- Anchorage School District
- Overview & Services
- Meeting the Needs of our Families
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Families are the foundation of student success, which is why the English Language Learner program is committed to helping our families engage meaningfully with the school district and the wider community. We offer a variety of services to assist new families in learning how the Anchorage School District operates, as well as ways to adapt to life in Alaska and the United States more broadly. We also work closely with community partners to connect families with local services and programs which may be beneficial, and collaborate with other ASD departments to make sure families have a positive and productive role in their child’s education.
School and Community Orientations
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We want to make sure families have a solid understanding of their new school and community. We offer school orientations, as well as familiarization with the Anchorage School District and introductions to the city of Anchorage. Orientations and assistance are available in multiple languages. Our interpreter service can also assist families in communicating with their child's school throughout the year.
To find out more, contact:
Katie Bisson
Teacher Expert
907-742-2171
bisson_katie@asdk12.orgMichelle Yoon
School Counselor - ELL Welcome Center
907-742-1977
yoon_michelle@asdk12.org
Citizenship Test Support
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We encourage families to pursue the opportunity of becoming United States citizens and participating fully in the democratic process. We offer support for parents and family members of students when studying for the U.S. citizenship test. Check here for more details about upcoming opportunities.
To find out more, contact:
Refugee Liaison
(907) 742-4353
ASD Familiarity
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Equally important to a student’s proficiency in English is the proficiency of their family. Being able to understand the tech portion of how a school communicates with families and students is important. Your student's school will send out messages through a program called Blackboard. These messages will come to an email address, a phone via text, or the School District's APP. Checking your student's grades and helping them keep up with homework is available through Parent Connect. This program has a ID and password that you will receive during enrollment.
ELL provides monthly Zoom meetings in Spanish, Hmong, and Samoan.
To better understand this, contact:
Katie Bisson
Teacher Expert
907-742-2171
bisson_katie@asdk12.org
Referrals to Health and Social Services, Counseling and Work Programs
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The ELL program wants to help families connect to a network of community services providers offering assistance with health, social services, counseling, education, and work programs. We are happy to refer families to any number of these opportunities.
To find out more, contact:
Katie Bisson
Teacher Expert
907-742-2171
bisson_katie@asdk12.orgMichelle Yoon
School Counselor - ELL Welcome Center
907-742-1977
yoon_michelle@asdk12.org