What's Happening in Spanish

¡Hola!

I can’t believe it is October already! The children at OWS are doing a great job learning Spanish. I am amazed by how well the Kindergarteners through Fifth Graders are connecting with the language. Thank you for having such wonderful children!

The Kindergarten class has been learning how to introduce themselves, and learning how to say, “What is your name?” (¿Comó te llamas?). They have also been singing songs to help learn vocabulary. We have been learning the days of the week, colors, numbers, and greetings. This month we will be talking about the feelings, such as Estoy feliz (I am happy), Estoy triste (I am sad), Estoy enojado/a (I am angry), and Estoy asustado/a (I am scared). We will also be learning autumn-related vocabulary words in October. This fall your child is starting an exciting adventure in Spanish! I am looking forward to continuing introduction of the new language to the kindergartners.

The First Graders have been reviewing the numbers, the days of the week, the weather, how to introduce themselves, and greeting each other. This month we will be learning autumn related vocabulary and the classroom objects. Here are some words you can practice with them: lapiz (pencil), libro (book), papel (paper), tijeras (scissors), silla (chair), borrador (eraser) and mesa (table).

The Second Graders are excited to have their own binders in Spanish, for storing their assignments. They are starting a new book ¡Viva El Espa System A. We have been spending time reviewing vocabulary in Spanish. This month we will be learning the objects in our classroom. They will be asking each other, “What is it?”(¿Qué es?) and learning more numbers and shapes.

The Third Graders have been spending time with the new book ¡Viva El Español! System C reviewing most of the vocabulary learned last year the first lessons are a review in the book. I am very impressed by how well they remember the vocabulary. I am pleased to see the Third Graders turning in their Spanish homework every Thursday. Thank you parents for helping to make this happen! This month we will be focusing on learning “What’s in our house?” (¿Qué hay en nuestra casa?) and more numbers.

The Fourth Graders have just completed the first unit in the new book they will be using this year, ¡Viva El Español! Hola. They are doing an amazing job of turning in their homework every Friday, ¡Gracias! We are starting a new unit covering the classroom objects, using plural nouns, and learning about school life in Spanish-speaking countries.

The Fifth Graders are responding well to the new Spanish text book, ¡Expresate! Chapter 1 of the book is mainly a review of the greetings, introducing themselves, numbers, the alphabet, and telling time. They have also been learning grammar with a video guide that makes the lessons easy to understand. We will be finishing Chapter 1 and preparing for an assessment at the end of the month. The Fifth graders have been doing an excellent job turning in their homework every Friday, keep up the good work!

As you may notice above the different grade levels sometimes work on similar themes or topics. The lessons instruction, vocabulary and grammar for a particular theme becomes more advanced and involved as the grade level increase.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me in person, by phone, or by email. I am looking forward to having a great year with all of the students at OWS in Spanish!

Mary Brodahl (Spanish Specialist)
mariab@ows.org