World Languages

Week of April 14

This week in our classes!

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

Last week, students completed both a reading summative and a speaking summative. They worked hard to demonstrate their understanding of family-related vocabulary and descriptions.

Next week, students will begin learning pet-related vocabulary and how to describe different animals. We are excited to see them apply their skills in new ways! 🐶🐱🐢

Thank you for your support

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

Turning creative, students will work on a Brochure Project (3Proj1.Bro). This project will allow them to blend their language skills with research and presentation techniques, offering an engaging opportunity to demonstrate vocabulary, grammar, and cultural knowledge in a tangible final product. The focus remains on practicing consistent verb use and refining reading and writing abilities in Spanish.

Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson)

Spanish 2:

Hola a todos,

Happy (almost) spring break! This week was the first week of the 4th advisory. Time has been and will continue to fly by, so we want to make sure we are making the best use of all of the time we have left in Spanish! This week we reviewed important upcoming dates in the 4th advisory and started our new unit. During DC-CAPE, Spanish class will continue with lessons as usual, but the week after DC-CAP (May 12-16), all 8th grade language students will take the STAMP assessment during our Spanish class period. This is a district required standardized test that will give students a proficiency score in reading, speaking, listening, and writing. It can cover any topic in Spanish, and we will review a variety of Spanish 1 vocabulary leading up to the test so students feel ready to write and speak about any number of topics. I will send out more details closer to the test, but in general, it should not be a test to worry about- students will just need to try their best and show what they know.

For our 4th unit, we will be reading a short mystery novel called La Calaca Alegre and learning about Latinos in US and specifically the Mexican-American population in Chicago. Students will have a chance to analyze a variety of murals and other artwork related to the text, and will end the unit reflecting on their own changing identities through their own piece of art (which they will describe in Spanish). If you missed any days this week, we began with some new vocabulary and started chapter 1—all make up work can be found in this week’s module on canvas.

Classroom request- with all of the colds going around, we used a LOT of issues in the 3rd advisory and are in need of more tissues and pencils, if you are able to donate. You can send in a box of tissues or pencils with your student or ship directly to deal through our class wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1NQ72PCODP889?ref_=wl_share

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions. I hope everyone has a restful, healthy, and fun spring break!

Sra. Wooten

FECHAS IMPORTANTES

14 a 18 de abril- vacaciones de la primavera
DC CAPE semana 1 (28 de abril- 2 de mayo)

martes: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 1, 2
miércoles: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 6, 7
jueves: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 1, 2
viernes: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 6, 7

DC CAPE semana 2 (5 -9 de mayo)

lunes: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 6, 7
martes: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 1, 2
miércoles: NORMAL
jueves: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 1, 2
viernes: T, 3, 4, almuerzo, 1, 2

EXAMEN de STAMP (examen de español): 12-19 de mayo
26 de mayo- no hay escuela (Memorial Day)
9 de junio – King’s Dominion
13 de junio- baile de 8vo grado
16 de junio- promotion (10am Izu, 1pm Kendrick)
17 de junio- promotion (10am Wooloomooloo, 1pm Havana)
18 de junio- día final

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Students did a fabulous job creating their own mythological story and depicting a scene from their story in clay!

Here is a link to the stories: MItologia_cuentos de nuestras clases.docx

Here is a link to pictures of the clay creations: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0a2cQdb_pMWiOm8E13Wd7npqg

Los alumnos hicieron un trabajo fantástico creando su propia historia mitológica y representando una escena de ella en platilina.

Aquí tienen el enlace a las historias: MItologia_cuentos de nuestras clases.docx

Aquí tienen el enlace a las fotos de las creaciones en arcilla: https://share.icloud.com/photos/0a2cQdb_pMWiOm8E13Wd7npqg

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 in humanidades we finished the fable “Abejas de bronce” by Argentine author Marco Denevi and discussed the moral, reflecting on how we use Earth’s resources and the advantages and disadvantages of modern technology. Then we discussed water as a resource and how we value (or take for granted) our access to water in DC. We began 2 case studies of indigenous communities fighting for water rights: Francisco Pineda in El Salvador and Berta Cáceres in Honduras, and analyzed clips from the 2023 documentary Agua es Vida. After the break, we will continue our unit by examining statistics and information about who is most impacted by environmental issues and climate change and develop our own definitions of environmental justice. We will learn more about activists working with indigenous communities to protect their land and water, and conclude the unit reflecting on our own roles as environmental stewards.

A little after spring break, we will begin our next unit, in which we will read the book La última cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera. Please try and purchase a copy by April 21st (the Monday after spring break), so we can make sure every has a copy before we begin the unit. If you are unable to purchase a copy (or can purchase 1 or 2 extra), please let me know!

Link to purchase from our class list and send directly to school

Amazon link

Bookshop.org link

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

Last week we finished our unit 3 summatives-Youpi! This week we will be celebrating our learning with necessary review based on summative feedback.

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

We will begin Unit 4 upon our return from Spring Break. We are excited to learn about clothing and fashion!

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)

Last week, students successfully completed their formative speaking assessment on sports and extracurricular activities, demonstrating both their learning and growth. We continued our exciting new unit on sports, where students began exploring vocabulary and expressions related to various physical activities.

Looking ahead, after spring break, students will have a formative writing assessment on Friday.

Through engaging classroom discussions, written exercises, and interactive activities, students will continue to develop their ability to express opinions and preferences in Chinese, deepening their understanding of the topic and enhancing their communication skills.

G7

Last week, students continued their work on the food unit. We introduced specific measure words used for different places and explored a few iconic Chinese dishes, such as Peking duck and fried rice, while also discussing the importance of staple foods in Chinese cuisine.

The week after spring break, students will continue this unit and have a formative assessment on Friday.

This unit offers a fun and meaningful way for students to expand their language skills while deepening their understanding of Chinese culture.

G8

In 8th grade, students wrote reflective essays about their Taiwan trip, capturing their memorable experiences and personal highlights. After completing their writing, we shared these reflections in class, giving students the opportunity to practice their language skills and learn from one another’s experiences.

As part of this activity, we introduced the STAMP writing rubric, which provided clear criteria for success and helped students understand what is required to achieve a level 4 in their writing. We discussed specific elements such as organization, vocabulary range, sentence complexity, and accuracy, giving students actionable goals for improvement.

After spring break, we will continue our focused review sessions to prepare for the upcoming STAMP exam, reinforcing writing strategies and building students' confidence for the assessment.