December Update for Spanish K-4th Grade

Hola,

I can’t believe it is the end of the year and I am very excited to see how much Spanish each of the students from OWS have learned from September to December.  I’ve watched them in the hallways using some Spanish words in their conversations or when they see me they greet in Spanish. Thank you very much for having amazing children. Have a wonderful Winter Holidays and a Happy New Year!  ¡Feliz Navidad y Año Nuevo!  Here is the latest update for Spanish in December.

Kindergarten:

This month, we will learn December words; review the numbers 1 - 20, greeting colors, the days of the week the month of the year and introducing themselves. We will also be talking about what traditions and celebrations 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 in the First Graders we will learn December words, continue to add more family members to our vocabulary, and review 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 the 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 Grader, have also reviewed the numbers and the months of the year and family.  We talked about the celebrations of Latin American cultures, such as Las Posadas in Mexico.

December Words

·         familia                         family

·         regalos                        presents

·         candelas                      candles

·         luces                            lights

·         chocolate caliente    hot chocolate

·         nieve                           snow

·         bola de nieve             snowball

·         hombre de nieve        snow man

·         hace frio                      it’s cold

 

       ·         Felices Fiestas           Happy Holidays

 

Third Grade:

This month the Third Graders also learned December words and continued with the parts of the house.  We talked about the different cultural traditions Latin American families participate in during the holidays and what kinds of foods they eat together.  We also read and listened to traditional songs.

 

Fourth Grade:

This month the Fourth Graders also learned December words and talked about the different cultural traditions of Latin American families.  Continue with the lessons in the book learning the shapes and colors. Students are forming questions and asking each other ¿Que color es? ¿Que figura es?

Happy Holidays,

Sra. Brodahl

mariab@ows.org

 

Updates from the Spanish Classroom!

 

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.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving week!!

Sra. Brodahl

Homework Spanish News for Third and Fourth Grade

Third and Fourth Grade Spanish Homework News:

 Welcome back to Spanish!  I am very excited to start Spanish Classes with the Third and Fourth Graders.  This year beginning with the Third Grade classes, we will begin having homework once per week to provide additional practice and more time with the language.  The homework provided will have clear guidelines for the parents to help at home if necessary, but children should generally be able to complete the assignments without adult assistance.   The homework provided for the Spanish classes will be tied to the current learning goals and themes of the classes.  For Third Grade homework assignments will be included in their Third Grade homework packet that goes home every Wednesday.  For Fourth Grade homework assignments will be given during the first Spanish class each week, and will need to be turned in by the following Spanish class (same week).  For optimum learning, the students and I will correct and check the homework together.  Report card grading will reflect participation and work in class as well as homework assignments.   If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. 

Mary Brodahl 

Spanish Specialist. mariab@ows.org

Welcome back to Spanish!

¡Bienvenidos a la Clase de Español!  Welcome to the Spanish 2012-2013 school year!

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

This month, the students are 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.  The students will work with a paper puppet they created in class throughout the year.  This tool will help them build more confidence in speaking Spanish by making the puppet speak in a motivating and fun way.

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 that 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 homework 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.  There is also a free website for additional practice and reinforcement the students can use:  www.123teachme.com.  This year for the Third Graders, homework will be sent out in their weekly homework packet.  The Fourth Graders will also continue taking homework home once each week.

New OWS Students
For 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.  These packets are for students to use at home, and they do not need to be returned to class.

 

We will continue learning about Spanish and Latin American culture through art projects, stories, videos and more.  If you would like to share any experiences relating to Spanish or Latin American culture with the students, please let me know and we can discuss the arrangements.

 

Please feel free to contact me at any time if you would like more information about the Spanish department or other resources to supplement the classroom curriculum.

 

I look forward to another exciting and successful year of Spanish with the students of OWS.

 

Thank you,

 Maria Brodahl, Spanish Specialist

mariab@ows.org

Spanish Update!

¡Feliz Primavera!

Brief Spanish Update for April 2012

La Clase de Kindergarten

The Kindergarteners had an amazing performance singing a song about la primavera (the spring) for the cultural parade in April.  The song they sang was called, “Somos Como las Flores” (Each of us is a Flower).  They seemed very excited to present this song to their families.  They also learned new vocabulary related to what they see in the spring, such as:  Veo flores, lluvia, arcoiris, animales bebés, etc. (I see flowers, rain, rainbows, baby animals, etc.).  They are also learning new vocabulary related to food.  They created a poster related to the food to take home for practice.

La Clase de Primer Grado

The First Grade students continued practicing the foods, including learning to say the phrases: Me gusta comer (I like to eat)…, and No me gusta comer (I don’t like to eat)...  They also learned various vocabulary words relating to things that they see in the spring (la primavera).  They are writing down vocabulary words, creating art, and singing songs, all related to spring.  I am very impressed by how excited they are about learning new themes every month in the Spanish Class and how well they are able to memorize, identify, and apply the vocabulary they have learned.

La Clase de Segundo Grado

The Second Graders are continuing to make flashcards to take home for practicing their Spanish vocabulary.  The students reviewed the weather and the months of the year, followed by spring-related vocabulary and sentences.  They also were very engaged watching a video about the life of two Costa Rican children, one living in the rural area and second child living in the urban area.  They wrote about the different situations of the two children and compared them to their life styles here.   

La Clase de Tercer Grado

The Third Graders had a great time learning the foods and working in groups asking each other what they like to eat and what they dislike using the phrases: ¿Que te gusta comer? and ¿Que no te gusta comer?  Each year, the Third Graders experience an activity about making migajon, which is from Ecuador.  Migajon is a clay-like material used to make tiny toys.  In this case, we used it to make a market (mercado) of all types of different foods.  Their beautiful (and creative) work is on display in the hallway near the Spanish room.  If you take a moment walk by, you will be able to appreciate their efforts and see what a fun project they did.   

La Clase de Cuarto Grado

Last month, the Fourth Graders completed Unit 3 of their program, where they talked about going to places on different days of the week and different times.  They learned vocabulary relating to common places in the community, such as el cine (movies), la ecuela (school), la tienda (store), el restaurant (restaurant), etc.  They also learned how to use the singular present tense forms of ir (to go).

If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please feel free to contact me.  

Maria Brodahl

Spanish Specialist K-5

Spanish March Update!

Felíz Primavera!!  Happy Spring! Here are some updates from the Spanish room.

La Clase de Kindergarteners

The kindergarteners have been currently learning the numbers 1-20 followed by the song “Cuenta” (count). They had a great time learning the farm animals too. We are now learning what they want to eat (Quiero___. I want___).  In our circle time continue reviewing the weather, days of the week and numbers.

La Clase de Primer Grado
The First Grade students last month they learned the parts of a penguin and also what penguins do.  This month we learned the farm animals working on the foods using the command: Quiero comer (I want to eat____.) also Me gusta comer___. (I like to eat___.)  They will be creating flash cards that will be sent home to review the vocabulary learned.  Expect to see them come home.

 La Clase de Segundo Grado
The Second Graders will be making flashcards to take home to practice their Spanish vocabulary. You can expect to see the flashcards coming home frequently throughout the rest of the year. They also enjoy using the flashcards for group activities in class. This month the students learned the farm animals and danced and sang with the song Vengan a mi granja                      (Come to my farm). We are also reviewing the numbers, the seasons, and the month of the year with worksheets and songs.

La Clase de Tercer Grado
This month, the Third Graders learned vocabulary about what they like to eat, including fruits, vegetables, and other foods. They will also learn to set the table by learning the Spanish names for all of the utensils needed. The Third Graders are very excited to learn all about the foods because they will be creating a small mercado (market) using a type of clay called “migajon” to make miniature food.

La Clase de Cuarto Grado
This month, the Fourth Grade classes have completed Unit 3 they learned and reviewed the days of the week and added new vocabulary like la proxima semana(next week), el fin de semana(the weekend).  We also talked about going to places: la escuela, la tienda, el museo, el parque etc. including when you do go on different days of the week.  ¿Cuándo vas? When do you go? Now the Fourth Graders will be moving forward to Unit 4 in April.

January Update!

La Clase de Kindergarten

What are the kindergarteners learning this month in Spanish?

We are learning the months of the year with a Spanish song, followed by the seasons.  We will also be learning to vocabulary words for winter such as the following: Tengo frio (I am cold), chimenea, nieve, pala, sueter, botas, hombre de nieve, guantes

 La Clase de Primer Grado

What are the First Graders learning in Spanish?

The students are reviewing the parts of the human body along with the parts of the penguin’s body for comparison. We are also going to practice action verbs that humans perform in addition to those that penguins can do to.  For example, Yo camino (I walk),

El pinguino camina (A penguin walks), etc.

 La Clase de Segundo Grado

This month the Second Graders will learn the animals and learn how to describe their favorite animals.  They will be using adjectives to describe the animals.  They will learn how to ask questions such as: ¿Como es? (What is it like?) and ¿Qué color es? (What color is it?). They will also practice the numbers during an activity that involves catching a beach ball containing numbers.

 La Clase de Tercer Grado

This month the Third Graders will be reviewing vocabulary related to the months of the year and identifying different sporting activities such as the following: I am going to ski (Voy a esquiar), I am going to skate (Voy a patinar), I am going to fish (Voy a pescar).  They will also review and identify the seasons.

La Clase de Cuarto Grado

This month the Fourth Grade classes are practicing questions such as the following: ¿A dónde vas? (Where are you going?), ¿Cuando vas a la…? (When do you go to the..?), using their weekly class schedules. A related activity includes the students walking around in the classroom asking each other similar types of questions.