specialist teachers - The International School of Belgrade

Welcome back to school!
Dear Parents,
The learning support classroom is ready to open its door and I would like to take this
opportunity to welcome all of our students and families-new and returning! I am delighted
to have such a wonderful group of students and I anticipate an industrious and great year.
With your support, I will strive towards helping your child achieve new accomplishments
by encouraging him/her throughout the semesters and expressing our pride in his/her
efforts. We have lots of exciting activities and learning experiences planned for this
school year!
Let me introduce myself: This is my 16th year in the classroom – nine years as a homeroom
teacher and six years as a Learning Support Specialist. I have taught in two international
schools, educating students Grades K-5. My educational background includes MEd in
International Education from Framingham State College, Massachusetts and a Special Education
Certification (Mild-to-Moderate: Cross-Categorical, K-12), from the State of Missouri.
If you haven’t met me and would like so, please contact me in order to arrange a convenient
time. Also, if you have obtained an evaluation or other paperwork for your child (psychoeducational, speech and language, etc.) over the summer, please stop by my office and leave
a copy. Finally, please stay in touch with me. As a team, we can achieve the best for your child.
Thank you for your support. I look forward to a productive and an exciting year,
Elena Sentevska
Lower School Learning Support Specialist
(+381 11) 206 9928
THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE
ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members
to discover their passions to be global innovators.
Dear Family,
Welcome, once again, to a new school year. The energy and excitement that I have observed
in this first week reassures me that ISB is a great environment to learn, work and growth.
I want to formally introduce myself; my name is Jose Acevedo and I serve the students, and
their families, by providing counseling services from Pre-Kindergarten to grade 5, as well as
academic learning support from kindergarten to grade 2. I have previous 9 years of experience
working internationally in counseling and education, which I combine with my professional
training in psychology and family counseling. Together with my wife and my son, I have
welcomed my 3rd year as part of the ISB family.
It is my commitment to increase the relationship between school and home towards promoting
a safe and cohesive learning environment for our students, as I believe that when parents choose
a school they are also choosing a set of values that they want to model and pass along to their
children. Therefore, please feel free to contact me at any time you would see pertinent.
Learning support for grades Kinder to 2, include in-class observations, analysis of students’
progress, and work with individual and small group of students identified to benefit from
additional instructions in literacy and/or numeracy. We use a team approach to define the
appropriate support and the strategy of it.
Kindly yours,
Jose Acevedo
[email protected]
Counseling and Learning Support
The International school of Belgrade
The International School of Belgrade
Temišvarska 19, 11040 Belgrade,
Serbia, phone: +381 (11) 206 9999,
fax: +381 (11) 206 9940 (LS), 206 9941
(MS), 206 9942 (HS), 206 9944 (BO)
e-mail: [email protected]
www.isb.rs
VAT (PIB):
104940647
Registration Number:
17691830
The International School of Belgrade INC.
American Embassy Belgrade (For: ISB)
Department of State
5070 Belgrade Place
Washington D.C. 20521-5070
phone: +1 (202) 499-1536
THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE
ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members
to discover their passions to be global innovators.
Dear Family,
Welcome, once again, to a new school year. The energy and excitement that I have observed
in this first week reassures me that ISB is a great environment to learn, work and growth.
I want to formally introduce myself; my name is Jose Acevedo and I serve the students, and
their families, by providing counseling services from Pre-Kindergarten to grade 5, as well as
academic learning support from pre-kindergarten to grade 2. I have previous 9 years of
experience working internationally in counseling and education, which I combine with my
professional training in psychology and family counseling. Together with my wife and my son,
I have welcomed my 3rd year as part of the ISB family.
It is my commitment to increase the relationship between school and home towards promoting
a safe and cohesive learning environment for our students, as I believe that when parents choose
a school they are also choosing a set of values that they want to model and pass along to their
children. Therefore, please feel free to contact me at any time you would see pertinent.
Students in grades 3 to 5 receive counseling lessons embedded in their Unit of Inquiry. These
lessons have a workshop approach in the form of two classes per unit, which are designed to
fit in the inquiry process and for students to construct knowledge, understanding and further
develop their thinking of social, emotional and behavioural topics.
Kindly yours,
Jose Acevedo
[email protected]
Counseling and Learning Support
The International school of Belgrade
The International School of Belgrade
Temišvarska 19, 11040 Belgrade,
Serbia, phone: +381 (11) 206 9999,
fax: +381 (11) 206 9940 (LS), 206 9941
(MS), 206 9942 (HS), 206 9944 (BO)
e-mail: [email protected]
www.isb.rs
VAT (PIB):
104940647
Registration Number:
17691830
The International School of Belgrade INC.
American Embassy Belgrade (For: ISB)
Department of State
5070 Belgrade Place
Washington D.C. 20521-5070
phone: +1 (202) 499-1536
ART
Dear Lower School Parents,
My name is Svetlana Spasic Glid and this is my ninth year at the International School of
Belgrade. I am an artist and I enjoy sharing my knowledge with children. I received my
bachelor degree from Fine Arts College in Belgrade and earned my master’s degree two
years later from the same college. I was fortunate to get a scholarship for an additional
specialization in painting from the Greek foundation I.K.Y. for Fine Arts College in Athens.
My first experience was as a paper making instructor during my specialization in Athens at
the Mediterranean College in Athens and it was scary. There I learned how much effort one
needs to put into learning to teach others. That experience led me to seek knowledgeable
colleagues with whom I was able to work and to develop skills for creating curriculum and
teaching. I had opportunities to work with all age groups while creating and working on art
programs for different institutions such as Children’s Cultural Center Belgrade, Cultural
Center Belgrade, private kindergartens, and while working in local schools. Looking back, I
see that I was fortunate to be able to challenge myself with creating different curricula for all
age groups in the beginning of my teaching. Also, reading about inquiry based programs and
creating an atmosphere with the child in the center of education, led me to this school without
having it as my goal.
I am truly inspired by the PYP program and thankful for every professional development
opportunity at ISB. We believe that by exposing children to a range of media and materials
the Art program strives to enrich children’s natural enjoyment in using art as a means of selfexpression and to help them develop understanding of the world around them. Also, we at
ISB do our best to differentiate the curriculum, content, and for each student as a person as
well. It is my goal to create a safe environment where students can expand their creativity and
freedom of expression. The core of students’ learning in art consists of: the elements and
principles of arts and design, developmentally appropriate skills for learning using different
techniques, and Art History through the PYP concepts and big ideas. It may sound too
serious, but I like to think that I have learned to adjust the art ideas to different age groups
and I am therefore able to teach about the same artist in Pre-Kindergarten and grade five class
using different approaches and having different levels of expectations. I do not expect all my
students to become artists, but I believe that learning through the arts has a positive influence
on a child’s development.
Here is the information regarding assessment at the school that you may also find on the
school’s site:
Assessment
Student learning is promoted through the planning, teaching and learning process to meet
individual or group needs. Assessing students’ prior knowledge and experience as well as
monitoring their achievement during the learning journey enables teachers to plan and refine
their teaching accordingly. Assessment for and of learning is both formative and summative.
Formative assessment provides information in order to plan the next stage of learning and is
interwoven with the learning. Summative assessment gives teachers and students a clear
insight into students’ understanding at the culmination of the teaching and learning process,
providing opportunities to demonstrate what has been learned.
Assessment in the classroom includes:
 Using representative examples of work or performance to provide information
 collecting evidence of understanding and thinking
 documenting the learning process of groups and individuals
 engaging students in reflection
 students assessing work produced by themselves and others
 developing clear rubrics or other tools
 identifying exemplar work
 keeping records of tasks/test results
Also, you may find general rubrics for assessment on the Art Moodle page.
I have high expectations of my students in terms of the quality of their work and their
behavior in the classroom.
I am here to help students gain greater independence in their learning through inquiry as well
as to help them learn from each other by setting different groups during the classes. I believe
that the process is more important than the product, but on the other hand the final product is
evidence of their understanding of the new things learned. I communicate the expectations to
my students in every class and give them honest feedback during informal discussions and
through the report cards. Most importantly, I do my best to help them be confident and feel
safe while learning. During my professional development I sometimes struggle with learning
new things and this is a good reminder to me what it feels like to be a student. Therefore, I try
to meet each student’s individual needs, allocate additional time if needed, and provide the
students with additional help when they need it. Also, I encourage their effort and pursuance
in achieving their goals rather than only praising their results.
I will be happy to meet with you at any time you wish to see me, and you may do so at any
point of the School Year. You may expect the Special Teachers’ newsletters containing
information regarding students’ learning every six week. We send report cards home every
trimester and have either parent teacher conferences or student led conferences. Here at ISB,
we celebrate students’ learning in Art twice a year: we show all students’ 2D works during
the Winter Show in December and we show all students’ 3D works during the Spring Fair.
We collect students’ works and keep them in their individual folders. Students will take some
of their works home throughout the school year and the rest of them in the end of the school
year.
I am here to help students and I will be happy to answer all your questions if you have them.
Should you wish to set a meeting with me, my email is [email protected] .
Svetlana Spasic Glid, Art Teacher
Dear Parents,
The beginning of a new school year is always exciting for all members of our school community. I
am eager to see my returning students and meet new ones. This is my sixth year teaching
Movement and Dance at ISB, and so far I have taught over twenty five different classes. Each class
was special and radiant in its own way.
Dance and movement at a young age is a joyful way for children to explore movement through
music, develop physical skills, channel energy, stimulate imagination, enhance problem solving
skills and promote creativity. ISB recognizes the importance of structured physical activity at an
early age. This is a great way to help our students develop a positive lifelong attitude about
staying active and healthy.
Movement and Dance classes are carefully planned in order to meet the needs and interests of all
students. Throughout the school year we will jump around, stretch, run and even be still. We will
play games; act out stories and dance poems.
If you have any questions about Movement and Dance, feel free to contact me.
Welcome to the new school year!
Sincerely,
Ms. Ivana Jovanovic
Movement and Dance Teacher
[email protected]
Dear Parents,
Welcome to a new and exciting school year!
The music program at ISB is inquiry-based and it serves as a useful and powerful
inspiration for students’ further wondering, reflecting, and consolidating activities. From
first to last, students learn to express their emotional and intellectual perspectives.
Through their experience in the music class, students become able to classify and analyze
sounds, compose, harmonize, listen, play instruments, sing, notate, read music, write
songs etc. Over the school year, they gain music-specific skills, while exploring different
cultures and time periods, but also while making connections with other school subjects.
The development of listening skills, an important aspect of all learning, is constantly
reinforced. Listening to and performing music can be an important social activity too.
Last but not the least, this approach to learning has a positive influence on self-esteem
and creative development, which carries over to all aspects of learning.
Following the music strands (performing, creating and composing, notation, listening and
appreciation), students get joined together in musical activities to deepen their musical
understanding and awareness, using their voices, bodies, and classroom instruments.
Quite often guest musicians enrich students’ learning, both by sharing their own musical
experience and by working with students.
One of the culminating events of the music program is the Winter Performance. It is an
authentic and student-centered event that celebrates diversity, covering everything
learned during our music classes in the first semester.
Lastly, we are pleased to say our music classroom provides an environment that
stimulates and challenges students. It is well resourced with an extensive range of music
recordings, videos and instruments.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at
[email protected].
Best regards,
Ms. Ljudmila
PK-5 Music Teacher
THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE
ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members
to discover their passions to be global innovators.
The International School of Belgrade
Temišvarska 19, 11040 Belgrade,
Serbia, phone: +381 (11) 206 9999,
fax: +381 (11) 206 9940 (LS), 206 9941
(MS), 206 9942 (HS), 206 9944 (BO)
e-mail: [email protected]
www.isb.rs
VAT (PIB):
104940647
Registration Number:
17691830
The International School of Belgrade INC.
American Embassy Belgrade (For: ISB)
Department of State
5070 Belgrade Place
Washington D.C. 20521-5070
phone: +1 (202) 499-1536
Dragi roditelji,
Želim Vam srećan početak nove školske godine. Ja sam Marija Mićić, nastavnica srpskog kao
maternjeg jezika. U Internacionalnoj školi u Beogradu radim od januara prošle godine i radiću
dok se nastavnica Milena Pajić ne vrati sa porodiljskog odsustva. Veliko mi je zadovoljstvo što
radim ovde i imam priliku da se družim i učim sa Vašom decom.
Program predmeta ima za cilj opismenjavanje dece, razvijanje veština pisanja, slušanja,
čitanja i govora, kao i upoznavanje sa srpskim autorima i različitim aspektima srpske istorije,
kulture i običaja.
Nastava je zasnovana na programu Ministarstva prosvete Republike Srbije koji je prilagođen
uzrastu, nivou znanja i sklonostima Vašeg deteta. Pored toga, gde god je to moguće, program
srpskog jezika prati ono što deca uče sa svojim učiteljima i učiteljicama. Cilj ovih konekcija je
da učenici steknu širi uvid u ono što uče i paralelno razviju jezičke komponente i rečnik u
engleskom i srpskom jeziku. Gradivo je sistematizovano u pet ili šest većih nastavnih jedinica
u sklopu kojih proučavamo poeziju, prozu, dramske tekstove itd.
U prvom razredu jedan od naših glavnih ciljeva je savladavanje ćiriličnog pisma i tehnika
početnog čitanja i pisanja. U drugom razredu ćemo se upoznati sa dečijom poezijom i prozom,
dramskim tekstovima, vrstama narodnih umotvorina, kao i sa likom despota Stefana
Lazarevića. Treći razred će čitati basne, bajke, poeziju, proučavati narodne umotvorine, i
porediti sličnosti i razlike između pravopisa i reči u engleskom i srpskom jeziku. Četvrti razred
će razgovarati o herojima i liku Marka Kraljevića u epskim pesmama, zatim o narodnim
bajkama, drami i mitologiji. Peti razred će čitati lirsku književnost, zatim pripovetke, upoznaće
se sa dinastijom Nemanjića i čitati roman „Orlovi rano lete“ Branka Ćopića. Takođe imamo
jednu veliku nastavnu jedinicu o Svetom Savi nakon koje ćemo upriličiti lepu proslavu. Kroz
sve nivoe učenja maternjeg jezika velika pažnja se posvećuje savladavanju tehnika pisanja i
razvijanju veština slušanja, čitanja, razumevanja pročitanog teksta i lepog izražavanja.
Ukoliko je Vaše dete u prvom razredu, časove srpskog će imati utorkom, sredom i četvrtkom.
Domaće zadatke će dobijati sredom, a predavati četvrtkom. Drugi, treći i četvrti razred ima
časove ponedeljkom, utorkom, četvrtkom i petkom, dok se domaći zadaci dobijaju četvrtkom
i predaju ponedeljkom. Peti razred ima časove svim danima, osim ponedeljkom. Domaće
zadatke dobijaju petkom, a predaju ih utorkom.
Želela bih da Vam se zahvalim na dosadašnjoj lepoj saradnji i da Vas zamolim da ukoliko imate
bilo kakvu sugestiju, predlog ili pitanje, dođete da popričamo ili me kontaktirate putem imejla, a ja ću vam rado odgovoriti.
Želim Vam uspešnu novu školsku godinu.
Srdačan pozdrav,
Marija Mićić
Dear Lower School Families,
I would like to take the opportunity to welcome you to our French class at the beginning of this
school year. My name is Dubravka Kostanjsek, this is my twentieth year of teaching and my fifth
year at ISB. I am very excited to continue the work I have started with my old students and am
looking forward to meeting the new ones.
It is an honor to have the opportunity to work with you and your child in reaching his or her full
potential. I am committed to helping every student learn in my class. My main goals are to create a
safe and encouraging learning environment where I can make my students evolve at all levels.
« Posséder un savoir c’est savoir l’utiliser. », Bernard Rey
« To have knowledge means to know how to use it. », Bernard Rey
In the context of learning a new language, these Bernard Rey’s thoughts would mean that we know
that language only if we are capable of using our knowledge appropriately in a concrete situation.
With young students (6-11 years of age), one of the crucial things is developing a positive attitude
towards learning in general and therefore, towards learning modern languages, which should help
them become open-minded citizens and good communicators. In order to accomplish that, we will
have many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow through a variety of
challenging activities, which will help us develop our listening, reading, writing and speaking skills.
Here is our schedule for this school year:
Grade 1 : Tuesday, Wednesday, 10:30 – 11:15, Thursday 11:10-11:55
Grade 2 : Monday, Tuesday, 8:30 – 9:15, Thursday, Friday, 9:00-9:45
Grade 3 : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 12:20 – 1:05
Grade 4 : Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 09:45 – 10:30; Friday, 8:15 – 9:00
Grade 5 : Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 1:05 – 1:50
I believe that communication is the key to a great parent-teacher relationship. I encourage you to
contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can email me at
[email protected] and we can schedule an appointment to discuss your child’s progress. I will do
my part by sending out a newsletter each 4-6 weeks to update you on what we have been doing
and will do in class, and I would also like to invite you to check our page on Moodlic.
I am looking forward to a wonderful and exciting year with you and your child!
Sincerely,
Dubravka Kostanjsek
Dear Parents,
With hopes that you had a great summer, I would like to welcome you to a new and exciting
school year. As I am entering my eighth year of teaching Serbian as a Foreign Language at ISB I
am excited to see my returning students as well as to meet the new ones.
While language learning is an enriching experience for all ages, children have the most to gain
from this wonderful adventure. Starting early offers the widest possible set of benefits and
opportunities. Learning а second language at an early age has a positive effect on intellectual
growth and leaves students with more flexibility in thinking and problem solving. In addition, it
opens the door to other cultures, helping students to become open-minded.
At ISB we keep in mind that each child has their own learning style. Each lesson and activity is
carefully designed to meet individual needs of every learner, while keeping balance and equally
working on all language aspects.
Students taking Serbian as a Foreign Language are in a unique position as they are learning a
new language in its natural environment. Encourage your child to take advantage of this and
turn every family outing into an opportunity to see, hear, and learn something new. If you
decide to spend some family time playing a memory game in Serbian, have fun and learn
something from your child.
I’m looking forward to taking us all on this learning journey.
If you have any questions about Serbian Language classes, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Ms. Ivana Jovanovic
Serbian as a Foreign Language Teacher
[email protected]
THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE
ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members
to discover their passions to be global innovators.
Dear ISB Lower School Parents,
My name is Mirjana Fildjokic and this year I will be working as ISB Lower School Spanish teacher for the first
trimester, substituting Ms. Sonja Jecmenica who is on her maternity leave. I would like to take this opportunity
to wish you all a warm welcome to the new school year 2015-16 at ISB!
For those who haven’t had the chance to meet me in person yet, let me introduce you briefly with my teaching
profile. I have been teaching Spanish for six years now, having worked with different ages and language levels. I
have experience as a primary, secondary and University Spanish teacher. I taught at a high school and private
language schools in Serbia, as well as at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. I am professionally
trained in the field of international education, holding the Master’s degree in Learning and Teaching of Spanish
in Multilingual and International Contexts, jointly issued by the University of Deusto (Spain) and University of
Groningen (the Netherlands). I started working at ISB in April 2014 and it is a great pleasure for me to work in
such an inspiring teaching and learning environment.
In our Spanish classroom at Lower School, we work in small groups, that way allowing all the students to be
active language learners whose oral and written production and comprehension are improved through
communicative games, dialogue simulations, puppet shows, online interactive activities, interviews, songs,
cartoons and ads. Also, since language learning is a continuous process, we organize progressive assessment
activities that are essential not only for measuring students’ improvement, but also for defining strategies in
order to help children develop their full potential as Spanish learners.
Since the homework is very important for the students to reinforce their knowledge and practice the structures
worked in class, I expect all the students to hand in the homework regularly. The homework will be delivered to
them on Thursdays and they are expected to hand it in on Tuesday of the following week. Please, note that the
first week of school there is no homework.
During class time students are required to respect our jointly created essential agreements for the Spanish
classroom. Students are expected to have a positive attitude and stay focused during all classroom activities, to
demonstrate respectful behavior in class and treat each other with care. They are expected to be good
communicators and share their knowledge and opinions in a considerate and respectful way, as well as to listen
to the opinions of others with just as much consideration and respect.
Please note that you can find some classroom worksheets and materials for each grade level as well as the
examples of students’ work on our Moodlic page. In case you might have any further questions or concerns,
please do not hesitate to contact me either by email: [email protected] or by stopping by the Spanish classroom
in the International Hall of ISB. I sincerely encourage you to come to share with me any information about your
child that you consider of relevance for his/her linguistic and communication progress, as well as for his/her
social or emotional welfare. In hope that we will have a successful school year!
Kind regards,
Mirjana Fildjokic,
Lower School Spanish Teacher
The International School of Belgrade
Temišvarska 19, 11040 Belgrade,
Serbia, phone: +381 (11) 206 9999,
fax: +381 (11) 206 9940 (LS), 206 9941
(MS), 206 9942 (HS), 206 9944 (BO)
e-mail: [email protected]
www.isb.rs
VAT (PIB):
104940647
Registration Number:
17691830
The International School of Belgrade INC.
American Embassy Belgrade (For: ISB)
Department of State
5070 Belgrade Place
Washington D.C. 20521-5070
phone: +1 (202) 499-1536
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Grade 2
Instructor: Mrs. Divna Stakic
August 28, 2015
Dear ISB Parents and Guardians,
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back returning families, and introduce myself to
new ISB students and parents.
My name is Divna Stakic, and I have been teaching English as a Second/Additional language
since I graduated from the University of Philology in 1989. My vast teaching experience includes
teaching children, teenagers, university students and adults. Prior to coming to ISB, I was an
Academic Director at Kester Grant College in Vancouver, Canada. I also worked as a teacher
trainer at the ESL International Teacher Training Center (TESL) in Vancouver. In addition, I’m a
licensed Cambridge ESOL examiner since 2005.
English as an Additional Language is offered to students who have limited English proficiency or
no knowledge of English. The EAL instructional program assists EAL students in acquiring the
level of English language communicative competence (oral and written) needed to accomplish
their personal academic and social goals. We provide a flexible, contemporary EAL program that
promotes functional communication through literacy skills development, and the use of PYP
language material.
The EAL classroom offers an interactive student-centered environment. Students’ background
as well as their existing skills, knowledge and dominant language acquisition styles are taken into
consideration in order to establish the most effective means of achieving the goals of EAL
instruction. We shall cover all areas of language: reading, writing, listening, speaking, and
viewing. We’ll learn and explore the language through various classroom activities, including
various iPad applications, books, songs, games, and hands-on assignments.
EAL classes for Grade 2 students are scheduled for one period 4 days a week in the EAL
classroom. The EAL teacher will also facilitate EAL students in their homeroom, offering support
across all curriculum areas. Additional pull-out or in-class support will be organized based on
students’ needs.
Apart from teaching EAL, I also coordinate the after-school Mother Tongue Program, offered to
students who do not speak English or Serbian as their first (home) language.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to see me at school, or e-mail me at [email protected]
Looking forward to meeting you,
Sincerely,
Divna Stakic
EAL Teacher/Mother Tongue Program Coordinator
International School of Belgrade
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Grade 4
Instructor: Mrs. Divna Stakic
August 28, 2015
Dear ISB Parents and Guardians,
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back returning families, and introduce myself to
new ISB students and parents.
My name is Divna Stakic, and I have been teaching English as a Second/Additional language
since I graduated from the University of Philology in 1989. My vast teaching experience includes
teaching children, teenagers, university students and adults. Prior to coming to ISB, I was an
Academic Director at Kester Grant College in Vancouver, Canada. I also worked as a teacher
trainer at the ESL International Teacher Training Center (TESL) in Vancouver. In addition, I’m a
licensed Cambridge ESOL examiner since 2005.
English as an Additional Language is offered to students who have limited English proficiency or
no knowledge of English. The EAL instructional program assists EAL students in acquiring the
level of English language communicative competence (oral and written) needed to accomplish
their personal academic and social goals. We provide a flexible, contemporary EAL program that
promotes functional communication through literacy skills development, and the use of PYP
language material.
The EAL classroom offers an interactive student-centered environment. Students’ background
as well as their existing skills, knowledge and dominant language acquisition styles are taken into
consideration in order to establish the most effective means of achieving the goals of EAL
instruction. We shall cover all areas of language: reading, writing, listening, speaking, and
viewing. We’ll learn and explore the language through various classroom activities, including
various iPad applications, books, songs, games, and hands-on assignments.
EAL classes for Grade 4 students are scheduled for one period 4 days a week in the EAL
classroom. The EAL teacher will also facilitate EAL students in their homeroom, offering support
across all curriculum areas. Additional pull-out or in-class support will be organized based on
students’ needs.
Apart from teaching EAL, I also coordinate the after-school Mother Tongue Program, offered to
students who do not speak English or Serbian as their first (home) language.
If you have any questions do not hesitate to see me at school, or e-mail me at [email protected]
Looking forward to meeting you,
Sincerely,
Divna Stakic
EAL Teacher/Mother Tongue Program Coordinator
International School of Belgrade
THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF BELGRADE
ISB is a collaborative learning community that inspires and empowers its members
to discover their passions to be global innovators.
Dear parents,
Welcome back to school! I’d like to introduce myself to all the families new to ISB and provide
some information about the EAL program at our school.
My name is Visnja Plecas. I have taught English as an Additional Language (EAL) at ISB for
the past ten years. I hold a Master’s Degree in Education (Applied Linguistics) and have a great
interest in all language-related topics. Prior to coming to Belgrade, I taught EAL at the
American International School of Bucharest for nine years. In addition to teaching students, I
have provided professional development to teachers both in Bucharest and in Belgrade in
Teaching English to Students in Mainstream Classrooms, a program designed to help
teachers identify the language-related needs of EAL students and to develop teaching practices
that address those needs.
My own experience of living in different countries and being bilingual has helped me
immensely in my work with English language learners. It has given me a profound
understanding of the difficulties that can arise when moving to new schools, countries, cultures
and languages and leaving behind everything you know and love. More importantly, it has also
taught me how enriching this experience can be. Constantly dealing with change and new
challenges is a part of our students’ lives and I strive to help all my students have a smooth and
easy transition into English and to develop into their full potential as successful students at ISB.
I would like to take this opportunity to stress that maintaining and further developing your
child’s mother tongue is crucial for their cognitive development and in maintaining cultural
identity. Having a strong mother tongue will help your child acquire other languages.
At ISB, we offer an EAL program to all students for whom English is not their mother tongue.
We do our best to make our students feel safe, happy and welcome as this is a foundation for
successful learning. Beginners in English receive intensive language learning instruction in
small groups or as individual instruction, using communicative language strategies. Other
students identified as still in the process of acquiring English as an additional language are
provided with both pull-out and in-class support in language development where the units of
inquiry provide authentic contexts for language learning. Our focus is on providing an
intellectually challenging program to develop academic English and the skills needed to be
successful in the content areas.
Please contact me if you would like to know more about our program.
Visnja Plecas
EAL teacher
e-mail: [email protected]
The International School of Belgrade
Temišvarska 19, 11040 Belgrade,
Serbia, phone: +381 (11) 206 9999,
fax: +381 (11) 206 9940 (LS), 206 9941
(MS), 206 9942 (HS), 206 9944 (BO)
e-mail: [email protected]
www.isb.rs
VAT (PIB):
104940647
Registration Number:
17691830
The International School of Belgrade INC.
American Embassy Belgrade (For: ISB)
Department of State
5070 Belgrade Place
Washington D.C. 20521-5070
phone: +1 (202) 499-1536