On February 24th, while teachers were busy with SWEIO activities, the MMSD Bilingual Resource Specialists (BRS) met for a special in-service.

Guest speakers from various community organizations presented to the BRS on services available to families who need assistance in a language other than English. This meeting was one in a series of trainings for BRS designed to bridge gaps between the school district and community resources.

The in-service began with a presentation by Maria G. Hernandez of the Dane County Job Center. She presented data related to her study of the effects of immigration on MMSD high school students. Sandra Magaņa from the UW School of Social Work shared information on resources available for Spanish speaking students with disabilities. Staff members of the Kajsiab House came to present on the many services their organization provides for the Hmong community of Madison. According to the Kajsiab House website, "In Hmong, Kajsiab (Ga shee' ah) means the relief of stress and tension from worrying about the safety of loved ones."

The Kajsiab House offers its members a variety of services including classes on English, Hmong, U.S. citizenship, history, and current events.

One of the most popular classes offered is an exercise class on Tai Chi. The standard Chinese Tai Chi movements have been modified into a so-called "Hmong Tai Chi" where movements mirror activities such as chopping wood or grinding rice that would have been daily chores performed by Hmong women in Thailand.

The highlight of the day came when the BRS got a chance to relieve some in-service stress by participating in a short Tai Chi session.

Trainings such as this help our bilingual MMSD staff identify resources that will benefit our English language learners and their families outside of the classroom.

If you have any questions regarding these services, please contact the Division of ESL and Bilingual Education at 663-8440.