World Languages

Week of March 10th

This week in our classes!

Spanish Language and Culture (Mr. Fontalvo, Ms. Gonzalez)

Last week, students learned and practiced vocabulary related to the family and completed a reading assessment. If your child scored below a 73 on the assessment, they are welcome to retake it for a better grade.

Next week, students will take a speaking assessment on the topic of family and describing family members. We encourage them to review their vocabulary and practice their speaking skills at home.

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

Building on prior work with the preterite tense, students will explore more irregular forms. They will receive three new SpanishDict.com homework assignments targeting preterite comprehension (3HW18.PrCo), irregular preterite verbs (3HW19.IrrP), and stem-changing preterite verbs (3HW20.StPr). The class will review these irregular preterite forms in notes, practice sessions, and interactive games and activities. Later in the week, students will complete an in-depth practice assignment (3PA5.VI) to apply these irregular verbs in context.

Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson)

This week in Spanish 2, students practiced forming to the conditional tense to express what they would do in hypothetical situations. We read about scenarios from the book (ch6), wrote what we would do, then read and used the preterit tense to write about what the characters in the book chose to do, and finally made a basic comparison between our personality and choices and one of the characters (yo soy más__ que Haley, ella hizo __ mientras yo haría ___). Then we practiced with new vocabulary and began reading the 7th chapter, in which the family goes to see the Nazca lines of Perú. Next we will learn more about las líneas de nasca, finish chapter 7, and begin to explore Peruvian foods.

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Last week we read the myth of the Minotaur in the Labyrinth. We studied vocabulary and looked at the heroes and monsters of the story. We talked about how myths were used in ancient times to explain natural phenomenons like earthquakes, hurricanes, etc. Students were tasked with thinking about how to explain the changing of the tides through a myth. They worked with a partner to come up with a story to explain the tide change.

Next week students will begin an art project to accompany a written assignment. With a partner, students will create a myth. They will use clay and other art materials to create a scene from their story. Stay tuned for pictures! I am so grateful for the many contributions families have sent in for our classroom!

Spanish Humanities, grade 7 (Ms. Henderson)

I am excited to share that our 7th Grade Spanish Humanities class has begun a new unit centered around the book Los siete hábitos de los adolescentes altamente efectivos. Throughout this unit, students will engage in weekly journal entries to reflect on their behaviors, habits, and interactions with others.

This past week, we explored the paradigms we hold about ourselves and others, discussing how these perspectives influence our judgments and actions. We are also sharpening our grammar skills by focusing on the present tense, with special attention to reflexive verbs.

Looking ahead, next week we will delve into the second habit from the book, Comenzar con un fin en mente ("Begin with the End in Mind"). As part of this lesson, students will create vision boards to articulate their aspirations and dreams for the future.

Me emociona compartir que nuestra clase de Humanidades en Español de 7º grado ha comenzado una nueva unidad basada en el libro Los siete hábitos de los adolescentes altamente efectivos. Durante esta unidad, los estudiantes escribirán entradas semanales en un diario para reflexionar sobre sus comportamientos, hábitos e interacciones con los demás.

Esta semana, hemos explorado los paradigmas que tenemos sobre nosotros mismos y los demás, analizando cómo estas perspectivas influyen en nuestros juicios y acciones. También estamos perfeccionando nuestras habilidades gramaticales, centrándonos en el tiempo presente, con especial atención a los verbos reflexivos.

La próxima semana, nos enfocaremos en el segundo hábito del libro, Comenzar con un fin en mente. Como parte de esta lección, los estudiantes crearán tableros de visión para expresar sus aspiraciones y sueños para el futuro.

Spanish Humanities, grade 8 (Ms. Wooten)

This week students submitted their final creative reactions to the book Casa en Mango Street and had a chance to give each other feedback on their projects on Friday. We kicked off our new unit by diving deep into the song Latinoamérica by Calle 13- first by giving initial impressions and identifying lyrics and meaning. Then we broke down the song and examined the historical and literary illusions in the song, researching references to la guerra sucia en Argentina, la operación condór, Maradona's iconic 2 goals against England in the 1986 world cup, un pueblo escondido en la cima (Machu Picchu), etc. After hearing and reading the song many times, students gave a final reaction and a prediction to why I chose this song to kick off our next unit (hint- the message of the chorus hints at the theme). Next week we will officially begin the next unit (studying biodiversity and environmental justice in Latin America), making guess and sharing our own knowledge about biodiversity, then practice our reading comprehension with informational texts before breaking into groups to examine biodiversity in different parts of Latin America.

French Language and Culture (Ms. Bullock, Mr. Almanza)

In Introduction to French, students have been creating a "wacky" family tree. You might be amazed by who is in your family! Next week, we will be learning how to describe what people look like in addition to their personalities. As always, regular practice is the best way to learn. Students have resources that they should be reviewing regularly to assure their success.

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

Last week students we continued our work with the past tense, using both AVOIR and ETRE as auxiliary verbs.

Next week we continue to practice the past and we will add in reflexive verbs in the past!

French II (Dr. Mbayu)

This week we started Unit 3: Le weekend, les loisirs, et les spectacles. We will complete a reading performance activity (criterion B): le metro et vive le jazz.

Next week we will delve into weekend activities in the city and the countryside from a comparative perspective.

Chinese (Ms. Liang)

G6

Last week, our G6 Chinese students have been actively engaged in learning how to express nationalities, languages, and their ability to speak different languages in Chinese. They have also practiced requesting to practice a language with someone and telling a story using a specific language. Last week Friday, students participated in an oral practice session to reinforce their speaking skills, applying their knowledge in meaningful conversations. Next week, we will continue exploring this unit, building on their vocabulary and sentence structures to enhance both oral and written communication.

G7

Last week, our G7 Chinese students focused on making phone calls in Chinese, handling wrong numbers, asking someone to hold on, and other essential phone call expressions. Through practice activities, they enhanced their ability to navigate real-life phone conversations in Chinese. Next week, we will continue with this unit, reinforcing key expressions and improving fluency. The following week, students will demonstrate their learning through two summative assessments.

G8

Last week, our G8 Chinese students explored the International Traveling unit, learning essential vocabulary and expressions related to travel. In addition, they began learning the Chinese song "Farewell" (送别) to enhance their listening and pronunciation skills through music. Next week, students will complete a summative assessment to demonstrate their understanding of this unit. Following the assessment, they will focus on Chinese Pinyin typing practice, developing their ability to type accurately and efficiently in Chinese.