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