December 4, 2013

Hola, Padres, Last Wednesday was a fantastic and busy day for your children! They organized their cuadernos, their notebooks, and have a lot of new take-home materials which are all activities we have worked on so far this year. Perhaps some of them will entertain your chiquito during the long holiday break. Speaking of the Break, we only have two more Wednesdays until January. Another exciting milestone for our Spanish class was completing a worksheet with the letters A, M, and P. The children practiced the sounds of these letters in Spanish and learned some new words using just those letters. You will find the sheet in their cuadernos. They can practice Mama, Papa, and ama, as well as mapa with Spanish pronunciation! We will add letters and words in the coming sessions. It is a privilege and pleasure to work and play with your children. Gracias, padres! Lucy

November 20, 2013

Hola, padres de los chiquitos! Today we had a conversation about what we give thanks for, and the children listed their parents, relatives and friends, and pets, first and foremost. Some children said they are thankful for the earth, la tierra. We sent a paper home that they can add to if you like. By the way, the word for parents is los padres, the word for relatives is los parientes, and la mascota is the word for pet. The children drew pictures of things that they feel grateful for. La lluvia means rain and they were excited about it, but a bit disappointed, that they could not go outside. We listened to music about El Pavo, the turkey, and they have a picture that they can color at home that shows un pavo grande! The day ended with a story told in English and then Spanish about what we are grateful for. Sometimes just hearing a language is helpful, even if every word isn’t understood. So, hearing stories and listening to music in Spanish is a great way to add vocabulary and to accustom the child’s ear to the sounds of Spanish. Have a beautiful “Dia de Accion de Gracias”. We will see each other again on the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. Senora Lucy

Balance statement

Dear Parents,

Today, I sent out with your children the balance statements for the year. Please look for it in your child's binder.

Thank you and HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
Valérie

November 13, 2013

We had an extensive review session the other day at class. The chiquitos really made an effort and did a good job. One parent has reported that her daughter likes the flash cards we sent home. If you child didn’t receive them, let us know. We played outside a lot in the beautiful day. The new project of the day was to learn the Spanish words for the parts of the face and head: la cabeza, the head, los ojos , the eyes, la nariz, the nose, las orejas, the ears, la boca, the mouth, los dientes, the teeth, and el pelo, the hair. They have copies of the words and the faces. If you have a three-hole punch at home, they can put their papers in their binders. Otherwise, we will spend some time next time catching up on that. This week we will talk about El Dia de la Accion de Gracias and will brainstorm what we are thankful for. We may learn some food names and will listen to songs about Thanksgiving. Senora Lucy

November 6, 2013

A busy afternoon was spent making flash cards for greetings.   The children cut out flashcards in Spanish and in the corresponding English and decorated envelopes to put their practice cards in.  They can practice with these at home.   We read The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Spanish and learned a new  fingerplay  which uses family vocabulary in Spanish.  Review is essential  when learning a language, and we will be continuing to add new  challenges while reviewing  phrases and vocabulary. We talked about all kinds of families throughout the  world, and looked at pictures of Guatemalan children and located the country on the map.  In the coming days we will talk about what we are grateful for, as well as the names of our facial features:  cejas (eyebrows),  ojos (eyes),  orejas (ears),  nariz (nose), and  boca  (mouth).  Hasta miercoles, chiquitos! 

Senora Lucy

October 30, 2013

As you can imagine, parents, our class was delightful: we combined the concepts of family members and pets whom we love and those loved ones who have passed away. The chiquitos brought pictures of their families and grandparents and shared about them. They also brought gifts and mementos from their grandparents. We shared hot chocolate with cinnamon and a bit of almond flavor, which is a festive drink associated with the holiday of Dia de los Muertos in Mexico. After making creative masks, the children wore funny hats and paraded around the room. It was a sweet combination of Halloween and All Saints Day. Thanks, parents, for following up by sending the requested items. Your children are very special!! I will make a vocabulary list of all the words and send home coloring and practice sheets. We will review our songs in class. You can help your children by enjoying the CD and the song and chant sheets. Senora Lucy

October 23, 2013

Buenos Dias, Padres, Autumn has blessed us with some beautiful days. The children enjoyed drawing pictures of their families for their binders and folders. We are learning family words like “padre, madre, hermano, hermana, and abuelo and abuela. In the spirit of Fall and Halloween we are learning the Jack o’lantern song and Five Little Pumpkins (Calabaza and Cinco Calabacitas). I will make sure the children have their take-homes with the songs so they can practice. Outside, we played a new game involving El Lobo, the Wolf, a very spirited tag game. The children shared a moment with my ceramic jack o’lantern, with the lights turned down low. The children shared about their costumes for Halloween. For next time, please bring a fun hat for our parade outside. We will make masks out of paper plates and drink Mexican hot chocolate. Please keep it a secret?! Also, if your child has a loved one who is no longer with us, please help him/her find a souvenir, special photo, or object that reminds your family of a beloved relative. I am going to bring a photo of my grandma and her soup ladle. This will be our way of honoring family and friends for Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead, a very important fiesta day in Mexico and other Central American countries. Senora Lucy