Hello. My name is Gail Podaridis, and I have been teaching in SISD for 12 years, and this is my fourth year at SHS. Teaching is my passion, and I am very exicted to share my enthusiasm 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. GO LIONS!

This year I will be teaching one section of ESL I. This class is designed for students with limited English abilities. In the class students will become familiar with the English language and work to develop 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. We will also be working on reading and reading comprehension, and we strive together to be successful in all academic areas as well as the TAKS test.

In ESL II students will be working to improve their use of the English language, increase their vocabulary, and improve their writing skills. We will be reading many novels, and short stories, as well as doing projects. Students will also sharpen their skills in preparation for the TAKS test.

As we bring the football and volleyball seasons to a close, we will continue working on conditioning as we prepare for our basketball season. Additionally, we will host our annual Pee Wee Clinic on Saturday, January 19, 2008.