English as an Additional Language (EAL)

EAL Itinerants

Beth Pellerin bethpellerin@nlesd.ca

Rachel Huys rachelhuys@nlesd.ca

Association for New Canadians Child and Youth Programs (CAYP) worker

Ladan Jahankhah ljahankhah@ancnl.ca or 709-853-0397

Bishop Abraham Elementary is fortunate to have a diverse student population. This year, almost one third of our student population is English language learners. We are incredibly lucky to be able to learn about the many diverse cultures found within our building, and we are inspired by the resilience and perseverance of our students daily. 

Presently, we have English language learners from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Eritrea, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Mali, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine, and Vietnam. There is even greater diversity represented throughout the rest of our student body. 

We currently have two full-time EAL Itinerant teachers at Bishop Abraham Elementary, and one Child and Youth Programs (CAYP) worker from the Association for New Canadians. Together, they work with our staff to ensure that our English language learners are supported in both their learning and settlement.

EAL services consist of pull-out, small group instruction and in-class support. The quantity of time English language learners spend with our EAL Itinerants is based on their current language learning needs. NLESD’s multicultural education website has a range of resources available for both families and staff. 

During the 2022-2023 school year, we worked closely with the Association for New Canadians to host a cultural fair at our school. The theme for Education Week 2023 was “Better Together”, and we felt that our cultural fair helped educate and celebrate all of the wonderful cultures represented by our student body.