Building a Stronger English Community, One Step at a Time
Written by Ms. Nacar
This year, the Junior High School English Teachers have renewed their shared commitment to strengthening a more active and supportive English environment on campus. With a more focused and consistent push, students are given more opportunities to use English in ways that feel meaningful, enjoyable, and connected to their daily lives.
At the heart of this effort is the Reading Program, where students visit the library and choose books based on their own interests. Over the course of a month, they read at their own pace and complete short tasks such as reflections, creative responses, or vocabulary journals, allowing them to engage with texts on a more personal level. This helps students build reading habits, learn new words in context, and express their ideas more confidently.
To further support reading beyond the classroom, the school has also introduced the Highlights Library, an online platform that provides students with access to a wide range of interactive stories and articles. Students can access it anytime, allowing them to continue reading in a flexible and engaging way, even outside school.
These reading efforts are complemented by the Monthly English Review, a Jeopardy-style activity that brings together students from Grades 7 to 9. Through friendly competition, students revisit key skills such as vocabulary, idioms, grammar, and reading strategies, while building camaraderie across grade levels. It is both a review activity and a chance for students to enjoy learning together.
At the same time, Mr. James, Ms. Nacar, and Mr. Wilmott have also made themselves more present during homeroom and break times, making an effort to be available and approachable beyond regular lessons. Through simple, informal conversations about students’ interests, daily experiences, or school life, students are given a safe and relaxed space to practice speaking English naturally. These small moments help build students’ confidence, while also strengthening trust and connection between teachers and students in a more personal and meaningful way.
As the school continues this collective effort, parents are warmly encouraged to be part of the process. Simple actions such as reading with their children or asking about the books they are enjoying can go a long way in reinforcing these habits at home.
Together, with the support of tools like the PSAT as a benchmark for progress, the school community moves forward with a shared goal: to make English not just a subject to study, but a language students can confidently use in their lives.
