World Languages

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

Last week, students completed both a listening and a writing summative assessment to demonstrate what they learned throughout Term 1. We are so proud of their hard work and progress!

Next week, students will begin learning how to tell time and describe class schedules using time expressions in Spanish. Families can support by encouraging students to review numbers and common classroom phrases at home.

Additionally, our Mi Gente Club meets every Thursday from 3:20 to 4:20 p.m. This club is open to both native Spanish speakers and students who want to practice and improve their Spanish in a fun and cultural environment.

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

Looking ahead to Week 9, students will continue to focus on practicing directions through in-class activities.

To retake a summative in which a student scored 69% or below, they must complete a summative retake review. All retakes and makeup assignments must be scheduled in advance. Friday, October 31, the last day of the term, is the last day for retakes (only one retake per assignment), makeup work (-10% if after excused absence deadline) or to turn in missing work not turned in on time (-10%) given between September 25 and October 31. For Profe. Donaldson, students can use the form at the top of his Canvas page. For Sra. Cuffee, students must use the format she provided to send her a message on Canvas.

Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Almanza)

This week students read ch4 of our book in reader's theatre style and reviewed all of our unit vocabulary in preparation for our reading summative, which students completed in class Friday. Look out in ASPEN for your student's grade this week, and make sure to be checking for any missing assignments, as the advisory ends on Halloween! Next week we will learn about the context of the book, learning about the civil war in Guatemala and analyzing and reacting to videos of children who grew up during the war. We will also complete a variety of stations to learn more about Guatemalan culture- music, food, geography, clothing, language, politics, etc. At the end of the week, you should ask your student to share with you what they learned about Guatemala and where they would most like to visit in the country.

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Last week students took a Formative showing their ability to analyze a short text. They also took a Summative where they wrote about a moment in their childhood.

Next week students will take a Summative to analyze a short text. They will also create a paper doll figure to illustrate the moment in childhood that they wrote about on their Summative.

Thank you to all of you who contributed to our class supplies.

Spanish Humanities, grade 7 (Ms. Henderson)

Clase de Español Humanidades (7º grado)
Esta semana, los estudiantes comenzaron a aprender sobre el género literario picaresco y la figura del pícaro, un personaje ingenioso que usa su astucia para sobrevivir. Para comprender mejor este tipo de personaje, exploramos cómo era la vida en la España del siglo XVI, observando las grandes diferencias entre los ricos y los pobres.

La próxima semana, los estudiantes aplicarán su nuevo vocabulario para leer y analizar el primer capítulo de Lazarillo de Tormes (contado a los niños), una de las obras más importantes de la literatura española.

Spanish Humanities (7th Grade)
This week, students began learning about the picaresque literary genre and the figure of the pícaro — a clever character who uses wit and resourcefulness to survive. To better understand this figure, we explored what life was like in 16th-century Spain, focusing on the great differences between the rich and the poor.
Next week, students will apply their new vocabulary to read and analyze the first chapter of Lazarillo de Tormes, one of the most important works in Spanish literature.

Spanish Humanities, grade 8 (Ms. Wooten)

This week students worked in groups on their "Nos gustaría que sepan" poems, choosing a voice for their poems and working to combat stereotypes and celebrate the positive attributes of their chosen group. Next week, we will work on revising all 3 of their poems and compile them into a portfolio. We will also continue to read more poetry from the Si Somos Latinos book, continuing to learn about the diverse experiences and perspectives of the Latino community. Please make sure your student is following their ASPEN grades and catching up on any missing work, as the advisory ends October 31. We will have our class celebration Wednesday October 29 and students have the option to bring in food to share. I will send out a sign-up next week, but you can go ahead and discuss if you have a special dish or dessert you want to plan ahead to prepare!

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

Last week students got the opportunity to practice all they have learned in introduction to French on our writing and listening assessments. This week, students will be creating a final draft of their writing and reviewing based on class needs.

Learning a language involves building a foundation. It is never too late to start reviewing information to strengthen a foundation. Homework for French includes studying our vocabulary every night—a little study every day makes students stronger language learners! Students can (and should) access study materials on Canvas or they can use their reference sheet. Please check in with your student about how they review.

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

Last week students showed mastery of Unit 1 material on a Listening Summative and a Writing Summative.

Next week students will be working on Unit 1 projects making maps.

French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)

Students explored personal values and practiced logical connectors (parce que, mais, donc). Class brainstorms introduced values vocabulary, and students listened to interviews about priorities. In writing, they expressed their most important values. Pair debates encouraged justifying opinions, while reflections emphasized organizing ideas logically.

Chinese (Ms. Liang)

Grade 6

Last week our students had an in-class summative assessment about greetings and dates. We sang songs. We started learning lesson 3 School Supplies and learned new characters through etymology. Next week we will continue learning School Supplies. We are excited to see their progress as they build their foundational communication skills in Chinese.

Grade 7

Last week our students had an oral summative assessment and described their daily schedules and had a written summative assessment on Lesson II Time and Activities. We started learning Lesson 3 My house. Next week we will continue to learn L3.2-5. We are excited to see their progress as they build their speaking and writing skills in Chinese.

Grade 8

Last week our students continued exploring how to describe popular cities in China, plan vacation itineraries, decide activities for summer breaks and explain why. Students will prepare for the speaking summative assessment on Dream China Trip project next week. Students will share their China trip project to the class this Tuesday. And we will have one written summative assessment next Friday. We are excited to see their progress as they build their presentational speaking skills in Chinese.