Join us as we discuss the vital work of the Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa (RACI) and how they support refugee families in Johnston. Learn about the challenges faced by these families, the resources available to them, and how you can help. https://www.refugeeallianceofcentraliowa.org/ Want to stay in the loop? Sign up for the RACI newsletter at t…

Dear Subscribers: Today Debra and I are celebrating our 38th anniversary. So we’ve decided for this week’s podcast to send to all our subscribers what I wrote here a couple of years ago, about the movie “Make Way for Tomorrow” (another film by Leo McCarey), as it features an old married couple — a bit older than we are now, I think — but I’m not su…

Advent is here, and so are our Christmas offers at Word & Song! Now through Epiphany new paid, gift, and upgraded subscriptions are 25% off. Paid subscribers see a special gift offer at the very bottom of this page. Our readers at Word and Song will likely know by now how much I admire George Herbert, the author again of our Poem of the Week, and t…

Advent is here, and so are our Christmas offers at Word & Song! Now through Epiphany new paid, gift, and upgraded subscriptions are 25% off. We need and appreciate your support! As I have mentioned before, Sometimes a Song is written by that most prolific of composers, Anonymous. Most of what we know as folk tunes were written by that same fellow (…

“We don’t need each other anymore,” says Julie Adams (Irene Dunne) to Applejack, a true friend to her and her husband Roger (Cary Grant). He has placed a record on the Victrola, with the song, “You Were Meant for Me.” But she tells him to turn it off. Julie is apparently drained of all feeling. “When that happens to two people,” she says, “there is…

Advent is here, and so are our Christmas offers at Word & Song! Now through Epiphany new paid, gift, and upgraded subscriptions are 25% off. Thank you for reading and supporting Word & Song. “I heard your voice in the garden,” said Adam, after he had sinned, “and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” The Hebrew for our Word of the W…

We are trying to beat the snow home ourselves as you read this. So I decided to revisit the beloved tune, “Sleigh Ride” — just for fun! — Debra (& Tony) If this week’s tune sounds familiar to you, there’s a reason for that. And the reason isn’t that it’s become a part of the repertoire of seasonal “Muzak” that jingles and jangles in elevators and s…

Yes, you’re reading that title right. It’s meant to be the numeral 3, not the word. It distinguishes this film from the very different but just as compelling film based on the same short story, Three Godfathers (1936). Ours has a cheerful and heartfelt ending, while the earlier one ends in what looks like tragedy but is actually redemptive grandeur…

Advent is here, and so are our Christmas offers at Word & Song! Now through Epiphany new paid, gift, and upgraded subscriptions are 25% off. Paid subscribers see a special gift offer at the very bottom of this page. Our theme this first week of Advent is adventure, and so I’d like to make an observation that really should not be controversial. It’s…

Sometimes a Song is about thanks and hope. “Thanks” ( a very specific version of it) was our Word of the Week. And in the case of our song, the “hope” involved is also a very special kind of hope, a fellow named “Bob,” whose lifetime and work spanned the whole of the 20th Century. An actor/comedian who was at the center of the American entertainmen…

Join us for a conversation with Kyla Burns and Thomas Griffin from JHS and Aaron Meyer from Summit as they share valuable insights on how to effectively communicate with ESOL families during parent-teacher conferences. Learn practical tips for building rapport, overcoming language barriers, and fostering meaningful partnerships to support student s…

Looking for a way to improve your teaching skills in the classroom when it comes to supporting our English Learners? Morgan Vana and Evan Hammons from Timber Ridge Elementary discuss some of the ways they have enhanced their practice. Guest(s) - Morgan Vana and Evan Hammans Thanks for listening!! If you are a Johnston Teacher and want more informat…

We have a chat about what ELPA21 is, what it means to our students, and how we can use the data from this assessment to support our ELs. Guest - Melissa Grinstead Thanks for listening!! If you are a Johnston Teacher and want more information on our programming, please go to the student services webpage and click on the ESOL tab. This webpage is lin…

Our first episode takes a glance at some of the recent history of ESOL programming at Johnston Community Schools along with some of the future goals. Guest - Melissa Grinstead Thanks for listening!! If you are a Johnston Teacher and want more information on our programming, please go to the student services webpage and click on the ESOL tab. This w…

Chapters 17-19, Teaching english & Chapter 6, Unlocking

Let's begin from the very beginning. There are so many acronyms related to ESOL. You have probably heard such words as ESL, ESOL, ELL, EL, L1, L2, and LEP. What do they all mean?