THIRD GRADE UPDATE 11/17: HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Last Friday was a big day for our Spanish students. Mrs. Rosario was lovely in her bright yellow Flamenco dress, as she performed seven different Spanish dances for our students. The children were impressed by her heal-tapping and by the sounds she made with her castanets. They were also able to recognize many of the items they had studied during the fall: the castanets, the mantón (shawl) and the pericón (dance fan).

This week many of the students have been writing and illustrating thank you letters to Mrs. Rosario. They've also been making Guatemalan friendship bracelets to give to their families and friends over the holidays. Like Rosita in the story "A Gift for Abuela," they've been weaving all their good wishes into their bracelets...

"¡GRACIAS!" for all the support you've given your children this year, and have a "FELIZ" holiday and a "FANTÁSTICO" New Year!! Sra. Starr

FOURTH GR 12/18: HOLIDAY READING

Dear parents and guardians,

I'm sending your child's Spanish folder home with her/him over the holiday.

Please ask your child to read the introduction to his/her story to you in Spanish. The students are so proud of the reading they've done in class, that I'm sure they'd like to share the introduction to their story with you!

Mrs. Starr

FOURTH GR 12/17: AT-HOME SPEAKING PRACTICE

Dear Parents,
Please help your child to practice answering the following Spanish questions at home.
I've spelled the syllables of each Spanish word in English for you. I know that trying to say the questions to your child may initially feel daunting, but it's my feeling that your child will recognize the sounds. These are all questions that your child has rehearsed in class. If you should have any questions about this activity, please don't hesitate to send me an e-mail.

Since I plan to assess the students on their ability to answer these questions during the rest of the year, I would very much appreciate your at-home help.
"GRACIAS" AND HAVE A SUPER HOLIDAY!

SPANISH QUESTIONS TO PRACTICE ANSWERING AT HOME

1. ¿Coe-moe teh yamas? What’s your name?

Meh yamoh ________________. My name is ____________.

2, ¿Coo-ahn-tohs ah-nee-oss tee-eh-ness? How old are you _____________.

Ten-goh ______________ ah-nee-oss. I’m ___________ years old.

Ages: see-eh-teh (seven), oh-choh (eight), noo-eh-veh (nine), dee-ess (ten),
ohn-seh (eleven)

3. ¿Coo-all ehss too coe-lor fav-oh-ree-toh? What’s your favorite color?

Mee coe-lor fav-oh-ree-toh ess ________________.

My favorite color is ___________________.

Colors: roe-ho (red), ahss-ool (blue), ah-mah-ree-yo (yellow), vehr-deh (green), rroh-sah (pink), moh-rah-doh (purple), blahn-coh (white), neh-groh (black)

4.¿Keh ahss-ess ehn lah clah-sseh deh ess-spah-nee-ohll?

What do you do in Spanish class?

_________________ ehn lah clah-sseh deh ess-spah-nee-ohll.

Ex: "I talk" in Spanish class.

Activity verbs to insert in the blank:

Ah-bloh: I speak

Ess-cree-boh: I write

Leh-oh: I read

Ess-too-dee-oh: I study

Kah-mee-noh: I walk

Bah-ee-loh: I dance

Coh-moh: I eat

FOURTH GR UPDATE: DEC. 16, 2009

STORY WRITING AND READING:
The Fourth Grade has done a tremendous job of writing the introductions to their stories! I'm very pleased with the creativity they've shown in interpreting the pictures I've asked them to use for inspirtation. The students will be working on the different parts of their stories throughout the coming months and reading these out loud in front of the class.
STORY READING:
After the students have written the different components of their stories(introduction, body and conclusion), I've asked them to read these to the class. The students have worked very hard not only on their writing, but also on their reading. They've done this by reading their introductions back and forth to a partner. With my supervision, they've been able to work on their Spanish pronuciation and how to use verbs when writing about another person.
CELEBRATIONS:
The students have enjoyed their classmates' story-introductions while eating plantain chips and pretzels. This lead to fun discussions about Plantains and all the different types of bananas that are eaten in Latin America!
LOCATION WORDS/AT HOME SUPPORT:
Recently, the students took an Evaluation (Quiz) on location words. Although most of the kids know these words very well, please go over them routinely at home so they won't forget them. SUGGESTIONS: ASK THEM TO TAKE A FAVORITE ITEM (BOOK, STUFFED ANIMAL, ETC.) AND TELL YOU WHERE IT'S LOCATED IN RELATION TO ANOTHER HOUSEHOLD ITEM. THEY CAN ALSO TELL YOU WHERE THEY THEMSELVES ARE IN RELATION TO THE LIVING ROOM FURNITURE. ¡BUENA SUERTE!/GOOD LUCK!

DEBAJO DE - UNDERNEATH
JUNTO A - NEXT TO
DELANTE DE - IN FRONT OF
ENCIMA DE - ON TOP OF
EN MEDIO DE - IN THE MIDDLE OF (AS IN THE MIDDLE OF A CIRCLE)
DETRáS DE - BEHIND
ENTRE - IN BETWEEN (AS IN BETWEEN TWO OBJECTS)
EN - "IN" OR "ON"

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR CHILDREN AND HAVE A FANTASTIC HOLIDAY!!!
MRS. STARR : )

THIRD GRADE UPDATE: 12/3/09

FLAMENCO PERFORMANCE:

On Friday, December 11th. Yanina Rosario will be demonstrating Flamenco dance to the Lower Division’s Second and Third Grades. Sra. Rosario, who is originally from Puerto Rico, is a dance instructor at the Patel Conservatory of The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. The 45 minute presentation is based on the Flamenco unit which the Third Grade studied during the fall. This promises to be a colorful and interactive performance!

SELF EVALUATION NEXT WEEK:

This week the third graders have enjoyed asking and answering about their classmate’s food preferences. The foods have been divided into breakfast, lunch and dinner items which have been printed onto cards. The students organized the cards by meaning and took turns asking each other: “¿Qué quieres comer?” In next week’s evaluation the students will be asked to write the correct corresponding food item under the headings for “desayuno,” “almuerzo,” and “cena.” The Spanish words will be written on the board for them to copy. ¡Buena suerte! (Good luck!)

Evaluation Days:

Mrs. Hensler: Wednesday, Dec. 9th.
Mr. Wolfrath: Thursday, Dec. 10th.
Mrs. LaDuke: Friday, Dec. 11th.

FOURTH GR. UPDATE: 12/4/09

¡Bienvenidos!(Welcome Back!):
I hope you've all had a relaxing and fun Thanksgiving break. It was great seeing the kids again, and listening to their stories about the many ways they and their families have been practicing Spanish outside of the classroom. This is exciting news for me, since speaking Spanish outside of school is a wonderful way for students to apply their knowledge in a real-life context. So many of the students are surprised and pleased to know that "Hey! This stuff really works!" or "I said "Hola" and he said "Hola" back, and now I'm teaching him English and he's teaching me Spanish!" Thanks to all of you for making these experiences possible for you children.

A New Name for Quizzes:
In order to promote a sense of ownership and a comfortable atmosphere during quiz- taking, I've decided to rename quizzes "self evaluations."

SELF EVALUATION NEXT WEEK:
Next week's self evaluation will be on the location words (Prepositions). You'll find these words/phrases listed at the bottom of the vocabulary list I posted before the break. A good way to practice for the self evaluation, is to ask your child to hide a favorite item somewhere in the house and to play a "Hot" and "Cold" game to find the item. The word for "Hot" in Spanish is "Caliente" and the word for "Cold" is "Frío!"

Evaluation Days:
Mr. Hughes: Wed., December 9
Ms. Tucker: Th., December 10
Ms. Lemmon and Mr. Lee: Fr., December 11

¡Hasta la vista!
Sra. Starr : )

NOV. 2O: VOCAB. TO REVIEW FOURTH GRADE

Here's a list of many of the words the fourth graders have been learning to use. Using the "Creativity Cards" they've made sentences in groups on the board, read them out loud, and then written ther own sentences. These list can be cut and pasted into a word document, enlarged, and cut up for flash cards or to assemble into sentences on a flat surface. ¡"Hasta la vista" and have a wonderful Thanksgiving break! Señora Starr

Subjects:
Antonio
Rosa
el perro
el maestro
Señora Lopez

Verbs:
habla-he talks
lee-she reads
juega-he plays
escribe-she writes
mira-he looks
trabaja-she works
tiene-he has
quiere-she wants
le gusta- he likes

Places:
la biblioteca-the library
la tienda-the store
el parque-the park
la piscina-the pool
la escuela-the school

Things:
el cuaderno azul-the blue notebook
la pelota amarilla-the yellow ball
el lápiz rojo-the read pencil
la bicicleta verde-the green bicycle

Connectors:
con-with
y-and

Belonging:
de-belonging to (also means "of")

Location:
en: in/at
entre: in between (as in between two things)
en medio de: in the middle of (as in the middle of a circle)
junto a: next to
encima de: on top of
debajo de: underneath
delante de: in front of
detrás de: behind

NOV. 2O: VOCAB. TO REVIEW FOURTH GRADE

¡Hola padres! (Hello parents!)
I would love to see our kids reviewing their vocabulary at home on a regular basis. I've been asking the fourth graders to come up with some fun ways to do this. Here are their ideas: (PS: Have a super Thanksgiving!)

1. Tape a list of words to learn on the wall. Play a favorite family game (one where you earn points) and every time someone wins, they have to say the word and its meaning to get the point.
2. Put signs at the entrance to your room and every time you go in, you say one of the words.
3. Play a game of Charades and act out the words.
4. Have relay races with friends where the word's written down and the first one to say the word, gets a point.
5. Make flashcards and have a parent quiz you (play music in the background).
6. Make up a song, a dance or a cheer with the words and perform them for your family.

NOV. 2O: NEW VOCAB. FOR THIRD GRADE

¡Hola padres! (Hello parents!)

The following is a list of the vocabulary your children will be learning after the Thanksgiving break. "Perfecto" for going over with them at the dinner table or on the way to grandma's. I wish you all an enjoyable and safe holiday!

LAS COMIDAS – FOODS
¿Qué quieres comer? What would you like to eat?
Quiero comer __________. I want to eat __________.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

EL DESAYUNO THE BREAKFAST
LA LECHE THE MILK
EL CEREAL THE CEREAL
EL PAN TOSTADO THE TOAST
EL JUGO DE NARANJA THE ORANGE JUICE


EL ALMUERZO THE LUNCH
LA SOPA THE SOUP
LAS GALLETAS THE CRACKERS
EL QUESO THE CHEESE
EL SÁNDWICH THE SANDWICH


LA CENA THE DINNER
LA CARNE THE MEAT
LA PAPA THE POTATO
EL PESCADO THE FISH
LAS ZANAHORIAS THE CARROTS

FOURTH GRADE UPDATE: 11/19/09

SPANISH STORIES:
I've so enjoyed watching my students learn new vocabulary and grammar as they've been writing a story about a boy with a mouse problem. The students are now finished writing the introductions to their stories, and have started to read their intros to the class. Some have also taken their Spanish notebooks home to practice reading out loud at home.

Reminder to the families of those who've taken their folders home:

Please remind your child to bring his Spanish folder to class next week.

Gracias,
Sra. Starr

FOURTH GRADE UPDATE: 11/17/09

After listening to some of the students read their Hispanic Heritage paragraphs to the class, the kids used the magnetic visual cards to compose and read sentences on the board. This was done at first individually, then in pairs, and finally as pairs racing against each other. This activity was later extended into writing when the students combined words for people, verbs, objects, connectors and location words, to write logical sentences. I was so impressed when I saw how much fun the kids had making longer and more elaborate sentences to present to their classmates!

In order to create a sense of ownership in my students, I asked them to come up with a new name for the visual cards. After much discussion and voting, the students have decided to call them “Creativity Cards.”

Thereafter, the kids sang the "Noviembre" song and I began reading my translation of the book “The Madrid of the Asturias as told to Children.” This is a children’s book I picked up in Spain last summer, which uses fantasy to teach young people about Velazquez’ famous painting “Las meninas (The Ladies in Waiting),” and to also teach the history of Spain’s capital. You may want to ask your child about the whereabouts of the dog “Salomón” from the painting…

Most recently, I’ve given the students four unusual pictures to use as illustrations for a story that they are writing in Spanish. The students have been asked to write an introduction, a body and a conclusion to their story which they will also present to the class.

The kids have also been given Question Word cards to put stickers on when they use question words in class. These words are:

Qué
Quién
Cómo
Dónde
Cuándo
Por qué

Our next unit will be on words for different places in our community and how to ask and say where one is going. ¡Hasta la vista!

THIRD GRADE UPDATE 11/17: Self Evaluations this Week

After presenting their wonderful Flamenco Drawings to the class, the students enjoyed singing the Señor Huesos (Mr. Bones) song and doing a coloring activity in preparation for the Fall Festival celebrations. Thereafter, I read “A Gift for Abuelita” to them, which is the touching story of the loving relationship between a little Mexican girl and her grandmother. In the story Rosita braids a beautiful bracelet to be presented to her grandmother on the Day of the Dead, which is a traditional children's holiday in Mexico. The students then wrote a paragraph about the story, and returned to writing more sentences with the rooms of the house vocabulary.

I’m now helping the children to learn words that describe a table's place-setting. They’ve been doing this by practicing the commands: "Pon" (Place/Put) and "Quita" (Remove/Take away)combined with the new vocabulary. The students have been asking each other to place and remove the objects using real plastic utensils, napkins and plates. I've enjoyed listening to each of my students as I've evaluated their understanding and pronunciation during their activity.

SELF EVALUATION:
These are the words which I’d like to see your child practicing at home for their self evaluation this week (Mrs. Hensler’s class: Wednesday, 11/18, Mr. Wolfrath's class: Thursday, 11/19, Mrs. LaDuke's class: Friday, 11/20.):

Pon (Place/Put)
Quita (Remove/Take away)
El tenedor – the fork
El cuchillo – the knife
La cuchara – the spoon
La servilleta – the napkin
El vaso – the glass
El plato – the plate

FOURTH GRADE UPDATE: OCT. 17

After playing a challenging relay race about famous Hispanic Americans, the Spanish students returned to learning prepositions by playing “Where is Frida Kahlo?”

The prepositions of location they’ve practiced thus far are:

junto a – next to
entre – between
en medio de – in the middle of (as in the middle of a circle)
delante de – infront of
detrás de – behind the
encima de – on top of
debajo de – under the

After reviewing these words, students were introduced to the parts of the sentence and composed, individually or in teams, sentences using magnetic visual cards (“Symtalk”). It was fascinating to see the class analyze the sentences their classmates had made and if needed, find ways to correct, lengthen or minimize a sentence!

Many of the fourth graders have recently started a writing activity where they identify Spanish words to combine into original sentences of their own.
The students have also gone over their latest quiz, and enjoyed reading their homework paragraphs to their classmates.

I found their paragraphs both enjoyable to read and very informative.

THIRD GRADE UPDATE: OCT. 17

After taking their quiz the third graders began exploring one of Spain and Latin America’s most traditional dance forms – Flamenco!

As an introduction to Flamenco the students experimented with some different sound patterns on the castanets. The kids loved making up new tapping patterns, and were especially thrilled to demonstrate their own made-up patterns for the class. The students then saw an authentic Flamenco dress and accessories, before being asked to imagine going on a visit to a Flamenco store. As they watched a film about the dance, they practiced repeating the phrase “I’d like to buy ________.,” which in Spanish is:

“Yo quisiera comprar ______________. “ (yoh-key-sea-eh-rah-comp-rar)

Of the many vocabulary words introduced were:

tela – cloth
una tela con lunares – a polka-dotted cloth
un vestido - a dress
una falda – a skirt
una falda con volantes – a ruffled skirt
un pico – a flamenco scarf
un mantón – a flamenco shawl
un abanico – a fan
un pericón – a dance fan
unas castañuelas – some castanets
unos palillos – some background castanets (not for dancing)
una peineta – a decorative hair comb
una mantilla – a lace veil
unos pantalones – some pants
un bolero – a bolero jacket
un sombrero – a hat
una faja – a sash

Many of the students have started to draw pictures of Flamenco dancers which they’ll be asked to label and present to their class. Oh! I almost forgot to mention that the dance they've been learning about is called “Flamenco,” and not “Flamingo! You may want to go over this with your child. ; )

THIRD GRADE HOMEWORK OCT. 2

For our second meeting day of next week, I'd like the students to return a slip that I will have sent home with them. The slip should have the signature of a parent or guardian stating that their child has been on the Spanish Blog, and viewed the picture of the Royal Palace of Spain, situated in Madrid.

¡Gracias por su gran apoyo! (Thank you for your wonderful support!)

Señora Starr

FOURTH GRADE HOMEWORK: OCT. 2

I'm also very proud of my fouth grade students performance on the Definite Articles quiz. It looks as if I'll be making future quizzes more of a challenge! : )

I'm asking the students to write two paragraphs in English for our second meeting day next week. In the first paragraph, I've asked them to write six sentences answering basic questions about three famous Hispanic/Latino people.

1. Sonia Sotomayor
2. Fernando Valenzuela
3. José Feliciano

In the second paragraph I'd like the students to say whether or not they'd like to have that person's job and why. The paragraph should be about five sentences long.

For Sonia Sotomayor, the students may have to do some of their research on the internet.

¡Hasta pronto! (See you/Talk to you soon!)
Señora Starr

Third Grade Quiz

I'm so proud of the third graders progress in reading and writing in Spanish!
With Lazaro's help and the use of magnetic visual cards, the students have learned the verbs "hablo" I talk, "como" I eat, and "juego" I play. They've learned to use "no" placed before the verb to indicate that they don't perform a particular action.

Example: No hablo. I don't talk.

By adding the preposition "en (in)," they can state the place in which they talk or don't talk.

Example: Hablo en el comedor. I talk in the dining room.
No hablo en el atico. I don't talk in the attic.

The kids have been practicing reading and writing the sentences, which they first made themselves by using the magnetic cards on the board.

I plan on quizing them on the rooms of the house vocabulary on the following days of next week. Please see the update of Sept. 28th. for a list of the vocabulary. They only need to know the meanings, not how to spell the words. Sra. Starr

Hensler: Wednesday, Oct. 7
Wolfrath: Thursday, Oct. 8
LaDuke: Friday, Oct. 9

Hispanic American Heritage Month: 3rd. & 4th.

Established in 1989, Hispanic American Heritage Month is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the diverse Hispanic Cultures existing within our communities. This celebration is observed each year from September 15 to October 15, when many Latin American countries celebrate their independence.

The Fourth Grade has begun this month's celebrations by discussing the United States as a "melting pot" of cultures and nationalities. The kids kicked off our celebration by sharing some of the nationalities that have gone into making their families uniquely American. Of the nationalities I've heard so far are included: Polish, Spanish, German, African, Chinese, Russian and French.

The Third Grade will start their celebration after they've been quizzed on the rooms of the house. Their celebration will start with learning how to play the Spanish "castanets!"

FOURTH GRADE QUIZ DAYS WK. OF SEPT. 28

¡Hola!

Please scroll down to view the quiz days for this week.

Sra. Starr

The Royal Palace in Madrid

Hey kids!

The Spanish Palace

Did you know that some countries have Kings and Queens? Spain does! This the palace where they meet important people from other countries. So... if our president were to visit King Juan Carlos of Spain, he'd have dinner with him in this beautiful building.

Señora Starr

PS: I'm glad the test worked and you could see this picture!

The Royal Palace in Madrid - Test

THIRD GRADE VOCABULARY WORDS SEPTEMBER 28

¡Hola!

The third graders are now writing sentences using the new verbs they've learned and the following words that describe the rooms of the house. If you'd like to play a game of concentration, charades or make flash cards of the words with your child, that would be a great way to reinforce what she or he is learning in my class!

The Rooms of the House

el cuarto/the room
el dormitorio/the bedroom
la sala/the living room
el comedor/the dining room
el ático/the attic
el sótano/the basement
la cocina/the kitchen

¡Buena suerte!
Señora Starr : )

FOURTH GRADE UPDATE 9/28-QUIZ DAYS THIS WEEK

The fourth grade will be having their quiz on the following days this week.:

Tucker: Thursday, October 1.
Hughes: Thursday, October 1.
Lemon: Monday, October 5. (Due to conflict with other quizes on Oct. 2.)
Lee: Friday, October 2.

I'll be asking the students to bring their Spanish notebooks home with them this week. Please be on the look-out for these, because the kids' study materials for the quiz are in the pockets of their notebooks. Your child will need the mix and match papers that are inside their zip-lock bags and the hand-out on Definite Articles. You can help your child to study by writing one of the following words listed below on a piece of paper and seeing how quickly he or she matches the article (el,la, los, and las) to the word. Have fun playing "¡Palabras locas!(Crazy words!)"

Here are the words that're in the ziplock. I'll only be selecting ten words for the quiz. STUDENTS DON'T NEED TO LEARN THESE WORDS, NOR HOW TO SPELL THEM. THEY ONLY NEED TO KNOW HOW TO MATCH "EL","LA","LOS", AND "LAS" WITH THEM.

techo/roof (el)
techos/roofs (los)
puerta/door (la)
puertas/doors (las)
ventana/window (la)
ventanas/windows (las)
patio/patio (el)
patios/patios (los)
jardín/garden (el)
jardines/gardens (los)
casa/house (la)
casas/houses (las)
canario/canary (el)
canarios/canaries (los)
lagarto/lizard (el)
lagartos/lizards (los)
jaula/cage (la)
jaulas/cages (las)
tortuga/turtle (la)
tortugas/turtles (las)
tenedor/fork (el)
tenedores/forks (los)
tortuga/turtle (la)
tortugas/turtles (las)
cuchara/spoon (la)
cucharas/spoons (las)
cuchillo/knife (el)
cuchillos/knives (los)
mariposa/butterfly (la)
mariposas/butterflies (las)
árbol/tree (el)
árboles/trees (los)
canasta/basket (la)
canastas/baskets (las)
hormiga/ant (la)
hormigas/ants (las)
maestro/male teacher (el)
maestra/female teacher (la)
mapa/map (el) THE BIG EXCEPTION!
mapas/maps (los)ANOTHER EXCEPTION!
lápiz/pencil (el)
lápices/pencils (los)
cuaderno/notebook (el)
cuadernos/notebooks (los)

THIRD GRADE UPDATE SEPTEMBER 23

Our puppet friend Lázaro, has taught the third graders three new phrases for actions.These are "I talk," "I play," and "I eat" (Hablo, juego, como). Using the magnetic Symtalk cards, the students have started to form sentences incorporating the parts of the house which they'v learned. The students have also learned to place the word "no" in front of an action to express negation. Ex. No hablo. I don't talk.

International Peace Day (Monday) was also discussed in our class, and the kids discussed ways in which they could make their communities a more peaceful place. We finished our discussion by shaking maracas North, South, East, and West, as a way of wishing peace throughout the world.

The students have also enjoyed listening to an excerpt from the bilingual book "My Diary from Here to There." Listening to the sounds made in both English and Spanish helped the children to compare and contrast the two languages. Currently I'm teaching the kids about the different rooms of the house, and they'll soon be making new sentences with these words.

FOURTH GRADE UPDATE 9/23

The students have been learning about the Definite Articles el, la, los, and las and when these are used. They've also learned that certain nouns that describe occupations, some animals, and family members, change their endings to masculine(-o) or feminine(-a). Not all the nouns(person, place, or thing) do this, and there are always exceptions to the rule! To learn about the endings, the fourth graders have completed two written assignments, and had a lot of fun competing in the "Palabras Locas" game. In the game, they match el, la, los, and las as quickly as they can to earn a point against another team.
UPCOMING QUIZ: The students will be quizzed on the definite articles next week. I'll have the days posted for you as soon as I hear from their classroom teachers.
NOW: The kids have started learning about the prepositions of location, and will be writing sentences using the magnetic Symtalk cards.

Third Grade Update Wk. of September 7

The Third Grade Update for the week of September 7th, is underneath the Fourth Grade Update.
¡Adiós!
Señora Starr

Fourth Grade Clarification for Song Lyrics

When viewing or downloading the new "Buenos días" song do as follows:
1. Click on the Lingo Tech link.
2. Find the section heading: Lyrics, Lyrics, Lyrics
3. Click on the second link under this heading: Download "Tune in to Español Lyrics."
Enjoy!

Fourth Grade Spanish Update: Wk. of September Seven

Last Week: The students may have found remembering some of last year’s Spanish initially challenging, but by the end of the week they were again counting and using math terms, telling time, and saying the words for pets and good manners.

This Week: The fourth graders will be learning a new class warm-up song. If you’d like to sing the song with your child, you can view the lyrics by going to the links section of the Spanish blog, click on “Lingo Tech,” then on “Lyrics, Lyrics, Lyrics,” and scroll to “Unit 2: Buenos días.” We’ll also be reading about Nobel Laureate Gabriela Mistral and playing the “Palabras Locas” matching game. This game will help the students better understand the use of the definite articles: "el","los","la" and "las."

Spanish Update: Week of September Seven

At the beginning of last week the students were introduced to Lázaro the puppet, who asked them how they were. They enjoyed answering him in Spanish and were amazed by his silly antics! The students then played Simon-Says with some new class requests (show me, draw, turn around, touch your head…) and drew the parts of the house. They concluded the week by playing a relay race to help them learn the parts of the new words.
This week the third graders will play a game with self-made flashcards to further reinforce their knowledge of the parts of the house (see vocabulary below). The students will then be quizzed on these this week (Wolfrath, LaDuke) and next week (Hensler). Please review the new vocabulary with your child and note the quiz dates are below. ¡Gracias!

House Vocabulary:
La casa – The house
El techo – the roof
La puerta – the door
La ventana – the window
El jardín – the garden
El garage –the garage

Quiz Dates:
Sr. Wolfrath – Thursday, September 10
Sra. Hensler – Wednesday, September 16th
Sra. LaDuke – Friday, September 11th

Welcome to Sra. Starr's Blog!

Hola estudiantes,
I hope you've all had a super vacation and are ready to start a new year at Shorecrest. I reminded many of you to keep on using your Spanish over the break and can't wait to hear your stories.

There are many ways to practice Spanish outside of the classroom. You can listen to tapes when on car rides, watch movies in Spanish (Ask your parent to help you with the language "Set Up" feature.), read Spanish books, play games on a web-site, or talk to Spanish-speaking friends, classmates, or relatives.

There are always ways for you to use your Spanish. You've just got to be on the look out for new and cool ways to do this! How did you use your Spanish this Summer?
I can't wait to read your posts to my new blog...

Spanish Update: Week of August 24th.

Third Grade:
This week the students learned the routines for Spanish class; entering and exiting the room, finding their seats, assembling their folders and going over the class rules. A fun way for them to learn some of the rules was by learning the "Buenos dias" song, which I asked them to share with their families. They were so proud today (8/28) when they told me they'd shared their song with you! Next week they'll be reviewing class commands in Spanish (stand up, sit down, show me) and will start a unit on the rooms of the house.

Fourth Grade:
The fourth graders got reacquainted this week with the class routines and rules. They've also put their Spanish folders together and shared some of the ways they used their Spanish over the summer. I've asked the students to look at the Spanish Blog and to try one of the games listed in the links. Next week the students will be reviewing, by playing games where they count, use math symbols, and speak in Spanish. The vocabulary they'll review will be the words they learned from the chapters on pets and good manners.

Seeing Your Comments

¡Hola!
When you post a comment you might not see it right away because I have to publish it first. Once it's published, you can see your comment in the lower right hand corner of the blog page.
¡Buena suerte! Good luck and have FUN!
Señora

New Game Links

I've just added some links to some fun games in Spanish. Give them a try!

I know that some of you are having trouble commenting to my blog. While I'm busy fixing it, you can still think of ways that you used Spanish over the summer or at other times. Just be ready to share your ideas with your class. Gracias.