| Grade | |
| PK | This term, students in prekindergarten learned several songs in the target language (Buenos días; Tengo hambre; Queremos bailar; Te amo; Adiós, amigos); were introduced to numerous stuffed animals from the Spanish room; practiced responding to action commands; listened to stories; and participated in class conversations. Because the class is 100% immersion, each student picks up different vocabulary each day, and may or may not share those words at home. Please keep in mind that the focus at this stage is comprehension—any verbal production is going above and beyond! Gracias for a great quarter. |
| K | This term, students in kindergarten met several of the most popular stuffed animals in the Spanish room, including Pato/Duck, Oso/Bear, and Changuito/Monkey. Over time, kindergarteners began to understand that the stuffed animals are silly—quite silly, indeed: Changuito is constantly hiding, Pato wears a sock for pajamas and a nightcap, and Oso tries to sneak in a nap whenever possible. As a result, most classes begin with a humorous mini-story that naturally leads into a hands-on class activity—e.g., disappearing ink, vinegar volcanoes, dyed paper, a REAL egg whose fate was to be smashed, floating and sinking objects, monsters, art projects, etc. In-between activities, students jam to the theme-song from Rompe Ralph (Wreck-It Ralph) and watch Pocoyó. Gracias for a great quarter. |
| 1 | This term, students in first grade read and translated the daily letter from Pato, learning which ‘islas/islands’—[read: activity centers]—were open that day. First graders then submitted written requests expressing what they wanted to do. As a constantly changing mix of toys spark students’ imaginations, the archipelago comes alive with creativity and authentic linguistic exchanges between teacher and students. It should also be noted that they are all hard-core fans of the silly song, “¿Puedo ir al baño?” (Can I go to the bathroom?). Gracias for a great quarter. |
| 2 | This term, students in second grade read and translated the daily letter from Pato; responded to the stuffed-animal duck in their class notebooks; rehearsed and presented silly mini-conversations in the target language with puppets; chose individualized fruit or vegetable passwords; were introduced to the Merengue, Salsa, and Tango ballroom dances; played a hot/cold type of game called “Busca el murciélago” (Look for the bat); and jammed to various beginning-of-class tunes, including Madre Tierra/Mother Earth and ¡PAN! (BREAD!). Gracias for a great quarter. |
| 3 | This term, students in third grade discussed how ‘language is a sport for your mouth’, as phonetics is a major part of the third grade curriculum. Students also worked on memorizing several tongue twisters in the target language; chose Spanish names and Inside-Out passwords; made replicas of Easter Island Moai statues out of clay; told two class stories with student-actors; saw pictures of La Alhambra in Spain and Iguazu Falls in Argentina; and were delighted by a video about accents (Amy Walker). Gracias for a great quarter. |
| 4 | This term, students in fourth grade excitedly delved into the task of creating their own pueblo/town. A typical day consists of students striving to use the language in a variety of meaningful contexts and situations. As a result, the learning environment tends to be more boisterous than not, but in a lively, jovial sort of way, where fourth graders spend their time traveling to the bank, taking out money, working at the local shops, buying, selling, bargaining, trading, and occasionally employing ‘frantic gesturing’ when they find themselves unable to recall vocabulary or simplify an idea. Gracias for a great quarter. |
| 5 | This term, students in fifth grade spent the bulk of their time immersed in the target language and ‘The Art of Storytelling’. Accordingly, students mixed culture and creative imaginations to create numerous class story-plays with student actors. From a cockroach/la-cu-ca-ra-cha who stole instruments from a Mariachi band and a peccary who lives in Costa Rica, to a microscopic world and an upset guinea pig (Oreo—canta, no llores/sing, don’t cry), the linguistic journey never ceases to be original. Gracias for a great quarter. Also, please mark your calendars: May 20, 2016 @1:45pm is the end-of-the-year Fifth Grade Spanish Program and a must-see! |