Hello. My name is Gail Podaridis, ESL Team Leader and Head Cheer Coach at SHS. I have been teaching in SISD for 14 years, and this is my sixth year at SHS. Teaching is my passion, and I am very exicted to share my enthusiasm with my students in the classroom. In addition to teaching ESL, I coach the cheerleaders. I look forward to working with you and your children this school year. Yes, I am Greek, so if you cannot pronounce my name I understand. My conference period is from 1:40 - 2:25. If you need to contact me please call the school at (281)891-7000 or you may email me at gailp@springisd.org. GO LIONS!

This year I will be teaching one section of ESL I. This class is designed for students with limited English abilities. In this class students will be working to strengthen their English language proficiency while expanding their English vocabulary. In additon we will work on sight/sound word identification through many hands on activities. Students will work both collaboratively with peer and independently. Additionally, we will be working on reading skills and reading comprehension, as we strive together to be successful in all academic areas. Students will be introduced to the format of the TAKS test as they work to develop test taking strategies and meeting the expectations set by the state. We will begin using a text book designed for second language acquisition titled "EDGE". We will work on making connections between characters and the main idea. Students will work on writing skills as they respond to post reading guiding writing prompts. Each student will have their own interactive workbook to use in class. We will continue to develop basic communication language skills in English. Students are encouraged to communicate in English. Students will participate in read around class activities and complete a variety of projects. Students are focusing on improving their writing abilities and are learning strategies to help them be successful with composition writing. Students have been learning new vocabulary words and definitions as they relate to the text. Assessment is a work in progress which means I am always looking for new ways to reach out to my students and make my class more exciting. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any quetions.

In ESL II students will be working to improve their use of the English language, increase vocabulary, and improve writing skills. We will be reading novels of various genres, short stories, and class projects. We will visit the library for exposure to the use of technology for the completion of projects. Students will demonstrate an increased understanding of English, and sharpen their skills in preparation for the TAKS test as we work collaboratively to meet state standards and expectations. We will also review vocabulary and skills for cross content academic support in preparation for the TAKS in April. Students have been working very hard in class, and are working extremely hard to improve their writing skills. They wrote their first composition TAKS style, which was a district requirement. This will be scored as TAKS compostions are scored, and used inthe classroom as a tool to strenghten students writing skills. We just completed reading "The Wave", which covers events of World War II, Hitler, and the Holocaust. Students used library computers to write a newspaper article which will be part of our class newspaper. Students examined current events to explore good vs evil as these acts relate to the real world. We viewed video clips from the movie to enhance student understanding of the novel, and students will be assigned a unit project to check for comprehension before moving on to our next reading selection. Students will soon be assigned an outside project. They will select a book from the library which they will be responsible for reading at home. I will assign specifics that they will need to respond to. This will be a major grade(test). Feel free to contact me if you have any concerns.

It is hard to believe that football and volleyball seasons are a thing of the past! We will be competing in January at a UCA contest at Texas State University. The girls are working hard to develop their three routines for this competition. We will also be performing at the Rockets game on January 31, which has become SHS cheer tradition! What a wonderful way to represent our school and our community. Basketball season is knocking on our door, and we will begin cheering at those games on January 5th. A gentle reminder, we cheer on Tuesday and Friday during basketball season. We will continue to practice on Monday and Wednesday's, as this helps with team building and overall team unity. We will have our Secret Santa the week before we break for the Christmas holiday. Details to follow on that event. The girls are given monthly calendars, so I hope they are making it home to be hung on the fridge next to the class attire schedule. If you have no idea what I am talking about please ask your cheerleader. Thanks to all of you that provided so much help and support during our first semester of activities. Please contact me with any concerns you may have.
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Advisory meets each Wednesday for 30 minutes, and it is a new class period this year. Teachers meet with a group of students to serve as a mentor, to provide tutorials, and to complete lessons as they are assigned on a weekly basis. Additionally, this group of students will test with their advisory teacher, which is beneficial to both as we have had time together in the classroom to "bond".