ESL Summer School

Dear Families,

It is our goal at King’s-Edgehill School to provide as much English support and guidance as possible to your children. One way of measuring students’ language development is through the TOEFL Junior language assessment (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This test, combined with regular class assessments, helps ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers to identify those who are most in need of support. The TOEFL Junior test records students’ language abilities on a proficiency scale, A1 (Beginner) - B2 (Upper Intermediate). Once a student has reached the B2 level they may take the official IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) or the official TOEFL test at one of the registered test centres around the world. Students may contact Angela Folker for information on when and how to book and prepare for the tests. A 6.5 on the IELTS or 85 on the TOEFL IBT (Internet Based Testing) is equivalent to a C1-2(mastery) on the CEFR (Common European Frame of Reference) scale.

As we continue to work with our ESL learners, please be advised of our updated ESL policy:

To help students develop their English skills and succeed in their classes, students learning English as a second (or additional) language may receive extra support. Students who have achieved a B1 or lower on any section of the TOEFL Junior assessment (A1: Beginner, A2: Elementary, B1: Lower Intermediate), may be scheduled to receive additional English support during select spare periods or evening sessions. Once students earn a B2 (Upper Intermediate) or higher on all test sections, as well as approval from their class teachers, they will no longer be required to attend support sessions during spare periods or evenings.

We would like to provide additional support during some spare periods or evenings. We kindly ask for your support as we implement this policy and share it with our ESL students.

Please contact Angela Folker (afolker@kes.ns.ca) or Sally Wride (swride@kes.ns.ca) with any questions or comments.

ESL (English as a Second Language) is also referred to as ELL (English Language Learners).

Outline of Extra Support Sessions

List of 5 frequently asked questions.

G7-9 ESL Classes

Comprised of Language Lab time, English lessons, and English help in a variety of subjects. If you know that your ESL students in various classes require extra English support with different units and content, they could benefit from targeted support during ESL classes. Please communicate with your instructor so we can work together.
Language Labs Senior Academic Building
Students will be using the Pathways program and a variety of on-line resources during Lab time to help practice and improve their English skills.
- G7-9 students will have Lab time in scheduled ESL classes.
- G10-12 students should refer to the list in Ms. Folker’s room, or with me, to identify when they have Lab time.
Students are also expected to use the program and practice on their own time as well.
G10-11 Afternoon Tutorial Sessions

* At times, students will need friendly reminders to attend tutorial sessions. Please encourage those students in need to drop by.

Students receive English help in all subjects (projects, paper writing, HW and activities in Math, Geography, Science, History…)

G10: DAYS 1/3/6
G11: DAYS 2/5/7

Time: 2:30-3:30
G7-12 Evening Tutorial Sessions

* At times, students will need friendly reminders to attend tutorial sessions. Please encourage those students in need to drop by.

Students receive English help in all subjects (projects, paper writing, HW and activities in Math, Geography, Science, History….)

DAYS 3 & 6

Time: 6:30PM-8:30PM
G12 IELTS and/or TOEFL Tuesdays 2:30-4:30

Ms. Folker will work with students to prepare for the IELTS and/or TOEFL tests.

The ESL department at KES has expanded. We are very excited to inform you about the four programs being offered by King’s-Edgehill to enhance the life and learning of our international students.

We are excited about these opportunities, and believe that they will be great additions to our program. We are confident that these language practice opportunities, along with class instruction and support, will help your child to become more confident and proficient when using English.

To learn more select the four support initiatives in the blue box below!

List of 4 items.

Language Lab Support

1. We are pleased to offer additional support for our English language learners. Besides course instruction and tutorial support groups, students will have the opportunity to develop and strengthen their English skills through language lab exercises. The software required for language lab tutorials is Rosetta Stone, an interactive program that provides opportunities to practise reading, writing, comprehension, vocabulary and grammar skills. These sessions will occur several times a cycle during students’ spare periods. Students will work independently during language lab, under the supervision of Ms. Wride or another ESL instructor. Ms. Wride will be able to track their progress, and meet with students each cycle to review and practice language concepts. Students will write a proficiency test upon arrival in August or September and based on the results, students may be required to enroll in the lab program. Students testing below a B2 level on the CEFR will require additional support in English and will be enrolled in the ESL program and its additional support systems.
TOEFL Junior Testing

2. Student progress will be assessed throughout the year with the TOEFL Junior testing system. This is another great addition to the King’s-Edgehill ESL program being implemented. Students will be tested at the start of the school, the end of November, early March and at the end of May. The TOEFL junior system is scaled with the TOEFL and IELTS scoring systems and the CEFR, all of which can be used to indicate student language ability and progress as they work towards preparing for university entrance.
ESL Drop-in Support

3. Additional ESL drop-in support tutorials will be offered after classes and two evenings each week. Students will be encouraged to go to the ESL lab/drop-in centre for extra help with homework and proofreading of assignments. This will provide the opportunity to ask for extra clarification of materials covered in the core subjects and to have written assignments proofread before they submit the final drafts.
'Fun Fridays'

4. We will be planning a variety of “Fun Friday” events for the boarding community. This will include all the boarders. These fun filled activities will encourage students to mingle with people of all nationalities and languages. We will have international cooking days, games nights, singing, dancing, intermural sports tournaments and off-campus excursions. This is a great way for the boarders to make new friends, learn about other cultures, teach people about their countries and just have fun.

KES Blog
Welcome to King's-Edgehill School and our Blog. Please use the link to connect to our Blog site so that you can keep up-to-date with our ESL students during their Summer camp.