December Update K-4th Grade

Hola, It is now the end of the year and I am very pleased to see how much Spanish each of the students from OWS has learned from September through December.  I have observed them in the hallways using some Spanish words in their conversations or when they see me around school, they greet me in Spanish.  Thank you very much for work at home practicing Spanish with your children.  Have wonderful Winter Holidays and a Happy New Year!

Kindergarten:

This month, the students are learning December words; reviewing the numbers 1 - 20, greetings, colors, the days of the week, the months, and introducing themselves.  We will also be talking about the traditions and celebrations that are celebrated in Latin America and Spain, including songs and chants that are performed by children.

December Words

·         familia                         family

·         candelas                      candles

·         hace frio                      it’s cold

·         regalos                                    presents

·         nieve                           snow

·         hombre de nieve         snowman

First Grade:
This month the First Graders are learning December words, continuing to add more family members to their vocabulary, and reviewing the numbers 1-30.  We will talk about the different traditions Latin American cultures participate in during the holidays and what kinds of foods they eat together.  We will also read and listen to traditional songs performed by children in Latin America and Spain.

December Words

·         familia                         family

·         regalos                                    presents

·         candelas                      candles

·         luces                            lights

·         chocolate caliente      hot chocolate

·         nieve                           snow

·         hace frio                      it’s cold

·         Felices Fiestas             Happy Holidays

Second Grade:
The Second Graders are learning December words and the clothing.  We also reviewed the numbers and the months of the year.  We are talking about the celebrations of Latin American cultures, such as Las Posadas in Mexico.  We are also reading stories and listening to songs performed by children in Latin America.

December Words

·         familia                         family

·         regalos                                    presents

·         candelas                      candles

·         luces                            lights

·         chocolate caliente      hot chocolate

·         nieve                           snow

·         bola de nieve              snowball

·         hombre de nieve         snowman

·         hace frio                      it’s cold

·         diferentes comidas     different foods

·         Felices Fiestas             Happy Holidays

Third Grade:
This month the Third Graders are also learning December words and continuing with the parts of the house.  We are talking about the different cultural traditions Latin American families participate in during the holidays and what kinds of foods they eat together.  We are also reading and listening to traditional songs.

Fourth Grade:

The Fourth Graders are doing an amazing job completing their projects involving describing animals from Latin America or Spain.  The presentations are very fun to witness, and you can tell how hard they worked on them.  Thank you for helping to make these presentations a success!  The presentations will continue through the beginning of January of next year.  Ms. Sashdeva (the Technology Specialist) collaborated with us by teaching the students how to use Voice Thread to record their voices and talk about the animals they selected in class.  You can listen online to your child’s description of their chosen animal in Spanish by using the link and password provided by Ms. Sashdeva.  

November Spanish Update

Last month in the Spanish Class, we talked about the holiday celebrated in Mexico on October 31^st through November 2^nd called “El Dia de los Muertos,” which translates as “The Day of the Dead.”  The celebration might sound morbid, but it is not observed in that Spirit.  It is a festive and joyous celebration that demonstrates a strong sense of love for cherished ones who have passed away, and at the same time, celebrates the continuance of important family relationships.  We worked on a variety of different activities and learned Spanish vocabulary to experience some elements of the celebration, including making paper skeletons, interpretive drawings, and decorating sugar skulls.  We decorated the classroom with all of the students’ projects.  Moving forward into the months of November and December, we will be talking about the end of the year family celebrations from the Spanish-speaking cultures.  These celebrations are also covered in the Spanish lesson books and vocabulary.
The Kindergarten Class will be practicing Thanksgiving words involving the weather and the family. The following are some vocabulary words that you can practice with your children:

 Thanksgiving Words

·           Feliz  Acción de Gracias                  Happy Thanksgiving

·          familia                                                  family

·         calabacitas                                          little pumpkins

·         pavo                                                      turkey

·         pastel de calabaza                           pumpkin pie

·         frutas                                                    fruits

La Familia (The Family)

·         mamá                                                  mom

·         papa                                                      dad

·         hermano/Hermana                         brother / sister

·         bebé                                                     baby

·         abuelo/abuela                                  grandfather/grandmother

The First Graders will be learning Thanksgiving words, the family members, and reviewing the weather and numbers.  You can practice the following vocabulary words with your children:

Thanksgiving Words

·         Felíz Acción de Gracias                   Happy Thanksgiving

·         el pavo                                                 turkey

·         las calabazas                                       pumpkins

·         el pastel de calabaza                       pumpkin pie

·         Doy gracias                                         I give thanks

·         la salsa de carne                               gravy    

·         la fruta                                                  fruit

·         la ensalada                                          salad

·         el pan                                                    bread

·         La familia y los amigos                    family and friends

La Familia

·         la familia                                              family

·         el papá                                                 father

·         la mamá                                               mother

·         el hermano                                         brother

·         la hermana                                         sister

·         el abuelo                                             grandfather

·         la abuela                                              grandmother

·         tio/tia                                                    uncle/aunt

·         ¿Como se llama tú mamá?           What is your mother’s name?

·         Mi mamá se llama_____.             My mother’s name is______.

The Second Grade Class will continue learning the classroom objects, family members and Thanksgiving words.   You can practice the following vocabulary with your children at home:

Thanksgiving Words

·         Felíz Acción de Gracias                   Happy Thanksgiving

·         el pavo                                                 turkey

·         las calabazas                                       pumpkins

·         el pastel de calabaza                       pumpkin pie

·         Doy gracias                                         I give thanks

·         la salsa de carne                               gravy    

·         la fruta                                                  fruit

·         la ensalada                                          salad

·         el pan                                                    bread

·         La familia y los amigos                    family and friends

The Third Grade Class will continue with the unit covering La Casa (the house), and they will also learn Thanksgiving words, and review the family members.  You can practice the following vocabulary with your children at home:

 Thanksgiving Words

·         Felíz Acción de Gracias                   Happy Thanksgiving

·         el pavo                                                 turkey

·         las calabazas                                       pumpkins

·         el pastel de calabaza                       pumpkin pie

·         Doy gracias                                         I give thanks

·         la salsa de carne                               gravy    

·         la fruta                                                  fruit

·         la ensalada                                          salad

·         el pan                                                    bread

·         la familia y los amigos                     family and friends

¿ Qué tiene la casa?  (What does the house have?)

·         ¿Qué tiene la casa?                         What does the house have?      

·         La casa tiene_______.                  The house has_______.

·         el cuarto                                              room

·         la sala                                                    living room

·         el dormitorio                                      bedroom

·         el comedor                                         dining room

·         la cocina                                               kitchen

·         el sótano                                             basement

·         el ático                                                  attic

This month, the Fourth Grade Spanish Class and Technology Class will work together with a program called “Voice Thread.”  The Fourth Graders will be recording their voices in Spanish, using the topic “Animals from Latin America and Spain,” where they will each choose an animal to describe.  This will be a fun activity, and the parents will have access to listen to their recordings with a password provided by Ms. Sachdeva.  They will also learn the following Thanksgiving words that you can practice with your children at home:

Thanksgiving Words

·         Felíz Acción de gracias                    Happy Thanksgiving

·         el pavo                                                 turkey

·         las calabazas                                       pumpkins

·         el pastel de calabaza                       pumpkin pie

·         Doy gracias                                         I give thanks

·         la salsa de carne                               gravy    

·         la fruta                                                  fruit

·         la ensalada                                          salad

·         el pan                                                    bread

·         la familia y los amigos                     family and friends

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call or email.  Have a wonderful month!

Señora Brodahl

Spanish Specialist
marib@ows.org

October Update Spanish K- 4th Grade

¡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 Fourth Graders are connecting with the language. Thank you for your efforts at home encouraging them to take on the challenge of learning a new language.

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 parts of the body and how they are feeling. We will also be learning fall-related vocabulary words in October. This fall, your child is beginning 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 alphabet, numbers, months, 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 Español! 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. We are also learning fall-related vocabulary words for October.

The Third Graders have been working 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 Tuesday. 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 larger numbers.

The Fourth Graders this year will be working with the new book, ¡Viva El Español! Hola, from which we are starting a new unit covering the classroom objects, using plural nouns, and learning about school life in Spanish-speaking countries. They are doing a great job of turning in their homework every week (due on Wednesday from Mr. Saltz and Friday from Ms. Scott and Ms. Mahoney’s classrooms). ¡Gracias!

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

¡Hola y bienvenidos a la Clase de Español! Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year!

I am very extremely excited to be teaching Kindergarten through Fourth Grade this year. It is my seventh year teaching at OWS and I am delighted to be part of the language learning experience for your children and look forward to helping them on their journey to becoming masters of the Spanish language.


This month, the students will be reviewing materials from last year to refresh and re-connect with the Spanish language. They will continue building new vocabulary and phrases throughout the year while consistently working on becoming more fluent in conversational Spanish.

Kindergarten through 2nd Grade

Kindergarten through Second Grade students will be taking home flashcards created in class with words and simple phrases each month to practice and reinforce their new Spanish skills. I encourage you to practice these flashcards regularly with your child. You may even find yourself learning some Spanish in the process! 

3rd and 4th Grade

I highly recommend Third and Fourth Graders have access to a Spanish / English Dictionary at home during the school year. This will help them build more strength in the language as well as serve as a resource tool for completing class assignments. Some good publishers of Spanish / English dictionaries include Larousse, Oxford and Webster. Additionally, with parent’s permission, I allow students (on a limited basis only) to use an internet search engine to look up Spanish translations to help with homework when necessary.

New OWS Students

To our new students at OWS, I will be sending out a Spanish handout containing simple phrases, vocabulary review, and activities to practice at home. Be sure to check your children’s backpacks for this information.

Latin Countries & Culture Study

This year we will also be learning about various cultures and Spanish-speaking countries through art projects, stories, videos, and more. I highly encourage parent involvement in the classroom for this segment of the student’s learning! And…if you have first-hand knowledge of a country we are studying, I’d welcome the opportunity for you to come in and share your experience. The country we are embracing this month is SPAIN!

How to Reach Me & Communication


I have an open door policy when it comes to communication so please feel free to contact me at any time. I am always available to speak with you about your student individually, provide more information about our class, and offer other resources to supplement the classroom curriculum if desired. To keep you apprised of what is happening in our Spanish class, I’ll also send out monthly newsletter blogs.

Thanks so much in advance for being so supportive of your children as we embark on a journey together. I look forward to a very exciting year with the students of OWS!

Gracias,

Mary Brodahl, Spanish Specialist

mariab@ows.org

(425) 747-2911 ext. 212

¡Felíz Tiempo de Primavera de La Clase de Español! Happy Spring Time from the Spanish Class!

La Clase de Kindergarten

The Kindergarteners are getting ready to perform their song about la primavera (the spring) for the cultural parade this month in Spanish. The song they will be singing is called Somos Como las Flores (Each of Us is a Flower). They are very excited to present this song to the parents. They are also learning new vocabulary related to what they see in the spring. Veo flores, lluvia, arcoiris, animals bebés, etc. (I see flowers, rain, rainbows, baby animals, etc.). We will also be practicing the alphabet in Spanish followed by another song “Marchando Alrededor del Alfabeto” (Marching with the Alphabet).

La Clase de Primer Grado

The First Grade students are continuing practicing action verbs such as: I’m going to give, drink, clean, write, eat, etc. using the phrase, “Voy a …” (I’m going to …). They are also learning various things that they see in la primavera (the spring). They are writing vocabulary words, creating art, and singing songs, all related to spring. I am very impressed by how excited they are to learn new themes every month in the Spanish Class and how well they are able to memorize, identify, and apply the vocabulary learned.

La Clase de Segundo Grado

The Second Graders are continuing to make flashcards to take home for practicing their Spanish vocabulary. This month, the students are reviewing the weather and the months of the year. The Second graders will become confident to state the current date and ask each other when their birthdays are. They will also learn the clothing by explaining what they typically need to wear each month according to the weather.

La Clase de Tercer Grado

This month, the Third Graders will be reviewing zoo animals and using adjectives to describe the animals. The questions they will be practicing include: ¿Qué animal es? (What animal is it?) and ¿Cómo es? (What is it like?). The Third Graders will also be identifying buildings in a city and asking each other where they live and where someone else lives. They will each create a collage of both city life and country life.

La Clase de Cuarto Grado

This month, the Fourth Graders will start Unit 4: En la Escuela (At School), where we will talk about classes, places in the school, and classroom activities, using questions such as, “¿Adónde vas?” and “¿Qué vas hacer?” (Where are you going? and What are you doing?). The responses will be followed by regular verbs, such as: Voy a estudiar, (I am going to study), Tu vas a estudiar (You are going to study), el/ella va estudiar (he/she is going to study). The Fourth Graders will be studying Costa Rica to learn about culture and geography. We will even be tasting a famous dishe from Costa Rica in class.

La Clase de Quinto Grado

The Fifth Graders are now moving on to Chapter 3 in their Expresate books. They are continuing to learn about their likes and dislikes using action verbs with sports and other daily activities, such as: “hablar por telefono” (talk on the phone) or study, rest, work, etc. We are also talking about the state of Texas and the large Spanish-speaking culture there. This month the Fifth Graders have another fun project to do; they will each select a Spanish-speaking country, and then they are going to promote and advertise the country to encourage people to visit. They will use voice thread to record the advertisement for their country of choice. With the help of Ms. Sachdeva in the technology room, they will again record their voices.

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please feel free to contact me. Have a wonderful month of April!

Maria Brodahl
Spanish Specialist K-5
mariab@ows.org

What is Happening in Spanish in March!!

Que impresionante it is now March!! Can you believe that.

La Clase de Kindergarten


The Kindergarteners are currently learning the animals with a Spanish song called Vengan a Mi Granja (Come to My Farm). They will also be learning the names of places in the community using the question, “¿Donde vas?” and answering, “Voy …” (I’m going to…). They are individually making flashcards that they will be bringing home to practice the themes learned this month.

La Clase de Primer Grado

The First Grade students are reviewing the names of typical places in the community they live in by responding to, “¿A dónde vas?” (Where are you going?) and answering, “Voy a …” (I’m going to..). They are continuing practicing the numbers 1 through 30. The First Graders will also learn action words such as: I’m going to run, draw, color, write, eat, etc., using the phrase, “Voy a …” (I’m going to …).

La Clase de Segundo Grado

The Second Graders are continuing to make flashcards to take home to practice their Spanish vocabulary. As mentioned last month, you can expect to see the flashcards coming home frequently throughout the year. This month, the students are learning, “Tengo …” (I am cold, thirsty, hot, hungry, sleepy, scared, etc.). The Library Specialist (Ms. Simeon) invited the Author Samantha Vamos to school, and in preparation we read one of her books and reviewed the vocabulary. When the kids met the author, they were aware of the vocabulary words. They also completed a worksheet activity relating to the book.

La Clase de Tercer Grado

This month, the Third Graders will be reviewing the numbers 20-80 by throwing a beach ball filled with numbers and trying to say the number in Spanish. They will also learn to say their school subjects in Spanish followed by action verbs. For example, “Voy a la clase de arte para pintar.” (I go to art class to learn to paint.) The students will be bringing home some flashcards that they made themselves for review. I am very pleased that they have been submitting their Spanish homework each week. Thank you for helping to make this happen.

La Clase de Cuarto Grado

This month, the Fourth Graders finished Unit 3 of their program, which included reviewing the days of the week and the calendar using the question, “¿A dónde vas el fin de semana?” (Where are you going this weekend?) The students are looking forward to making masks in the style of the country we discussed in the previous unit, the Dominican Republic. Next, we will start Unit 4: En la Escuela (At School), where we will talk about classes, places in the school, and classroom activities, using the questions, “¿Adónde vas?” and “¿Qué vas hacer?” (Where are you going? and What are you doing?).

La Clase de Quinto Grado

The Fifth Graders did an amazing job with the voice thread activity mentioned last month, thanks to Mrs Sachdeva. It is worthwhile to take a moment to listen to your child and how impressive they sound using their Spanish sentences. The students should have a link to these voice threads. We willl have some other similar activities this year. The Fifth Graders have completed Chapter 2 and are moving on to Chapter 3 in their books “Expresate.” We will continue learning about their likes and dislikes using action verbs with their activities in sports and daily activities, such as, “hablar por telefono” (talk on the phone) or study, rest work, etc.). We will also be talking about the state of Texas and the large Spanish-speaking culture there.

I look forward to meeting parents for conferences this week. If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s progress, please feel free to contact me. Have a wonderful month of Marzo!

Gracias,
Señora Brodahl