World Languages
Week of April 20, 2026
Spanish Language and Culture (Mr. Fontalvo, Ms. Gonzalez)
Last week, students began Unit 4 by learning and practicing vocabulary related to extracurricular activities, helping them communicate about their interests and daily lives in Spanish. They engaged with the new vocabulary through interactive activities, videos, and speaking practice.
Looking ahead, students will deepen their understanding by learning about infinitive verbs (-ar, -er, -ir) and how to conjugate verbs in the present tense. This will allow them to move from using isolated words to forming complete sentences about what they do and enjoy doing. Through guided practice and interactive activities, students will continue building their confidence in communicating in Spanish.
Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)
8th grade students out on the Costa Rica trip will have until April 27 to make up missed classwork on their own at home.
This week, students will continue to explore food-related vocabulary, concentrating on healthy food choices and meals. They will complete reading activities around maintaining good health and the nutritional value of foods. The week ends with two assessments that focus on listening to food and health concepts.
Homework assignments (Assigned April 20, Due April 24): 4HW3 - Realidades 1, Capítulo 3b (Vocabulary Open Input), 4HW4 - Vistas, Lección 15 (Vocabulary Open Input).
The following graded assignments are also included this week: 4FormA1.ED - En el desayuno Listening Formative and 4PA1.EG - El restaurante El Gaucho Listening CW.
Spanish II (Ms. Wooten, Ms. Henderson, Mr. Almanza)
This week we started our new unit "la busqueda por la identidad" in which we will be reading the book La Calaca Alegre and learning about how we express our own identities, how identity changes over time, Mexican-Americans/ Chicano communities in the United States, and the use of art to express identity. Ask your students the questions below to see if they can answer with our new vocab! We finished reading the first chapter this week. After spring break, students not traveling to Costa Rica will get to engage in some fun vocab games and group activities, and once the travelers rejoin us we will review the main events and vocab of chapter 1 before reading chapter. The only required assignment for Costa Rica travelers (for the days they miss) - will be a canvas written reflection on the trip in Spanish.
- De niño/a, ¿tenías pesadillas? Descríbelas.
- ¿Con qué sueñas para tu futuro?
- ¿Con quién puedes hablar cuando tu no sabes que hacer en una situación?
- De niño, ¿tú odiabas a unas comidas? ¿actividades? ¿personas? Desafío:¿Son diferentes las cosas que odias hoy en día?
- En tu opinión, ¿cuál es la peor pesadilla posible? ¿Por qué es tan mala?
- Describe un momento difícil cuando tú tenías que hacer una decisión difícil y no sabías que hacer.
Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)
6th: Students made some wonderful creations out of clay. Stay tuned for an email with pictures and the accompanying myths!
Unit 4 focuses on Poetry.
French Language & Culture (Ms. Bullock, Mr. Almanza)
We hope you had a restful, safe and joyful break. This week we will be continuing unit 4: Mes activités. This week students will learn how to talk about what they like to do and don't like to do. We'll also be exploring concepts of language (such as what is an infinitive?) Unit 4 will focus on writing and lisening. This term will go much better for students if they start reviewing vocabulary right from the beginning of the term! Want to explore some vocab flashcards for unit 4? Voilà!
What can we do at home?
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. It is updated every time we learn something new! 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)
French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)
Students are learning le futur proche (going to + verb) to talk about plans such as trips, activities, and events they plan to do soon. Speaking activities help students practice using this new structure.
✅ Student Goal: I can say what I am going to do in the future.
Chinese (Ms. Liang)
G6
Last week, our Grade 6 students continued their unit on sports and physical activities. They are learning how to talk about different sports, express who they play with, and share their preferences using key sentence structures and vocabulary in Chinese.
Through fun conversations, partner work, and written practice, students are gaining confidence in expressing their interests in sports and understanding how to ask others about theirs.
Students had one summative test and one speaking assessment - application of language. We will have a review through a writing assessment on giving life directions once we return from spring break!
G7
Last week, our Grade 7 students explored a variety of iconic Chinese dishes, including Peking duck, hot pot, hot and sour soup, and stir-fried rice with eggs. Students practiced describing the ingredients, flavors, and cooking methods in Chinese, while learning to express their own food preferences.
To check for understanding, students completed a writing assessment last week, which focused on vocabulary, sentence patterns, and cultural knowledge related to Chinese cuisine. Students had an interpersonal role-play activity in class last Thursday.
We’re proud of their progress and excited to continue deepening their understanding of Chinese food and culture in the coming weeks! We will start the new unit once we come back from spring break!
G8
This week, our Grade 8 students focused on reviewing high-frequency vocabulary and key grammar structures to strengthen their overall language proficiency. In class, students actively practiced all four language skills — listening, speaking, and writing — through a variety of interactive activities.
To build oral fluency, students used Vocaroo.com to record their speaking practice and reflect on their pronunciation and fluency. In addition, we completed focused listening and writing exercises to help students apply their knowledge in real-time contexts.
These activities are part of our preparation for upcoming assessments, and we’re proud of the effort students are putting into their language learning journey!