Q: When should I arrive to the hotel?

Attendees traveling to the Bay Area are expected to arrive to the Residence Inn Berkeley hotel on Wednesday, April 26th. Review the information about checking into the hotel on the travel section on this webpage.

Q: How many people are coming?
A: We are expecting a full capacity retreat of 60 Internationals leaders who will be coming from LA,New York, Washington DC,Virginia,and Texas.

Q: What do I need to bring with me?
A: Though not mandatory, we suggest bringing a laptop for your convenience.

Q: What is the dress code?
A: Casual attire is recommended. Keep in mind Berkeley weather in April ranges between 65° / 48°.

Q: Will I have any free time to do what I want?
A: While the retreat makes full use of scheduled time, most attendees have found personal time to venture out during the evening when the retreat schedule is complete. Many also find themselves with free time on the day of arrival (Wednesday) and after the close of the retreat on Saturday.

Q: Can I stay at the hotel longer?
A: If you would like extend your stay in your hotel room past Saturday let Clarissa know asap and she will try to get an extension at the discounted group rate. You would be responsible for all hotel stay charges for this time.

Face coverings are optional in all spaces, including conference rooms and the open areas in the hotel.

It is important that we all continue to support and respect those in our community who need to, or choose to, wear a face covering in non-required spaces.

• Attendees traveling in for the retreat are expected to arrive to the hotel on Wednesday, April 26. We expect everybody to complete the entire retreat, which officially ends at 12noon on April 26.  Please plan your travel schedule accordingly. 
• Both the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airports (OAK) can be used.  OAK is slightly closer by 10 miles.
• You will need to arrange your own transportation to and from the airports. Uber/Lyft and Taxis are suggested ways to travel from the airport to the hotel.
• Check-in to the hotel is at 3:00p, however if you arrive before then check with the hotel’s front desk- if your assigned room is ready early they will let you access it as a courtesy. If not, they will be able to hold your baggage and you can use the time go around the city or relax in the hotel lounge.

What structures of support are needed for students to feel success and what roles do adults play in creating and maintaining these structures?
During this school visit participants will have the opportunity to observe classrooms, hear from the school community (teachers, students, and leaders) and come together with educators from across the network to discuss how the school-wide structures they observed are supporting multilingual learners as well as make connections to their own context.
In the past year, San Francisco International has been rebuilding and rethinking their school-wide structures for student success. The morning will begin with framing and an artifact review, followed by classroom visits, then a teacher and student panel.

What practices best support students with limited or interrupted schooling as a bridge to accessing core content? During this school visit participants will have the opportunity to observe classrooms, hear from the school community (teachers, students, and leaders) and come together with educators from across the network to discuss how the SLIFE practices they observed are supporting multilingual learners as well as make connections to their own context. Oakland International High School has been investing in their SLIFE practices, specifically how oral language and literacy can support access to core content. Come be a thought partner on how to better support SLIFE students. The morning will begin with framing and an artifact review, followed by classroom visits, then a student panel and admin panel.

How do the common structures at Richmond’s Internationals Academy promote student ownership of learning and help teachers implement PBL? During this school visit participants will have the opportunity to observe classrooms, hear from the school community (teachers, students, and leaders) and come together with educators from across the network to discuss how the systems they observed are supporting multilingual learners as well as make connections to their own context. Richmond High Internationals Academy has been a program for 5 years. Over the past 5 years, the team has been aligning student facing systems and structures across classroom spaces to support student performance and ownership over their learning. Come see how these systems come to life across classrooms. The morning will begin with framing and an artifact review, followed by classroom visits, then a teacher and student panel.

In this interactive workshop, participants will explore strategies and techniques that can be utilized in fostering parent and family engagement in schools. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about a recent successful initiative that has engaged families at PAIHS Elmhurst. Participants will take away concrete strategies to bring this work to life in their own school community. The goal of this workshop is to engage leaders to feel competent in helping families gain critical information, build relationships between families at the school, and provide a space for families to express their concerns and needs. All are welcome to attend.

How do we use literacy data to make informed decisions that impact student supports, structures, and programming? What data should we even be collecting? In this workshop, three different Internationals schools and academies will help us answer these questions, and more! Participants will engage in a stations activity, with each station lead by a different school or academy, including: The Internationals HS at Lafayette, International Academy at Hammond, and International Community HS. Participants will walk away with ideas and resources about how to use literacy data to support students and teachers. There will be opportunities for all participants to reflect on the ideas they have encountered, and generate ways to bring these ideas home to their school communities. All participants are welcome!