LPS families connect with supports and information during English Learners event

Dozens of Lincoln Public Schools employees and families spoke the universal language of kindness with each other during a special event for English Learners (EL) students.
 
LPS hosted the inaugural English Learners (EL) Back-to-School Program at Auld Pavilion in Antelope Park in early August. High school students enrolled in LPS EL programs came to the event with their families. They learned about the many LPS services and classes available.
 
Monica Asher is the family engagement coordinator for LPS Federal Programs and was a co-organizer of the event. She was happy to watch families make valuable connections with LPS employees throughout the afternoon.
 
“The more we can do to help our families learn about the Lincoln community and our school district, the better off they will be as they enter the school year,” Asher said. “I’m really excited about today. We’ve had a great turnout so far and our families are getting a lot of really good information.”
 
Bilingual liaisons from LPS Federal Programs guided families as they talked with LPS and community representatives. Students and families received free backpacks and hygiene kits, and high school counselors from Lincoln High, North Star and Northeast answered questions about academics and registration. Families also learned about school and community health programs, free-and-reduced-price meal eligibility requirements, the Parent/StudentVue information portal and the community-based Lincoln Literacy initiative.
 
Dawn Sugden is Lincoln High’s school nurse and spoke with families about health services available at LPS buildings. She provided them with free hygiene kits from Lincoln Hygiene Network and answered questions about a range of topics. She said it was important to offer the event to LPS families.
 
“I’m really glad we’re having this today,” Sugden said. “It’s been fantastic.”
 
LPS serves approximately 3,000 EL students in grades K-12. Students and families are from more than 150 countries and speak approximately 125 languages.
 
One of the primary goals of the EL program is to help students learn to read, write, speak and listen to the English language. EL teachers and staff members also help them learn about Lincoln's culture and develop knowledge in many academic subject areas.
 
Asher said she and other event organizers wanted to help EL families become more familiar and comfortable with both LPS and the Lincoln community. LPS has a long tradition of welcoming students from all cultural and national backgrounds.
 
Asher said having a back-to-school event in a face-to-face format offered many chances for meaningful connections. Representatives from all three high schools gave comforting smiles to families who may have only been in Lincoln for a few days or weeks. They reassured them that their students would be successful in high school and would be surrounded by many experienced EL teachers.
 
“Having everyone here in one location has been great,” Asher said. “I think it shows families that we’ll be able to provide a lot of support for them during the year.”
 
Asher said LPS Federal Programs would consider offering similar back-to-school events for families of elementary and middle school students in future years. She and other organizers will analyze participation data and funding availability to determine if it is possible to expand the back-to-school program.
 
LPS will have EL teachers based at 20 elementary schools and three middle schools in 2024-25. Elementary sites include Adams, Arnold, Belmont, Campbell, Clinton, Elliott, Everett, Hartley, Huntington, Kooser, Lakeview, Maxey, McPhee, Meadow Lane, Pershing, Prescott, Randolph, Roper, Rousseau and West Lincoln. Middle school sites include Culler, Goodrich and Park.
 
Elementary and middle school students who do not live within the attendance area of a school with EL teachers will receive transportation to one of those sites for EL classes. 
 
Lincoln High, Northeast and North Star will each have a team of professionals who will help EL students in 2024-25. Sarai Douglas will lead a team of 13 teachers at Lincoln High, and Kennedy Nelson will lead a group of five EL instructors at North Star. Trevin Wurm will guide a five-person EL group at Northeast.
 
High school students attend EL classes at one of the three buildings. North Star hosts students from North Star and Northwest, and Lincoln High hosts students from Lincoln High, Southwest and Southeast. Northeast hosts students from Northeast, East and Standing Bear attendance areas.
 
To learn more about our EL program, visit our Federal Programs website at https://home.lps.org/federal/ell-english-language-learner-program/. It contains a directory of our bilingual liaisons, EL teachers and other resources.

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