World Languages

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

Happy New Year to all our families! We hope you had a wonderful winter break and are off to a great start in 2026.

Last week, students had a lot of fun creating their own restaurant menus using Spanish food and drink vocabulary. They designed menus for Hispanic restaurants, which gave them the opportunity to practice new words while also learning more about the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries.

Next week, students will take two summative assessments: one Speaking assessment and one Reading assessment. Students should be familiar with the food and beverage vocabulary we have been working on in class.

They can use the links below to practice at home.

Thank you for your continued support, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=695eafca872b62e02fda4137

https://play.blooket.com/play?hwId=695eaeca0d4d7e462182a16f

Spanish I (Mr. Donaldson, Ms. Cuffee)

There will be middle-of-the year testing for students. This week we will focus on creative projects. On Thursday, January 16, students will submit two assignments: the Comic Project Outline and the Final Comic Project. Both are designed to practice vocabulary, grammar, and creativity while demonstrating understanding of the unit’s themes.

The retake and makeup deadline for the second half of Term 2 is Friday, January 23. On that date, no makeups or retakes for work given on or prior to January 23 will be accepted.

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

This week in Spanish we started off by learning about new years traditions across Latin America and talking about our class goal to increase our Spanish SPEAKING in and out of class this year. We then started our new unit, in which we will be reading the book Los Baker Van a Perú and learning about the culture of Perú. Throughout the unit, students will reflecting on what it means to be a tourist or a traveler and show curiosity and respect for the places they visit. Expect to see more weekly speaking homework assignments, such as the one on canvas this weekend. Next week, student will continue to build their new vocabulary for the unit and will read the second chapter of the book. They will have additional speaking practice, making connections with the characters, taking on their point of view, and using the vocab from the book in contexts outside of the book for extra practice.

Spanish Humanities, grade 6 (Ms. Balestra)

Students will take their second summative next week. This summative will require students to show their knowledge of verb conjugations in the present and past while writing about events in Esperanza Renace.

Spanish Humanities, grade 7 (Ms. Henderson)

This past week, students explored Lázaro’s third amo (master), el escudero, and examined how appearances can be deceptive and why maintaining appearances mattered so much in 16th-century Spain. Through discussion and close reading, students considered how social class, honor, and reputation shaped daily life.

Next week, we will continue Lázaro’s journey with his fifth master, el buldero. Students will learn how papal bullsfunctioned in the 16th century and how they were sometimes used to manipulate or take advantage of common people. We will also focus on author’s intent, encouraging students to interpret what Lazarillo de Tormes is criticizing about power, religion, and society and why those critiques still matter today.

Humanidades en Español – 7.º grado:

Esta semana, los estudiantes estudiaron al tercer amo de Lázaro, el escudero, y analizaron cómo las apariencias pueden engañar y por qué eran tan importantes en la España del siglo XVI. A través de la lectura y la discusión, reflexionaron sobre el honor, la clase social y la reputación.

La próxima semana continuaremos con la historia de Lázaro y su quinto amo, el buldero. Los estudiantes aprenderán cómo funcionaban las bulas papales en el siglo XVI y cómo, en algunos casos, se utilizaban para aprovecharse de la gente común. También analizaremos la intención del autor, interpretando qué critica Lazarillo de Tormes sobre el poder, la religión y la sociedad, y por qué esas críticas siguen siendo relevantes hoy.

Spanish Humanities, grade 8 (Ms. Wooten)

This week students started off the new year by reflecting and setting 3 specific goals (Spanish-based, academic, and personal). We then read 2 vignettes from Casa en Mango Street. In the first, "Papa que despierta cansado en la oscuridad" students practiced making inferences and interpretting Cisnero's use of indirect characterization. They participated in group conversations, talking about how the central themes of the book are advanced- for example, we saw in this vignette a level of empathy from Esperanza that demonstrates more emotional maturity than we had seen in previous vignettes, where she has more characteristics of a young child. In Sire, students practiced taking on the point of view of characters to help Esperanza (the main character) talk through the limited options she sees for her future, based on the role models she has available to her. Next week, we will continue to read, starting with "Cuatro árboles flaquitos," discussing teen mental health, and "No Speak english," discussing generational differences and assimilation. Students will prepare for a speaking seminar (on Thursday) by answering provided questions about the text and preparing their own questions to present to their peers. Students who do not adequatlely pariticipate (speaking) in the seminar will have to complete an alternate written assignment for their final summative grade of the 2nd advisory.

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

We hope your family had a chance to rest and relax over the winter break. Last week we worked hard to get back into school-mode. This week we will be working on our speaking summative which is to create and record a café skit. Hopefully your child will share what they're working on with you. At home, you can encourage your child to study a little every night to prepare. Many students got out of the routine of studying every night, so getting back on track is a great way to start 2026 on a strong note. Studying vocabulary nightly with this resource can help. After all, knowing vocabulary is the key to communicating!

In Madame Bullock's class, we are at that point in the year when any donation of copier paper would be appreciated for those who are able. :)

Here's to an amazing 2026!

French I (Ms. Balestra, Mr. Osei)

Next week students will take their Speaking Summative. Students should be able to answer questions related to what they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They should be able to talk about logical quantities of foods, and use negative sentences correctly.

French II (Dr. Mbayu & Mr. Osei)

Students synthesize vocabulary and grammar through creative writing and oral communication tasks.
They prepare for Summative B (Reading) and Summative A (listening) assessments.
🧠 Reflection focus: How has feedback helped me grow as a communicator?

Chinese (Ms. Liang)

Grade 6

This past week, our students explored the fascinating world of zodiacs! They delved into the characteristics of different signs and engaged in interactive activities that combined creativity and critical thinking. We continued learning the song As Wished as they will sing at Deal international night. I look forward to meeting everyone during the event! Next week students will complete a formative assessment to showcase their learning progress in Zodiac lesson 5. We are proud of their hard work and dedication!

Grade 7

Last week, our Grade 7 Chinese class started describing tops, pants, skirts, shoes and accessories. Students worked hard to describe their outfits in Chinese, focusing on details like colors, specific measures words, and specific verbs. In this lesson, students are learning essential vocabulary for diverse types of clothing, accessories, and colors. They’re also practicing how to describe clothing styles and appearances, focusing on measure words “件，” “条,” “双,” “戴,” and words like "长裙(long dress)," "短裤 (shorts)," and "穿了(wear)." They also learned how to comment on the outfit by using “肥,” “瘦,” “好看,” “合身.” This topic helps students apply descriptive language in fun and practical ways. We will have a review session next week. We will have a summative written test and a summative oral test next week.

Grade 8

In Grade 8 Chinese class, we completed the written summative - describing their weekend, Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year Eve - by applying the key sentence structures we learned in L1-3 and started learning lesson 6 Seeing doctors. Next week we will continue learning the new lesson and have a quiz on Friday.