Friday, November 19, 2010

What is happening in the Spanish Class in November.

¡Hola!


I can’t believe it is November 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 will be talking about the feelings this month, 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 vocabulary words related to autumn and Thanksgiving in November. We continue to sing songs to help learn vocabulary. One very exciting activity we have been participating in is visiting the Vista Spanish Department. The Seventh Grade students have been kind enough to interact with the Kindergartners by reading to them and reviewing vocabulary. The visits have been fun for both ages of students. I am looking forward to continuing the adventure of introducing 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 what they like and do not like to eat. Here are the basic phrases you can practice with them: Me gusta comer ______ (I like to eat _____); No me gusta comer _____ (I don’t like to eat ____); filling in the blanks with words such as: vegetales (vegetables), frutas (fruit), pollo (chicken), carne (meat), leche (milk), agua (water), jugo (juice), pan bread), etc.

The Second Graders are excited to have their own binders in Spanish, for storing their assignments. They are starting a new book, ¡Viva El Español! System A. We have been spending time reviewing vocabulary in Spanish. This month, we will be learning the numbers 11 through 30, learning the shapes, and practicing vocabulary related to autumn and Thanksgiving. They will be asking each other, “¿Qué figura es?” (What shape is it?) and “¿Qué numero es?” (What number is it?).

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

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 animals from Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. The Fourth Graders will be able to describe the animals by using size, colors, physical characteristics, and where they are from. Each student will develop a project where they will select a specific animal to describe. I will send home instructions soon on how they will be expected to present this project next month.

The Fifth Graders are responding well to the new Spanish text book, ¡Expresate! We have completed Chapter 1, which was 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 are now starting Chapter 2, which will focus on “all about you.” The Fifth Graders will be able to talk about themselves, their likes and dislikes, favorite sports, favorite pastimes, and foods. The students have been doing an excellent job of turning in their homework every Thursday; keep up the good work!

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

Mary Brodahl (Spanish Specialist)

(425) 747-2911, Ext 212
mariab@ows.org