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Dear Families of English Language Learners,
Welcome (or welcome back) to Upper St. Clair! I hope you and your family are having an enjoyable summer as well as looking forward to the upcoming school year. I am already busy preparing our English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom and my own family for the start of school. I have three children of my own. My oldest child will be off to 12th Grade, my middle child will begin 9th Grade, and my youngest will go to 7th Grade. I am extremely excited to be your child’s ESL teacher at Eisenhower or the High School.
I have taught both ESL and in the regular classroom. I was the ESL teacher at Eisenhower and Boyce when I first came to the Upper St. Clair School District in 2005. Then, I taught kindergarten at Streams for eleven years. I returned to an ESL position several years ago at Eisenhower and the High School. I had gained my ESL certification prior to moving to Pittsburgh when I was a teacher in Houston, TX. I graduated from Shippensburg University with an Elementary and Early Childhood degree and Penn State University with a Masters degree in Instruction and Curriculum. Most recently, I earned my certification to teach English Language Arts grades 7-12. I can’t believe I’ve been teaching for well over 20 years! Time moves so quickly when you love what you do! I feel extremely fortunate to be at Eisenhower and the High School for the upcoming school year!
As an ESL teacher, I believe that your children will need to be both supported and challenged as they navigate the social and academic use of the English Language. I will strive to provide learning activities that are meaningful to students in order to enhance their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.
Communication between parents and the school community is a top priority at all grade levels. I will communicate with you regularly about your child’s progress, but I am also here to help with any questions or concerns you have about school. Please feel free to contact me at (412) 833-1600 x2551 or email at gbossart@uscsd.k12.pa.us. I’m looking forward to working with you and your child throughout the school year!
Sincerely,
Gena Bossart
(pronounced Jen-na Bahz-art)