<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;color:#1BF677'>About Us</span></b><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>This website is based on a children’s <b>Dual-Language Book Writing Club</b> that we initiated in 2004 at <b>Winston Churchill Public School</b> located in </span><st1:place><st1:City><span style='font-size:13.5pt; color:#1BF677'>Waterloo</span></st1:City><span style='font-size:13.5pt; color:#1BF677'>, </span><st1:State><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Ontario</span></st1:State><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>, </span><st1:country-region><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Canada</span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>. Winston Churchill P.S. is a small but diverse Kindergarten to Grade Six school in the </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Waterloo</span></b></st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span></b><st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Region</span></b></st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span></b><st1:PlaceType><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>District</span></b></st1:PlaceType><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span></b><st1:PlaceType><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>School</span></b></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> Board. </span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>There are over 30 languages spoken at our school. Many of our students are bilingual or multilingual and are able to read and write in their home languages.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Our book club evolved because of our belief in the importance of multilingual literacy for English Language Learners. Our book-writing club provides an opportunity for our ELLs to continue to develop their first language literacy skills while also enabling them to learn English more quickly and fluently. When we began our club, we soon discovered that there were many other benefits to be gained from the book writing process. Parents and other family members who participate become more involved in their child’s learning and other school activities. The book club also helps to promote a sense of personal identity in our students and cultivates an atmosphere of inclusiveness within our school community.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Student partners who share the same first language, work together several times per week at a break time during the school day. Students range in age from six to twelve. The students vary in their levels of language proficiency in both English and their first language. This sets the stage for lively, bilingual discussions during all phases of the writing process. Teachers guide the process and assist with the English portion of the story, while parents support with the editing of the home language. We believe that it is fundamentally important to maintain the students’ voices in their stories. For this reason, teachers, parents and other family members are involved in supportive roles only during the book writing process.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>After four years of running our club at </span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Winston</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span><st1:PlaceName><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Churchill</span></st1:PlaceName><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span><st1:PlaceType><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Public School</span></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>, we had the opportunity to expand the program to the <b>Waterloo Public Library</b>. We were then able to include students from six different schools in Waterloo Region and we discovered that our project works equally well with older students. This phase of the project was supported and funded by the <b>Library Settlement Partnerships </b>program (<b>Citizenship and Immigration </b></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Canada</span></b></st1:place></st1:country-region><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>)</span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt; color:#1BF677'>.</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>We would like to recognize and thank the <b>Ontario Ministry of Education</b> for funding the production of our Webcast and the <b>Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario: Waterloo Region </b>for funding the creation of this website. As well, we would like to extend our appreciation to the<b> school council and staff of </b></span><st1:place><st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Winston</span></b></st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span></b><st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Churchill</span></b></st1:PlaceName><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span></b><st1:PlaceType><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Public School</span></b></st1:PlaceType></st1:place><b><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'> </span></b><span style='font-size:13.5pt; color:#1BF677'>for their ongoing support of our Dual-Language Book Writing Club. Many people help to build and sustain a village!</span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Please view our <b>Webcast</b> for more detailed information about each step of the book writing process. We also hope that you enjoy viewing and reading our student-authored dual-language books. More stories will be added on an ongoing basis. </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>We encourage you to share this website with teachers, students, parents, and other supporters of literacy in education to promote the value of multilingual learning in our schools and communities. </span><o:p></o:p></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Stephanie Ledger and Kay </span><st1:City><st1:place><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'>Cairns</span></st1:place></st1:City><span style='font-size:13.5pt;color:#1BF677'><o:p></o:p></span></p> .
