b'LANGUAGES OF LEARNINGWith the ethic of care and hospitality as a guide, the Louisskills and knowledge to respond appropriately to students at Riel School Division (LRSD) is making strides towardvarious stages of English language proficiency. This requires creating significant and far-reaching supports for thekeeping in mind the multitude of pathways, backgrounds, diverse and thriving newcomer communities within needs, and circumstances of students and families.our schools. The need to continue to build capacityamong staff to support multilingual learners (MLLs) Ensuring staff are equipped to support MLLs is about more has been clear. than meeting logistical needs. Its about understanding the question How will we support multilingual learners? really This work is ultimately about creating a culture that valuesmeans How do we honour the diversity of learners in our diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and anti-racism.community? Its ensuring we disrupt old perspectives that did not best serve MLLs, said Rose Pagtakhan, a DivisionalSometimes, responding to this question requires going Instructional Support Teacher who leads much of thebeyond the immediate MLL curriculum and taking the time work on MLLs and someone who was once a newcomerto celebrate the incredible diversity that makes the LRSD student herself.community so wonderfulsuch as when radio personality Tyler Magz and restauranteur Jackie Wild came as guest I understand the loneliness and fear of being in a totallyspeakers for Asian Heritage Month. They shared an impactful new environment. Not only was I learning a new language,presentation on Asian Heritage in Canada with some of I was also learning a new culture and way of being. I hadour middle years students, as well as describing their own some hard times growing up as a newcomer, and I wantexperiences growing up with Filipino identity in Winnipeg.to ensure every newcomer and MLL student in LRSD feels welcome, safe, and seen, she said. Of course, honouring diversity in our school division also means training staff to better support MLLs. This not only To make this LRSD vision a reality, all teachers need thebolsters educators abilities to support students but also 32'