World Languages

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

Last week, students learned vocabulary related to adjectives used to describe people’s personality and physical appearance. They also practiced adjective–noun agreement, focusing on matching gender and number correctly within sentences.

Next week, students will complete two formative assessments: one reading assessment and one speaking assessment. To support their success, families are encouraged to review the vocabulary posted in Canvas and the links below and motivate students to practice and study the vocabulary at home. Thank you for your continued support of our Spanish program!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Z3HnEe3ShQzRleifrt_aUfLdj5L0iLd8/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=106391454948711598550&rtpof=true&sd=true

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrLS5gaBaus

https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=6984e570c0e9d9f4061bd2e3

https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=6984e5be34ef00ac7baadf4f

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

Students will begin the week with both a reading comprehension formative (3FormB1.LR) and a writing formative (3FormD1.LR) in the present tense on the same reading.

They’ll also receive four new SpanishDict.com homework assignments focusing on household chores (3HW8.Chore), irregular present-tense verbs (3HW9.Irreg), and stem-changing verbs (3HW10.Stem1, 3HW11.Stem2). Throughout the week, they will learn household chore vocabulary, practice using it in context, watch a video about a family’s chores, and conclude with a reading passage and comprehension questions.

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

This week students finishing reviewing chapter 3 of our book and did a listening comprehension practice with a video describing the difference between tourists and travelers. They have a speaking homework to respond to this video with 2 minutes of unscripted speaking (assignment and questions on canvas). You can ask them to practice for you- the questions are basically- do you like to travel or stay at home? Describe a trip from the past? Generally, do you have more characteristics of "tourists" or "travelers" as described in the video"? [¿Te gusta viajar? ¿o prefieres quedarte en casa? Explica. Describe un viaje favorito. ¿Adónde fuiste? ¿Con quién fuiste? ¿Qué hiciste? En general, ¿tienes más características de un turista o un viajero? Describe cuáles características de turistas y cuáles de viajero te describen.]

As we gear up for the STAMP exam, students can show more advanced proficiency in speaking by using multiple tenses in one response (see above where they talk in the present about their preferences and then describe a specific example in the past).

We ended the week with another listening practicing, interpreting an interview with Bad Bunny about the source of his creativity and pride in his heritage. Ask your student why it's significant that he was chosen to perform at the superbowl and what they understand the frase "debí tirar más fotos" to mean.

Next week students will annotate chapter 4 -practice the emotion vocabulary we learned and review this week. We will introduce new vocabulary of "verbs like gustar" - focusing on "le duele" but also reviewing others (me gusta/ me encanta/ me importa, etc) and will use that vocabulary to interpret chapter 5 of the text, in which the baker family arrives in Perú and Haley makes a questionable choice. Please make sure to check ASPEN and canvas for missing work.

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Last week we completed our study of Esperanza Renace! Students took a Formative on the last four chapters. Next Thursday students will take a Summative on the whole book.

Next week we will also begin our Unit 3 study: Monstruos y Heroes

Spanish Humanities, grade 7 (Ms. Henderson)

This week we finished reading Lazarillo de Tormes contado a los niños. Over the weekend, students will be working on their final project for the unit, where they will demonstrate their understanding of the text and its themes.

Next week, students will participate in a Socratic Seminar to show their comprehension and ability to interpret the novel using evidence and discussion skills.

As a small classroom need, we are running low on printer paper and tissues. If you are able to donate either, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you for your continued support.

Español

Esta semana terminamos de leer Lazarillo de Tormes contado a los niños. Durante el fin de semana, los estudiantes trabajarán en su proyecto final de la unidad, donde demostrarán su comprensión del texto y sus temas principales.

La próxima semana participaremos en un seminario socrático para mostrar nuestra comprensión y habilidad de interpretar la novela usando evidencia y conversación académica.

Como nota para las familias, en la clase estamos necesitando papel para la impresora y pañuelos. Si pueden donar alguno de estos materiales, ¡se los agradeceríamos mucho!

Spanish Humanities, grade 8 (Ms. Wooten)

This week students students finalized their artistics representations of "jardin de mono" and made connections to the text- reflecting on how and why friendships change over time and how relationships to places and things that were once very special to us in our youth can change over time as well- or can retain that sentimental value over time. We echoed that theme by analyzing the cortometraje from bad bunny's album "debí tirar más fotos" (not the song)- tying in concepts from the book about regret, appreciating the moment, nostalgia, and change. We also discussed gentrification and overtourism, connecting with their prior knowledge of gentrification in DC and the lyrics of his song "lo que le pasó a hawaii" which describes displacement of communities and brings up the debate of who owns and can access the land and water sources (and excellent preview to our next unit on the environment).

Next week will FINISH Casa en Mango Street and begin our thematic analysis essay!

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

Next week, we will continue with our unit 3 vocabulary. Students will continue describing themselves and others in French. They will also get the chance to show off what they've learned on a reading formative. Vocabulary is KEY to language learning. Students should be reviewing their vocabulary for at least 5 minutes every night. They are welcome to use this resource to support their learning. Students have been commenting about how much they've learned so far. It's great to see their confidence grow.

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

last week we began Unit 3 vocabulary, focusing on individual sports. Students took a Reading Comprehension Formative.

Next week we will review grammatical structures in the present, passe compose, and futur proche. Students will take a Speaking Formative on Thursday.

French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)

Students practice choosing the correct past tense depending on context.
🎯 Focus: accuracy and decision-making.
💡 Ask at home: How do you know which past tense to use?

Chinese (Ms. Liang)

Grade 6

Last week, our sixth graders began Lesson 6: Countries, diving into the rich cultures and unique aspects of different nations. Through engaging lessons and discussions, students are expanding their global awareness and curiosity about the world. One of the highlights of next week was our field trip, where students had the opportunity to make dumplings! This hands-on experience not only connected to our cultural studies but also allowed students to engage in a fun, interactive learning experience while enjoying delicious food. Looking ahead, we will have a formative assessment next Friday to review key concepts from our lessons. This will help ensure students have a strong understanding of the material covered so far.

Grade 7

Last week, our Grade 7 students continued working on Lesson 6: Shopping. They practiced essential vocabulary and expressions to navigate shopping scenarios confidently. After the break, students will take a formative test to assess their understanding of the material covered so far.

Next week, we will build on this topic by further enhancing students’ conversational and written skills. The unit will culminate in a summative oral and written assessment, which will take place the week after next. This assessment will allow students to demonstrate their mastery of the lesson.

Grade 8

We recently wrapped up Lesson 6: Seeing a Doctor. Last week, students showcased their progress through a summative oral and written assessment. Their hard work and dedication to mastering new vocabulary, sentence structures, and communication strategies have been impressive!

Looking ahead, we are excited to begin a new unit on International Trips next week. This unit will broaden students' language skills as they learn how to plan trips, discuss travel destinations, and navigate real-world situations such as making reservations.