World Languages
Week of September 28, 2026
Spanish Language and Culture (Mr. Fontalvo, Ms. Gonzalez)
Last week, students learned and practiced numbers in Spanish and demonstrated their learning through both a writing formative assessment and a listening formative assessment.
Next week, we will begin exploring adjectives to describe people, school classes, and ordinal numbers. Students will also learn how to describe their classes using the new vocabulary and structures.
Please encourage your student to continue practicing at home and to check Canvas regularly for class materials and review resources. Thank you for your continued support!
Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)
It’s been a busy few weeks in Spanish I! Looking ahead, our first listening summative assessment on the vocabulary and grammar related to the rooms of the house, furniture, and prepositions will take place on Monday, September 28.
After the assessment, we’ll dive into vocabulary for different places around the city and grammar related to the verb IR. SpanishDict.com homework will resume next week, with three assignments opening on Monday and due by Friday at 3:15 PM.
Additionally, student-led conferences will be held on Tuesday, October 13 only with the student, parent/guardian, and their advisory teacher. The advisory teacher should have sent a sign-up email.
Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Almanza)
Happy fall! The weather is finally changing, and the cooler temperatures feel wonderful. We’re making a transition in Spanish 2, too! After preparing through a variety of vocabulary activities, we dove into Chapter 1 of our first novel, Esperanza, this week.
Students in Ms. Henderson’s classes have homework this weekend: use this link to practice your vocabulary, and don’t forget to complete your packets by Monday!
Looking for a fun way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? If you enjoy dancing, join the Flamenco Workshop in Ms. Wooten’s classroom on Thursday, October 8, during advisory. Sign up with any Spanish 2 teacher.
We’ve also just passed the midpoint of the advisory, and the term will wrap up before we know it. Please check Aspen regularly and keep up with your assignments.
Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)
This past week students read the story of Nasreen, a girl who fled her home to escape childhood labor. We compared and contrasted her life to our own childhood, talking about our challenges and her challenges. We also read the Sandra Cisneros story, "Once." Students took a vocabulary Formative on Thursday to show their mastery of new words found in the article about Nasreen.
Next week we will learn about different coming of age rituals and talk about celebrations in our own lives.
French Language & Culture (Ms. Bullock, Mr. Almanza)
Last week, students learned numbers, how to say their age and their birthday. They also completed their first writing formative in which they prepared
This week, students will learn how to talk about their school schedule. They will be able to identify class vocabulary and talk about what they like and dislike. They will also have the oportunity to show what they have learned on their second listening formative.
The easiest way to learn French is to practice a little every day. Encourage your student to review regularly! Madame Bullock's students can use Match or online flashcards to review. (For data privacy, students do NOT need a quizlet account to practice!)
French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)
This past week students focused on the verbs aller and venir. They also learned contractions to express "going to" and "coming from." Students practiced interrogative words, new vocabulary, new verbs, and contractions with a speaking activity. This weekend, students should review all material for Monday's Summative. The Summative will test their knowledge of everything we have learned thus far.
Next week, after the Unit Summative, students will begin work on new vocabulary: la maison. We will continue to practice listening comprehension and focus on writing a narrative about either our city or our home.
French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)
French II – Unit 1: Qui suis-je ?Students explored personality traits and strengthened their adjective agreement skills. They learned descriptive adjectives, listened to interviews about friends, and wrote paragraphs describing their best friend. Roleplay games encouraged guessing personalities, while reflections centered on choosing the correct adjective forms.
Chinese (Ms. Liang)
Grade 6
Last week our students learned about introducing themselves. Students had a formative assessment last Friday on numbers and common greetings. We also made mooncakes to celebrate the mid-autumn festival! Next week we will start learning unit three school supplies. We are excited to see their progress as they build their foundational communication skills in Chinese.
Grade 7
Last week our students learned about telling time and daily activities. We had a formative assessment on daily activities last week. We also made mooncakes to celebrate the mid-autumn festival! Next week we will have two summative assessments. Students will have an oral presentation next Tuesday describing their daily schedules. Students will have a written summative assessment on Lesson II Time and Activities next Thursday. We are excited to see their progress as they build their speaking and writing skills in Chinese.
Grade 8
Last week our students learned about how to navigate unfamiliar places, giving directions, and how to describe the time it takes between two locations. We had a formative assessment on transportation last week. We also made mooncakes to celebrate the mid-autumn festival! Next week we will continue 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 and one written summative assessment the following week. We are excited to see their progress as they build their presentational speaking skills in Chinese.