” said Ms. Aldinger.
Mrs. Carraher assists a third grade student while they work on their Chrombook.
Throughout the year students will showcase their skills by completing a variety of tasks and activities. Students can earn a Elementary Bilingual Achievement Award annually for their particular grade level by building on their skills from year to year.
“It gives heritage speakers or students who are already speaking a language other than English at home an opportunity to have a reason to want to study that language and connect with family members who speak that language,” said Mrs. Carraher.
Students who successfully complete all requirements to obtain the award will be recognized at an end-of-year ceremony where awards will be distributed. By obtaining the Elementary Bilingual Achievement Award, students are encouraged and empowered to continue their studies beyond elementary school to pursue the New York State Seal of Biliteracy in high school.
For more information or to register your child for participation, visit the Elementary Bilingual Achievement Project website or reach out to the project managers Jennifer Carraher (carraherje@egcsd.org) and Kelly Aldinger (aldingerke@egcsd.org).