During Professional Development on Election Day, the West Haven Public Schools’ K-12 EL / Multilingual Department worked together at Forest Elementary School as teachers and tutors attended different sessions throughout the day. Those sessions included the following:
- “Cultures in the World” – Highlighted factors such as how traditions influence family culture, how we create a meaningful relationship with students' families, and how to empower parents to participate in their student's education.
- "Reading for English Learners" -- Focused on specific reading strategies to use with English Learners and the elements of effective reading instruction.
- "Interview Forms for Newcomers" – Allowed the school to understand students' cultural and academic backgrounds better.
- "Active Participation" – Featured training on being more effective or active participants in Data, SAT/SST, PPT, and parent meetings.
The West Haven School district’s K-12 EL/ML staff is composed of people from around the world, from the United States to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Guatemala, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Brazil, India, Lithuania, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Panama, Jamaica, Egypt, Syria, Sudan, and Italy. As a culminating activity, they celebrated their culture by bringing a dish from their country to share during lunch. Each member described their dish and its cultural relevance.