22 de enero, 2014

Buenos Dias, Padres y parientes, Today was very busy. We started our day with singing in Spanish, counting, practicing the alphabet and its special song, sounds and names of letters, matching pairs of flashcards that have words and pictures, and learning new words of direction: “Arriba, abajo, derecho” ( up, down, straight ). Ursula, the beloved unicorn is back after a stint on Lucy’s Christmas tree, and she was a key player in a game of hide and seek. This time, the children helped us make flash cards for our new letter which is “r”. The put their minds to the new words that use the letters and reviewed previous flash cards. They completed their worksheets, too. “Cabeza, Hombros, Rodillas, y Pies”, “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” is sung with body movements that accompany it! Outside, the children enjoyed “Luz Roja, Luz Verde”, which you may recognize as “Red Light, Green Light”. We really appreciate children staying home when they don’t feel well. It keeps all of us healthier and is especially good for them. Gracias. Some of you ask about your child’s progress with Spanish. One way to learn more about what we are doing with this beautiful and important language is to read the blogs and to have your child show you his/her notebook and the projects they have worked on. I again recommend books from the library with side by side Spanish/English and Tumblebooks from the Santa Cruz Public Library website, so you can listen to the Spanish with your children while expanding their vocabularies and speaking abilities. Hasta miercoles, until Wednesday.

15 de enero, 2014

Estimados padres de los Chiquitos,

We have enjoyed having a new student joining our class. We  are now up to 13 students, all of whom are delightful.  Olivia is fitting right in and is making friends quickly. We continue learning letters, their names and sounds, using work sheets and pairs of cards with pictures on one side, words on the reverse. Our new letters and words build on our previous letters, too. N The kids are very industrious and studious and focus so well! We just have to be careful to not put the crayons, pens, and pencils out too soon, since they pounce on them! Some of their drawings and colorings are extremely creative. We will be learning some new songs with a new CD for Spring.  We start our days with greetings and names and practice the alphabet, too. If you take a look at your child’s notebook, you will see amazing work and play.  Hasta pronto, see you soon!  

8 de enero, 2014!!

Feliz Ano Nuevo, padres y parientes, We were all excited to be back together after a long break! We started our class reviewing songs we know, which we will do each week to reinforce the memory. We also started naming alphabet letters aloud as a group. We sang the Alphabet song, another fun way to strengthen our memories of the alphabet. We added to new letters and worked on our worksheets with letters and words. The new letters are G and O. New words are gota (drop), gato (cat), goma (gum), tio (uncle) and tipo (guy, slang). Our outside time was especially fun and the children played the Lobo game, danced La Raspa (AKA Mexican Hat Dance), and Cabeza, Hombros, Piernas, y Pies, which you all know as Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. The time flew by, and everyone felt happy and satisfied at the end of our first day back in the new year!! We had a new visitor to the class, and we hope she returns.

18 de diciebre,2013

Estimados padres, Today was a big day practicing our song for La Navidad. The children wanted to do a great job and were excited about having a performance and party with Los Chicos I and II. Rocio and I were very proud of the way they gave it their all with joy and enthusiasm. I think they were proud of themselves and loved getting the recognition and appreciation from older kids and teachers.

Valerie brought wonderful treats for us to share. It was a true fiesta!! I hope that the next time we have a special gathering of the class and the important people in your childrens’ lives, you will try to join us if at all possible. The mothers and grandmothers who came had a good time, I think, and were able to see the progress their special children had made. We wished everyone a happy holiday and a Feliz Navidad. Until next year, Senora Lucy and Senora Rocio

11 de diciembre, 2013

11 de diciembre, 2013 Queridos Papas, We have continued our learning of letter names and sounds. Our new letters are: I and T and are new words are tia, pata, papa, and pita. We try to use only new words that use letters we have learned and whatever new letters we add. Each class we review cumulative letters and words, while adding new ones.The children practiced writing and saying the new letters and words. We talked about the upcoming holidays and the vacation break. We like to bring new books in when we talk about a new theme: Thanksgiving, parts of the body, Winter holidays, etc. Some are in Spanish, some in English, and some are bilingual. We have started to learn another new song named Blanca Navidad. We also like to listen to our CD of songs in Spanish. Next week will be special since we will have a party and a performance with the older classes. Hasta pronto!