Oakland School
1 st
GradeR EESL
ADY FOR A
1st GradeG RESL
EAT YEAR!
Mr. Mattson’s EL Newsletter
Introducing Myself
Hello! My name is Corey Mattson, and I’m one
of the English language teachers in the
English Language (EL) program. This year, I’ll
be teaching the English language classes for
the 1st (Heinonen and Merna), 2nd, 3rd, 4th
grade and 5th grades.
This is my 11th year working at this fabulous
school, and I look forward to a great year!
This week you should have received
information from us explaining that your child
is eligible for English services and an
explanation of our program. At Oakland, we
work together as a team to meet the needs of
all students.
If you have any questions of me, regarding
the program or your child’s progress, please
contact me by calling the school or emailing
me directly at mattsonc@district87.org.
I wish you and your child a fun and successful
school year!
--- Mr. Mattson
Au g u s t 3 0 , 2 0 1 8
Orientation Night
I am always available to talk with you, if you
have questions, but I wanted to share that I
will be in at the third grade orientation on
Tuesday, September 4th, 6 pm – 7:30 pm.
Parents will find me in the front lobby with
Mrs. Martel, our media specialist.
Orientations will be happening different nights
for other grades, so if you cannot make this
time, we could conference over the phone
before or after school. My email address is
mattsonc@district87.org or you can call me at
the school at 309-662-4302.
Our Class Website!
Most of my communication with parents,
including this newsletter, will be posted on
my class website at http://mrmattsonesl
.weebly.com. I will periodically post
classroom activities, as well as educational
resources and videos, so I hope you check it
out!
1st Grade
The 1st graders in Mrs. Heinonen and Mrs.
Merna’s classes have English class with me
at 11 am, Monday - Friday. In these classes
we develop our English skills using the
content of literature, informational text,
social studies and science. In our first week
we learned about each other and our
summers, and next week we discuss school-
related topics. In the next few weeks, we
will get ready for and complete a project
where students interview partners and write
about what they like about school.
 Mr. Mattson’s Newsletter Page 2
2nd Grade
2nd grade students meet for EL class
every day at 12:30 pm, right after
lunch and recess. For each thematic
unit, we read nonfiction and fiction
texts that expose students to
language features and vocabulary
words, and we practice using new
words and grammar in structured
activities. At the end of each unit,
students complete a project to show
what they learned. I also work with
teachers to learn what students
need more help on, which we can
then focus on in our smaller class.
3rd Grade
The third graders come to EL class
every day at 1 pm. In the third grade,
we will use the science curriculum
both as a means to learn science
content and further expand our
English reading and writing skills.
Students will get to observe and
reflect on the world we live in, as well
as conduct experiments!
4th and 5th Grade ESL
In the fourth and fifth grades, I will
be assisting students in their grade-
level content classes. In the fourth
grade, I will be in both Mrs. Conroy’s
social studies class and Mrs. Michael’s
literature class, where I can
sometimes work with students in
small groups. In the fifth grade, I will
be working with Mrs. Stanek in her
social studies class, every day at
12:10 and 1:30 pm.
Upcoming Events
Monday, September 3rd
Labor Day – No School
EL Information @ 3rd Grade Orientation
September 4th, 6: 00 pm
I will be present in the front lobby to answer
questions and share our EL program with
parents.
September 15 – October 15
Hispanic Heritage Month.
Celebrate the heritage of people who come
from Spanish-speaking countries of Latin
America.
October 8th – No School
October 19th – No School / End of 1st
Quarter
October 22nd - 26th
Parent Teacher Conferences
October 26th – No School
No School for Conferences