Monday, October 31, 2011

Esta Semana en la Clase de Español...

4th grade parents:
Dear 4th grade parents,
This Thursday and Friday at 2:45 are the LAST two meetings for information about the trip to Puerto Rico. Please come to the Spanish room (K-1) in the Kindergarten wing. If you cannot attend, email me at bbp@shorecrest.org and/or visit my blog and click on the 'Vamos a Puerto Rico' page. ¡Gracias to those who have signed up!
You can use your frequent flier miles on this trip!!

Celebrating El Día de los Muertos November 1st-2nd
1st-4th graders: tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday will be celebrating El Día de los muertos when we discuss a loved one or a pet who has passed away.

The Fourth graders are making 'Papel picado' a form of paper decoration very popular in Hispanic festivities.

3rd and 2nd made their own depictions of Halloween symbols (el gato negro, el fantásma, la bruja, el murciélago, la calabaza con cara, la araña) which were then taped together and laminated, so that they could take it home and hang it for future admiration of their work at this moment in time.

1st graders will be going outside next week as we reinforce their "word of the week - HOJAS. We will be collecting hojas!
Gracias.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Esta Semana en la Clase de Español...

The excitement of our 4th grade trip to Puerto Rico was impressive last week. The first information session was offered today at 2:45 with more specific details about the trip.

NOTE: You may use Frequent Flyer Miles for this trip. If you wish to do so, simply add the Name of the person who owns the FFM not of the passenger using them...you can call me or email me so that I can explain further.

June is already filling up quickly for the tour company, therefore, we would like to get the first 30 people to sign up by November 18th in order to reserve the first week in June.

The next information session will be this Friday at 8:00 a.m. (just before Fall Festival) in my Spanish classroom for parents who could not be present at today's meeting. Mr. Murphy and Dr. Bianco are thrilled that we can offer this amazing opportunity to your child at this early stage in their Spanish education.

Art project relating to Halloween:
We are practicing how to say "I need"...Necesito. So they have had to ask for what they need. For example..."necesito papel blanco para cortar el fantásma" (I need white paper to cut the ghost)...this is also the word we use when we need help at calendar..."necesito ayuda" (I need help)...or when trying to tie a shoe lace (for the younger ones :-) )

They don't know it but they are conjugating a verb. I would first ask ¿qué necesitas? (what do you need?) another way of conjugating the same verb. This is important because in Spanish there are rules for certain ending verbs. This one is an 'ar' verb because the root word is "necesitar" (to need), therefore, all other verbs that end in 'ar' will follow the same rules.
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4th and 3rd grade is continuing their recordings and making a Halloween art project in-house. They had to ask for specific things during the project, which gave everyone the opportunity to speak Spanish. It is impressive to see how quickly the 4th graders can get through this exercise. Several of them did not even need to look at the board to know what to say!

2nd graders art project resembled that of the 3rd graders...they had to come to me individually and tell me what they needed, but at a slower pace. 1st graders were not left behind with an art project. They made the "Libro de el día de los muertos" (book), and I hope that you will take the time to listen to your child read it to you!
REMEMBER:
FRIDAY MORNING PUERTO RICO TRIP INFO SESSION #2, AT 8:00 MY ROOM

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Esta Semana en la Clase de Español...

The 4th graders have begun to record their voices while reading "Todo de Mí" (All about me). It is amazing, and fun to hear their voices in Spanish.

3rd graders are finishing up writing the "question & answer" cards. They worked with a team mate, then shared with the class. Public speaking is being taught in Spanish class!

2nd and 1st graders are beginning to decorate my classroom with items for "El Día de las Brujas" (Halloween) such as "la calabaza con cara, el fantásma, el gato negro, y la bruja". For 2nd graders it was a process which included having the student tell me in Spanish "Yo quiero cortar el gato negro", (I want to cut the black cat), at which time I would hand them a piece of construction paper, then they had to say "gracias", manners, manners, manners!