World Languages

Week of March 3rd

This week in our classes!

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

Last week, our sixth-grade students explored basic family vocabulary in Spanish. They practiced their new words by identifying family members from well-known movie families and completed a formative reading assessment.

Next week, students will expand their knowledge by learning vocabulary related to extended family. They will continue practicing through engaging in written and oral activities. We look forward to seeing their progress!

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

This week highlights summative assessments. On Monday, students will take a reading comprehension summative (3SummB1.LV) about Los viajes, solidifying their mastery of travel and preterite language structures. On Wednesday, they will complete a writing summative (3SummD1.Ca) focused on creating a calendar-based text, applying their conjugation and vocabulary skills. The students will work on writing practice and interactive opportunities to refine their grammar and verb usage skills.

Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson)

This week in Spanish 2, we did a listening summative, testing students' ability to use the new vocabulary from the first 2 chapters of the book "Los Baker Van a Perú" as well as their knowledge of the main characters, setting, and plot of these first 2 chapters. Students had to show that they could understand the vocabulary in context as well as use it to describe a new context, as well as identify which character would have said certain phrases and support their answers with an explanation in Spanish. We also reflected on the 2nd advisory and celebrated our accomplishments. In the third advisory, we will be focusing on our speaking and listening skills, so expect more homework assignments that require students to record speaking, as well as more opportunities for speaking Spanish (for longer sustained periods) in class. Students will be reading the book "Los Baker Van a Perú" and also learning about the culture of Perú. Next week, students will be working on new vocabulary and reading the third chapter of the book, which deals with a game show. Students will have opportunities to participate in various games and describe in Spanish what they have to do, what the judge does, how to win, whether they are games of skill and luck, etc. Students will also get to invent their own game show and describe it to peers in Spanish, and decide which of their peers' games they would be best at, find easiest, most fun, etc. The goal of all class activities it to maintain Spanish while using the new vocabulary, but also having fun and finding engaging subject matter to discuss together in the target language. Please continue to check canvas and see your teachers in tutoring when absent!

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Last week we talked about what makes a hero and what makes a monster. We also wrote the story of Little Red Hood from the perspective of the wolf.

Next week we will continue with mythology and read the story of the Labyrinth of the Minotaur.

Students will have a Formative to show their understanding of vocabulary words specific to the unit.

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)

In 8th grade humanities, students ended the 2nd advisory reading the vignette "No Speak English." We analyzed various statistics about 1st generation, 2nd generation, and third generation Latino immigrants: their language proficiency in speaking/ writing Spanish, their preferences for listening to music in Spanish v English, and their language use at home. Students illustrated the perspective of a character from this vignette and were able to make personal connections to the text as well as express their opinions about how they may want to use different languages in their future families and their opinions about how important it is that future generations of Latinos maintain the use of Spanish. We also ended the week with shout outs and reflections from the advisory. As we begin the 3rd advisory next week, students will read the next few vignettes of Casa en Mango Street, beginning analyzing the various women that Esperanza has for role models in her community and reflecting on influential women that they know in their own lives, in the Spanish-speaking world, and in society in general. As we finish the book in the 3rd advisory, students will have the opportunity to choose the own creative project to reflect on the book before we move onto our next unit.

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

Introduction to French has been having fun learning how to use family vocabulary in French! This week we will be creating our wacky family trees and describing our "family" in French. You never know who might end up in a family! We will be practicing speaking for a speaking formative as well. Want to help support your student's study habits at home? Here is a family quizlet set to support learners. Practice makes progress, so encourage your student to review regularly!

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

Last week students were introduced to the passé composé, one of the past tenses in French.

Next week we will continue to work with the past tense but we will focus on irregular past participles.

Students can use this Quizlet to review vocabulary.

Assignments and presentations used in class are on our Canvas page.

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)

Grade 6 Chinese

Over the past few weeks, students have been learning how to express nationalities, languages spoken, and proficiency levels in Chinese. They have engaged in various activities to reinforce their understanding, including dialogues, interactive exercises, and written practice.

Last Friday, students completed a formative assessment to demonstrate their grasp of these concepts. They did a fantastic job applying their knowledge in both written and oral exercises. Their ability to describe where people are from and what languages they speak continues to improve, and we are so proud of their progress!

Looking ahead, we will be wrapping up this unit and transitioning into our review sessions. Students will prepare for two upcoming summative assessments, which will assess their ability to write and communicate effectively about nationalities and languages in Chinese. These assessments will help gauge their understanding and fluency as we move forward in our learning journey.

G7 Chinese

This past week, our Grade 7 Chinese students have been developing their conversational skills by learning how to initiate a phone call in Chinese. They have been practicing essential phrases and expressions related to making, receiving, and returning calls. Our lessons have focused on differentiating key structures, such as how to say “call someone,” “pick up someone’s call,” and “return someone’s call” in the correct context. Last Friday, students took an assessment to demonstrate their understanding of these concepts. Next week, we will continue working on this unit, expanding our conversations and reinforcing proper language use in phone calls. Students will engage in more interactive speaking activities to strengthen their fluency and comprehension.

G8 Chinese

Our Grade 8 Chinese students have been making great progress in their International Travel unit! Over the past few weeks, they have been learning essential vocabulary and expressions related to packing for a trip, discussing what to bring, and planning for international travel. Last Friday, students completed an assessment to demonstrate their understanding of these concepts. They showcased their ability to communicate about packing essentials in Chinese, reinforcing both their vocabulary and sentence structure skills. Next week, we will continue exploring this unit with a greater focus on typing and writing in Chinese. Students will practice composing travel-related sentences and short passages to improve their fluency and accuracy in written communication.