June Feature Teachers

Micah Young launches our first Five Keys Virtual Course!

In an effort to accommodate students' schedules and provide opportunities for them to participate in direct instruction, we have begun piloting online classes!

In this 5-minute video, Micah shares her passion for this project and the process behind it, and offers ideas for how other teachers can contribute to expanding and improving this online program!

Filmed and edited by Kapri Margary

SoCal ESL Teachers host an esl recognition ceremony!

From left to right: G. Rodriguez is awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award; Writing Contest winners S. Gonzalez, M. Soto, and C. Perez; Ms. Mayra's ESL class

“The English language is as necessary as turning on a spotlight in a dark room to see.”

This is the beautifully accurate perspective of an advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) learner at South Los Angeles’ Weber Community Center, in regards to the essentiality of reading, writing, and speaking English in Los Angeles. Five Keys’ ESL students see school as a privilege; an opportunity to advance personally, socially, and financially, not as a mandatory chore. This praiseworthy point of view shookl.uld be applauded! And that it was—at an ESL Recognition Ceremony, held at Hub Cities Community Site on Friday, May 25th, 2018.

Three teachers collaborated and diligently planned for this special day to be a success, Mayra Martinez, Veronica Castillo, and Romina Bonilla. More than 70 students and their family members filled the room, as they interacted with one another over a continental breakfast donated by a generous partner program called El Nido. All ESL learners were awarded a participation certificate, while others also earned Excellent Attendance certificates, and/or certificates of Academic Excellence. And finally, Guadalupe Rodriguez, the wisest student in our entire LA ESL Program, at almost 85 years of age, was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award to celebrate her model citizen character and her active involvement in her education, as well as in her community.

Students also participated in a writing contest. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners were acknowledged during the ceremony. Congratulations to Hub Cities’ Socorro Gonzalez and Weber’s Maria Soto and Claudia Perez for working so carefully on their winning writing submissions!
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And finally, several students volunteered to go up to the podium and give short speeches, thanking teachers and classmates, as well as sharing why coming to class is so important for them. At the conclusion of student speeches, the wonderful singing voices of Veronica Castillo’s beginning ESL class filled the room, as they performed the grand finale of the event, singing “Somewhere over the Rainbow”.  There was a projector set up with the lyrics to the song so that the entire audience was able to join in and sing! It was obvious that they put in a lot of practice time because they did a fabulous job!

Teachers and students alike, are excited and look forward to another, bigger and better ESL Recognition Ceremony, likely taking place next year, in the spring of 2019, where it is hoped that all of the community sites’ ESL team will join in to celebrate our students’ achievements.

Contributed by Romina Bonilla​

Left to right: Ms. Veronica's class leads the audience in singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; Ms. Mayra greets the 70+ guests