ENL Buddy Program VSN

The ENL Buddy Program, advised by ENL Department Chair Ms. Swinton, is one of the many clubs offered at North . The ENL Buddy Program offers many activities:

• Students get to go into ENL classes and do fun and creative activities with the ENL students.

• Students got to make hallway decorations for World Language Week and participated in this year’s PS I Love You Day event.

• Students got to go into ENL classrooms and make holiday cards for staff members.

• Students can help other ENL students feel welcomed to North by helping them get around during their first days in the building.

According to Ms. Swinton: “The ENL Buddy program is designed to help new and/or struggling ENL students connect to the North community. Mentors, who are current or former ENL students, work with students individually, visit ENL classrooms and facilitate lessons for students that are designed to build community and also lead after-school activities during meeting time.” For me I think joining this club is an amazing idea since I was a ENL student, I definitely feel like the ENL students feel welcomed to North because they have other students who know how they feel and who are willing to help them get around and get familiar with the environment. According to Ms. Swinton: “Mentors are typically current or former ENL students because they have a shared, lived experience with our newest Spartans. Mentors often also share a similar language and cultural backgrounds with the mentees.” Here's what she said about the activities and plans for the year: “This year, mentors have planned and facilitated classroom lessons that speak to the North's core values of respect, integrity, and kindness. Members of the ENL Buddy Program have also helped to create holiday cards for members of the community, participated in PS I Love You Day by creating positive messages and decorating the school hallway with them and designed flags from around the world in honor of World Language Week.” If you like helping, doing fun and creative activities, have been or are an ENL student, this is the club to join. If you share a similar language and cultural backgrounds with the mentees, you would really be able to make someone's day and transition into our school much easier and get that amazing rush of energy while helping somebody else.