by Monarch Academy | Nov 19, 2021 | News
The contract school located in Anne Arundel County is part of a Towson University program that trains educators to teach ESL students at public schools.
Monarch Academy Annapolis has been addressing the needs of multilingual learners in their classrooms by hiring and training English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers.
The tuition-free, publicly funded contract school open to pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade students in Anne Arundel County is focused on its mission to provide a school culture that produces students who think critically, problem solve creatively, become self-disciplined, know how to learn, and understand that the goal of life is to serve a cause larger than oneself.
Monarch has changed the rules when it comes to leading their classrooms. It’s not unusual to find an ESOL teacher working alongside a classroom teacher as an effective method of helping non-English speakers learn the English language. This co-teaching method has become an effective way to meet the growing needs of multilingual students, the fastest-growing population in the United States.
“We have always stayed true to the needs of our students and their families at Monarch Academy,” said Charlotte Manbeck, Monarch Academy Annapolis’ Principal. “More than half of the students in our classrooms currently speak Spanish at home and are learning more than one language at a time. As our community changes, we must also change with them and provide students and their families the tools they need to thrive.”
According to a 2017 Brookings Institute report, multilingual students have grown by 60 percent in the last decade. Additionally, more than 5 million students nationwide are learning English while speaking another language at home and are part of a language assistance program.
The need for ESOL teachers has also increased exponentially. Due to a lack of educators who meet these criteria, students are suffering. According to government reports, multilingual learners still show up as the lowest-performing group on graduation rates and testing despite their growing numbers.
“Our ELL population in the county is growing, and all teachers at some point are going to have an English learner in the classroom,” said Chelsea Massa, a first-grade teacher at Monarch Academy Annapolis in an interview with The Washington Post. “They need to know what makes that student unique, how can I meet their needs, and also make sure that they’re being heard and understood in the appropriate way.”
Massa is part of the ELEVATE program at Towson University College of Education. This initiative trains teachers through partnerships with six schools in Anne Arundel County public school district. The program emerged from a $2.7 million grant from the U.S. Education Department focused on training ESL educators in the state of Maryland and supporting those who already have the certification.
As part of the program, the ESOL teachers at Monarch meet with the college’s team once a week for targeted training to improve the education provided to the 90 multilingual students enrolled at the school.
“We make sure our lesson plans and curriculum for the semesters align with the needs of ESL students,” said Alyssa Danick, ESOL instructor at Monarch Academy Annapolis. Our participation in the ELEVATE program has enhanced the way we approach lesson plans, student needs, and also has helped us to learn new ways of integrating the English language.”
While educators continue training to meet the needs of students, Monarch continues to integrate language development tools into their lesson plans, classrooms, and instruction tools. With the help of a 2017 grant, the school is also working on a take-home bilingual book club that will provide English and Spanish books for the families that speak Spanish at home.
“We are so excited about our bilingual book club,” said Miguel Vicente, Bilingual Community Engagement Liaison. “This initiative will help students and their families come together and learn together. We are thrilled to take the next step toward helping our students thrive and feel like every day they are getting more and more comfortable with a new language both at home and at school.”
by Monarch Academy | Nov 10, 2021 | News
We at Monarch Academy Annapolis are proud to announce that our amazing school and staff were recognized by The Washington Post for the work they provide for their bilingual students. Our school educators do a great job of incorporating Spanish in their lessons making their students feel eager to learn and helping them feel more comfortable in the learning process.
As we are becoming an ever more multilingual society, we have noticed that our students are growing up learning English as a second language, so we have partnered with Towson University College of Education that trains teachers in creating an exciting and inclusive curriculum for ESL (English as a Second Language) students. We are pleased to provide language development through new content for these students without excluding them or removing them from the classroom. We as a school want to ensure inclusion for all our students and having a partnership with Towson University allows us all to see our students succeed. We are so thankful to be part of our students’ achievements.
Below is a link to the article that features Monarch Academy Annapolis and the outstanding work that is being provided to our students and their families.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/11/07/english-language-teachers-towson/
by Monarch Academy | Sep 28, 2021 | Events, News
The Children’s Guild will open The Children’s Guild: Transformation Academy, a new non-public school providing special education services to children on the autism spectrum, on Oct. 18, 2021. Transformation Academy’s primary goal is to prepare students for transition into adulthood by focusing on functional life skills and activities of daily living beginning at a young age. By offering wrap-around services, we strive to make life better for the students and their families by meeting each student where they are and maximizing their level of independence.
Located at 6802 McClean Blvd., in Baltimore, The Children’s Guild: Transformation Academy is a 12-month, day school for students ages 5-21, whose primary diagnosis is autism but may have co-existing diagnoses of sensory processing disorder, a specific learning disability, a health impairment or multiple disabilities. At Transformation Academy, we know that our students are more than their diagnoses and we strive to educate and support families in their hopes for their child as a family member and a member of the community.
The Children’s Guild: Transformation Academy will hold open houses for interested families on the following dates:
- Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
- Thursday, Sept. 30, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We work with children on the autism spectrum whose needs cannot be met in public schools,” said Sarah Weitzel, speech language pathologist and clinical supervisor for The Children’s Guild: Transformation Academy. Our primary purpose is to prepare students for transition into adulthood. We focus on functional life skills and activities of daily living and offer wrap-around services that make life better for the students, to maximize their level of independence.”
Instructional areas are determined by a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and may include communication skills, self-care, functional academics, fine and gross motor skills and behavior and socialization skills. The school offers a community-based component and introduces students to job, recreation and leisure skills. Referrals are made through the student’s local public school system, and funding is through local and state boards of education.
The open houses are walk-in friendly, and no preregistration is required. All COVID-19 safety precautions will be in effect. For more information, visit www.childrensguildschools.org/transformation-academy or email Sarah Weitzel at WeitzelS@ChildrensGuild.org.
Affiliates of The Children’s Guild include The Children’s Guild School of Baltimore, The Children’s Guild School of Prince George’s County, The Janet and Frank Kelly Autism Center, Monarch Academy public charter and contract schools, The Children’s Guild DC Public Charter School, The Outpatient Mental Health Center, The Academy: Therapeutic Group Homes, Treatment Foster Care, The Children’s Guild: Transformation Academy, Monarch Preschool College Park, TranZed Academy for Working Students (TAWS), and TranZed Apprenticeships.
by Monarch Academy | Jun 1, 2021 | News
The Monarch Academy Annapolis eSchool was featured in the Capital Gazette this week. The article by Rachel Pacella reports the success of the program has led the eSchool to continue this Fall.
The eSchool@MAA is a blended distance learning program option for pre-K through fifth grade students that was developed in the Summer of 2020. Instruction is 80% virtual and up to 20% in-classroom and provides the same rigorous programs and services as other county schools.
In the Capital Gazette article, Adrianne Womack, a parent of a special needs student was quoted saying, “Sometimes I have tears, not of sadness, of joy,” she said because the program has made learning so much more fun for her kids.
The eSchool will continue permanently when Anne Arundel County Public Schools are back in the classroom with hybrid and/or fully in-person learning. The program is available to any student in AACo. that applies to one of the Monarch Academies.
This school year 106 students were enrolled, the school has a capacity to accept up to 150 students for the Fall of 2021. Read the entire Capital Gazette article here: https://bit.ly/3uGzOO4
by Monarch Academy | May 10, 2021 | Events, News
Monarch Academy Annapolis, a public contract school with Anne Arundel County Public Schools and operated by The Children’s Guild Alliance, will hold a virtual open house for interested families on Wednesday, May 19, at 4:30 p.m.
Monarch Academy Annapolis is a primary performing visual arts school and follows the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, which challenges students to think critically and take responsibility for their learning as they explore local and global issues.
Among the school’s offerings, classrooms partner with teachers in Central and South America to teach Spanish language and culture. In addition, the school exclusively offers Canopy, a course that provides students the opportunity to learn and practice social-emotional skills utilizing an arts-integrated approach.
The school also offers the eSchool @ Monarch Academy Annapolis, a blended distance learning permanent program option for pre-K through fifth grade students. Instruction is 80% virtual and up to 20% in-classroom and provides the same rigorous programs and services. The eSchool will continue permanently even when Anne Arundel County Public Schools haver hybrid or fully in-person learning.
The school is located at 2000 Capital Drive in Annapolis and open to all Anne Arundel County students entering pre-K through fifth grade. To register for the open house, apply for admission or learn more, visit monarchacademy.org/annapolis.
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