Lower School English Department

Welcome to the Lower School English Department
 
At GISNY, our English department provides outstanding instruction to a diverse group of students.  Some of our students are native English speakers, some can hold a simple conversation in English but are more comfortable in German or another language, and some are being introduced to English for the first time in their lives.
 
To ensure that we meet the needs of each and every one of our students and provide them with the most appropriate instruction, our teachers assess students at the beginning of the school year in several key areas. Specifically, our teachers will evaluate a student's verbal skills, auditory skills, reading and reading comprehension, and writing skills.  Additionally, teachers will look at how a student performs on in-class assignments and activities.  
 
Students will not be placed in any level based solely on one type of language skill, but rather our teachers will consider a student's overall performance.  Students are then divided into three ability levels based on the results of the assessment.  
 
Each English level in the Lower School is taught by a member of our Lower School English faculty, all of whom are native English speakers.  Our teachers will continue to assess students throughout the year and will reevaluate a student's placement if it becomes apparent that instruction needs to be provided on another level.
 
Students in our Lower School receive six 45-minute English classes per week.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, we encourage you to get in touch with your child's English teacher, or Karlyn Tabb, the Lower School English Department Coordinator. 

Video

Lower School English Faculty

Maura Doran

Karlyn Tabb

Dr. Jacqlyne Thornton

Kamila Eisenberg