la familia, memoria and a new round of conversations

Hola padres! It has been another amazing week in Spanish! The scholars in second and third grade have concluded presenting their conversations and I passed back most of them graded. Everyone did well and those that struggled now have an idea of what is expected and can use this conversation to improve upon for the next one. With most classes, we began our unit on la familia learning vocabulary and some pronoun grammar that will help them construct their next conversation. For the next couple of classes, we will be working on questions they can ask about and ways they can describe their families. This will help them when working with their partners. I am encouraging them to write down what I write on the board so that they have something to go on when it comes time to write their familia conversations. Their notebooks should be their main reference for those conversations. The scholars really enjoy these and they can't wait to get started again.

In kinder and first we continued with the alphabet and the letter "I" which is pronounced like the English letter "E". It is fun to see the scholars compare and contrast the letters. We also continued our study of feelings with a game of memory and I am still having them quiz each other with their own flashcards.

First and second grade continue with their study of El Salvador and third grade continues with Chile.

Have a wonderful week!
Sra. Hamilton

conversations, flashcards, new readings

Hola padres! Happy Friday! What a fun week it has been! In kinder and first we have finished our flashcards on feelings and I have started to have the scholars quiz each other or play a memory game with them. This is a fun and new way to practice our vocabulary. I like that the scholars are able to take ownership of their vocabulary and learn it from each other. We will continue with this into next week.

With second and third grade, the scholars presented their conversations this week and did so wonderfully! I am so glad to see them also taking ownership of their assignments and being so proactive about showing me what they know and what they've learned. They were confidant and thoughtful in their presentations and I am so excited to see how these conversations progress through the next few weeks. I will try to have the graded conversations back to them next week as we begin a new vocabulary unit and start a new round of conversations.

When we have uneven weeks like this one, I enjoy reading to the scholars a topic related to the Spanish language. With most classes, we have read through a "Who was?" book on Frida Kahlo and are now moving into a book about the building of the Panama Canal. Both topics are fascinating and really intrigue the scholars. I so enjoy sharing this part of the Spanish language with them and hope that is shows them the vastness of what the Spanish language encompasses.

I did want to thank you all for your very generous gifts at Christmas. I was so overwhelmed by your kindness and thoughtfulness and enjoyed everything. I did my best to hand out thank you cards, but in case I missed you, please know of my deep appreciation. Until next week!

Sra. Hamilton
ahamilton@archwaytrivium.org

feelings, conversations, the alphabet, Honduras, Peru and Chile

Hola padres and Happy New Year! It has been a while and I am glad to be back in the swing of things! Last week during our half day week, both first and second grade learned about Honduras and its significance in Central America, while third grade learned about Peru and its rich Inca history. It is so fun exploring these parts of the world with them!

This week with Kinder and first I have continued our study of the alphabet with "H" and emphasized how this letter is a silent letter in Spanish. We also began our unit on feelings and I am having the scholars make flashcards as a way for them to practice this vocabulary with each other in class.

This week third grade began its study of the South American country of Chile. We talked about Easter Island and how its inhabitants used up all the island's resources and how it is now a barren land. Next week, first and second grade will learn about El Salvador.

For second and third grade this quarter we began writing conversations. I want the scholars to begin putting simple sentences and phrases together just like they would if they were talking to someone they would run into while out and about. They are working in partners putting together a conversation that includes a greeting, an inquiry with a response, a little discussion their favorite fruit as well as parting words. They have really enjoyed this so far and I can't wait for them to present these conversations in class this coming week. I will let you know how it goes.

Again, welcome back and please let me know if you ever have any questions or concerns.
Sra. Hamilton
ahamilton@archwaytrivium.org