Holiday traditions, schedule changes and dodgeball

Hola padres! This week has flown by and there is so much about this time of year that I want to cover and am hoping to get it all in by the last time I see the scholars on Wednesday of next week. With the first graders going on a field trip on Tuesday and our three half days next week, my class times with them are limited, but I am looking forward to sharing with them the different holiday traditions that are celebrated in Spanish speaking countries. I will do this mostly through reading stories to them in English. I have found a wonderful book by Tomie de Paola which describes these traditions with wonderful stories and amazing illustrations. I plan on sharing Las Posadas, the Legend of the Poinsettia, and the story of the Tres Reyes Magos or the Three Wise Men. These are all stories important to the Hispanic holiday tradition.

In P.E., we have started our unit on dodgeball. What an exciting unit! The scholars are having a wonderful time learning to throw, catch and strategize their way through the game. The soft foam balls are perfect as even if someone gets hit in the face, there is no harm done. (Famous last words!) I love the competitive nature that it brings out in them and just their general excitement. We are mostly working on being honest and truthful during the game and shaking it off when something doesn't quite go our way. I hope to be able to make sure that they all are stepping with the correct foot when they throw...this is hard to do as balls are flying and scholars are so intent on getting each other out, but feel that it is an important skill for them to learn before they move on to the higher grades. I'll let you know how it goes.

Thank you so much for sharing your children with me this year. They have brought me so much joy and have been so much fun to work with. They have surprised, challenged and loved me everyday since the beginning and I am excited to watch them grow through the remainder of the year. I will see some of you at conferences and will post again in January once school has begun again. Have a wonderful break!

Sra. Hamilton

the itsy bitsy spider, warm weather gear and El Salvador

Hola padres! We are now in December and I know that this month will go fast! Conference sign ups went out this week and I am excited to see that I already have quite a few scheduled. I look forward to meeting with you and talking with you about your scholars. I really enjoy teaching them.

In Spanish for first grade, we are continuing with our study of weather vocabulary. Again, our sudden weather change has been a great way for the scholars to practice and bring this vocabulary to life for them. To help with this, I have started teaching them the itsy bitsy spider in Spanish, since it talks about raining and the sun. They are excited to know both the English and Spanish versions of the song. We are also working on a series of games that will help them with the fluency of this vocabulary as some of these words can sound the same if you are not careful about their pronounciation.

On the subject of our cold weather, Kindergarten parents, please keep in mind that Kindergarten has PE right away at 8:05 in the morning. Mornings are now brisk and as much as I can, I'd like to have PE class outside. Please make sure your scholar has a warm jacket or coat in addition to their uniform sweater. I will keep them moving as much as I can so they don't get cold, but it helps if they are warmly dressed. Thank you!

Our country for the month of December is El Salvador. We are working our way through Central America and are talking about the amount of volcanic activity that takes place in that small country.

In PE for both grades, we will be learning to throw as we work toward playing dodgeball. We are using soft foam balls in the hopes that no one will get hurt. Hopefully this will be a fun unit for everyone.

In Kindergarten Spanish, we will be learning how to ask for where something is with a book about Spot. A craft comes with this lesson that the scholars really enjoy.

Have a great week!
Sra. Hamilton

the weather, days of the week and Hansel and Gretel

Hola padres! One thing I have forgotten to mention in my last few posts is that I have been able to read Spanish versions of some of the fairy tales that the first graders have read in class. Last week we read Hansel and Gretel. With Mr. Record's class I was able to have the scholars list all the familiar Spanish words that they recognized throughout the story and in Mrs. Baird's class, we were able to create a Venn diagram which allowed us to compare the story that the scholars had read in class with the story that I had read to them. It was interesting how the stories differed and were the same and what they remembered from each telling. I really enjoy being able to encompass Spanish class with what they are learning in their core classes. 

This week was perfect timing to introduce the weather as our own weather seems to be changing outside as well. This doesn't happen very often in Arizona, so I am thankful that the scholars can practice the different kinds of weather since it is actually happening outside. We have learned está lloviendo, está nublado, hace buen tiempo, hace mal tiempo, está nevando, hace sol y hace viento. We are playing a couple of games that help the scholars practice these terms and are talking about the weather quite a bit when we are outside at P.E. Next week we will continue with these terms and also talk and read a little about Thanksgiving. 

Sing 'N Speak has some really great stories that mostly use the vocabulary that we have learned this year. I have spent some time this week reading these stories in class and it is neat for them to see when they realize how much of the story they actually understand. They really enjoy this. We are also continuing on practicing our days of the week with songs. 

Lastly, for those of you with daughters, please remember to send them to school with shorts under their jumpers for P.E. Sometimes our activities require that they do crab walk and such and it is much easier for them if they are comfortable with what they are wearing. The same goes for shoes. Tennis shoes are much better for P.E. than flats. If you are in Ms. Kim or Ms. Keating's class P.E. is on Monday and Thursday. If you are in Mr. Record or Mrs. Baird's class, P.E. is on Tuesdays and Fridays. Wednesdays alternate between all four classes, so that is hard to keep track of I know. Kinder is on a three day rotating schedule and that isn't easy to follow either. Whatever you can do is greatly appreciated. Gracias!

I won't update again until the week of December (!) 2nd as next week is a short week. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Sinceramente,
Sra. Hamilton 

Honduras, mini soccer games and days of the week

Hola padres ! This month, the scholars are learning about Honduras as the Spanish speaking country. We have been learning why the Honduran flag has cinco estrellas, about its capitol, Tegucigalpa,  and what countries surround it on the map. I really enjoy expanding their knowledge about this part of the world! It always amazes me how much they remember as we talk about how the current country is similar or different from the ones we have learned about earlier in the year. 

In P.E. we have expanded to playing mini soccer games. I'm doing my best to make sure that  everyone gets a chance to play and have fun as I realize there are various levels of soccer knowledge and abilities among the scholars. This is the first official game we have played as classes and I am learning class by class how to make this a successful time for everyone. Next week, I plan on stations or relays with different activities spread out around the basketball court. We'll see what I can come up with. 

In Spanish this week, we are learning about the days of the week which I have already taught in P.E. as each of the seven squads is named after a day of the week. We learned a clever song to the tune of "My Darling Clementine" which will hopefully help in remembering the names to the days of the week. Next week and through Thanksgiving, we will be working on the weather and ways to express what is happening outside. 

Sra. Hamilton 

reviso, soccer and formas

Hola padres! This was a week of review as we continued to learn how to express our feelings in first grade, returned to shapes in Kindergarten and studied soccer more in depth in P.E. 

For soccer, we have practiced the basic soccer skills we learned in late October and are learning some techniques to better improve those skills. I hope to have the scholars play some mini games next week! They are all doing a wonderful job of letting me know if they are hot, cold or thirsty en español while we are playing.

Next week in Spanish, we look to improve our knowledge of the days of the week as well as learning how to describe the weather. 

With the holidays approaching, I am looking for ways for my own children to experience how these days are celebrated in Spanish speaking countries. One of these ways is with of course, the food. Tamales are a food that families spend hours making. I know that last year, the Avondale Senior Center had a fundraiser where you could order tamales and have them for the holidays. It is my hope to be able to order a dozen or so for my own family. I have been checking the website and there isn't any information up yet, but should be soon. Once I find anything out, I will let you know. Tamales are a very traditional way to celebrate the holidays and my children always enjoy eating them. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sra. Hamilton 

El día de Los muertos

Hola padres! I hope this week has been as much fun for your scholars as it has been for me. Last weekend, my family and I went to a Day of the Dead festival at the Mesa Arts Center. It was really exciting to see all of the colorful decorations, music and artistry that goes along with this holiday. I was able to share the pictures of the day with the scholars in class too which I think they really enjoyed. In order to have our own little celebration of this holiday, we spent the week working on our own replicas of sugar skull masks. The focus of these masks is the bright colors used to decorate them and the scholars really came through on this. They used great colors to exude the brightness of the celebration. We then cut them out and put them on a popsicle stick. It was really fun to see these completed. Also, some of the classes had time to create flowers out of tissue paper and pipe cleaners that are one of the symbols of the day of the dead. These flowers were meant to replicate the marigolds which represent the spirits of those who have passed away. This is a tradition begun by the Aztecs that ruled Mexico long ago.

In P.E. this week, the scholars were really able to practice letting me know how they felt (thirsty, hot, cold, etc) as we played a variety of running games. I am so happy to be able to give them a context where they can practice what I am teaching them and I hope it is fully solidifying the language in their minds. 

Next week, we will return to soccer in PE and Kinder will continue with shapes in Spanish. For first grade, I plan to continue their study of feelings. In November, we will begin our study of Honduras as our Spanish speaking country. Have a wonderful end to your week!

Sra. Hamilton 

feelings, soccer and la semana de cookie....

Hola padres! This was an exciting week for the scholars as they learned so many different things! In PE, we started off on a soccer unit. We learned how to kick with the instep of our foot and to stop the ball by trapping it instead of picking it up with our hands. They really enjoyed this. On Wednesdays, we are continuing to use the parachute and I was able to translate a ryhme set to the tune of "row, row, row your boat" into Spanish. In the ryhme, a scholar's name is called out and they have to run under the parachute and find a new spot. It was fun to have them catch on to the song and be able to sing it along with me. I will continue this game with the classes as they rotate through their Wednesday PE class with me. 

In Spanish, both Kinder and First were able to review the days of the week with a fun book called, La Semana de Cookie which tells about a mischievous cat and his misadventures throughout the week. From there, we learned our new vocabulary about feelings using different props or motions. Be sure to ask your scholar how to say "I'm cold" or "I'm hungry". Today we continued learning that vocabulary using two fun games that also helped them review their body part vocabulary. 

Next week, I plan to delve into some crafts that exemplify the celebration of Día de los muertos, the day of the dead celebration that happens at the beginning of November in Mexico. Phoenix has many ways we can teach the rich tradition of this holiday to our children. Here is a link to some of these celebrations around town: http://phoenix.about.com/od/events/a/dayofthedead.htm
We will actually be attending the one at the Mesa Arts Center on Saturday. Here is the link and info for that one:
http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/events/free-events/diadelosmuertos
I am excited to see what it is all about! Have a wonderful weekend! 
Sra. Hamilton 

formas, reviso y days of the week

Hola padres! This was a great week in both Spanish and P.E. for the Kinders and first graders. For the Kinders, we started learning our formas, or shapes, a concept they will begin soon in math. We discussed how there are many shapes in art and how the names for shapes in Spanish reflect the English names for shapes. Starting today, I will see how well they remember their formas when I ask them to take out some crayons and create the shape I call out with the crayons on their desk. (No coloring involved!) We'll see how well they do. 

In order to reinforce the formas with the Kindergarten, in P.E. we played círculo tag, where they had to form a circle with their squad with one person standing outside as the tagger. The tagger then selected a person that is part of the circle to tag. It was up to the circle to move in a way so as to not have the selected person tagged by the tagger. This game will need some work, but hopefully, after some practice they will be very efficient in their strategy. 

For first grade this week, Spanish has been mostly review. Earlier this week we did some fun activities in our workbooks to help us review most of the vocabulary we have learned so far and in the latter part of the week, we are working on a bingo or lotería game that helped them review their colors and numbers. It is fun to see their excitement when they remember words from the first weeks of school. 

For both grades, in P.E., I have put them in squads and because first grade has learned the days of the week, each squad is named a different day of the week. I am hoping with some repetition and practice, they will be able to recognize their squad name and the days of the week in general. I know this took me a long time to understand, so I will make sure we practice many times until they are comfortable with it. 

Next week, we are looking to study emotions and feelings in Spanish for both grades. In P.E. with some help from Mrs. Harding, we hope to incorporate a dance from Hansel and Gretel. Stay tuned for more details! 

Sra. Hamilton 

adjectives, bean bags, Guatemala and follow my blog!

Hola padres! It was brought to my attention this week that it was not easy to sign up to get emails when a new post was made to my blog. My apologies. I had no idea I needed to add this feature. I have now done so and at the top of the right hand column, you can type in your email and hit submit and you should get an email update on Thursdays when I write a new post. Please let me know if you have any troubles with this. Thanks!

This week, we have been busy in Spanish working with adjectives. I made sure the scholars knew that adjectives were describing words and then we began to learn the vocabulary, learning gestures to go along with each word. See if your scholar can demonstrate "grande, pequeño; gordo/a, delgado/a, flaco/a; largo/a, corto/a. 

In P.E. for both Kinder and First grade, we have been working with bean bags. At the beginning of the week, they had to pretend to be crabs o cangrejos and use their crab walking skills to collect crab food or bean bags to bring back to their team. Once all the food was collected, they were to count their bean bags en español to determine who won. There was quite a bit of debate as to the best way in which to count the bean bags, but by the third go around and lots of discussion about team work and friendship, they had it figured out. Today we started another game which required them use a specific locomotor skill depending on which color bean bag they had. The bean bag colors we used were anaranjado, verde, amarillo y morado. On my signal, they were to drop the bean bag and put their hands on their knees. Then they had to find a different colored bean bag and use that locomotor skill to move around the space. They had lots of fun with this! It is my hope over fall break to come up with more commands to use in Spanish during P.E. class. I'll let you know how these work once we are back from break.

For Kinder Spanish, we have been working on seasons and I have begun to teach them a short poem that will hopefully help them to remember the names of the seasons. We discussed quite a bit about what colors we see when, particularly in autumn (el otoño) and summer (el verano). 

A new element I have begun to include in P.E. is a short saying that my mother taught me. I have had a few instances where scholars approach me and say they have a scratch, are bleeding (barely) or have hurt themselves somehow. Most of the time, they are just fine and are able to continue and I use this saying to let them know that I think they are going to be just fine and can continue to participate: Sana, sana, colita de rana, si no sanas hoy, sanarás mañana. Loosely translated, it means that if you don't feel better today, it should be better tomorrow. They always smile when I do this and as with my own children, it assures me that they really are o.k. and can continue on. 

The Spanish speaking country we are studying this month is Guatemala. They, like Mexico,  also celebrate their independence in September. We discussed where Guatemala is on the map and what the word Guatemala means. We also discussed and colored a picture of the national bird, the quetzal. Ask your scholar what other meaning the quetzal has for Guatemala. I did this with Ms. Keating's and Mrs. Thompson's class yesterday and will rotate through the other classes throughout the rest of the month. 

That is all I have for this week. I hope you have a wonderful Fall Break and I will check in with you again on the 17th. 

Sra. Hamilton 

body parts continued.....

Hola padres! I decided to continue this week in first grade with body part vocabulary review as there were a couple of activities that I thought would be helpful and fun for the scholars that we didn't get to last week. We started the off with another round of "around the world" or "en todo el mundo" but this time with body part vocabulary. This is always a fun way to warm up for class. After that, I put up pictures of various masks on the board that each had facial features in different colors. I split the class up into two teams and asked one person from each team to come to the board. I would then say "nariz azul" or "pelo verde" and the scholar that pointed to the appropriate feature in the correct color would win a point for their team. The teams did well as they usually ended up neck and neck point wise.

Today, we started an activity called Monster Art. It proved to be challenging for both kinder and first, but I have learned in each class how to better demonstrate how it is done and each class goes a little more smoothly. I start out by having a blank piece of paper on each desk. I tell the scholars that I will be giving them a body part to draw and that they can only draw that body part. Once they are done, I tell them to pass their paper to their neighbor who will then on my say draw a different body part. At the end, they should have a mostly complete body drawn by different members of their class. Despite its challenges, I think the scholars have enjoyed this activity and I find it a good way for the scholars to practice their vocabulary.

In P.E. this week, we have been working on relays. Each time the scholars go to the cone and back, they are to do it in a different manner. I have done my best to use our Spanish vocabulary to relay these directions to them.

In Kinder this week, we began talking about animals and their needs as this is a concept they cover in their core class. We will continue that to the end of this week.

Next week, we will delve into adjectives in Spanish class and continue practicing our colors with the use of bean bags in P.E.

On a side note, my daughters and I did a little exploring last night in terms of dinner and tried Taqueria La Jacky located on Western Ave. in Avondale just west of Dysart. I was so excited as my daughters ordered their dinners in Spanish and were able to watch Univision while we ate. If you get a chance, check it out! Giving the scholars the opportunity to put their Spanish into practice will make it all the more real and relevant to them.

Sinceramente,
Sra. Hamilton

parts of the body and Hispanic Heritage Month

Hola padres! We have had such fun this week as both P.E. and Spanish have meshed together so well as we've studied and learned the parts of the body. We started out in P.E. this week by learning the song "head and shoulders, knees and toes" in Spanish! See if your scholar can sing "cabeza, hombros, piernas, pies" for you and then have them sing it más rapido! We continued P.E. with playing body part tag where the scholars walked around the room and when I rang the bell, they were to find a partner and touch the body parts together that I called out. For instance, I would say, "foot to hand" or "head to elbow". They had a great time doing this. Today we began playing the same game, but in Spanish. I used the flash cards that I used in Spanish class to teach them body part names in and had the scholars touch the body parts together that I called out. For instance, I would say "cabeza a mano" or "dedo a nariz". Again, we had a great time with this new twist to the game. 

In Spanish, we started class out by playing "around the world" or "en todo el mundo" to review the classroom, color and number vocabulary that we have learned so far this year. After that, I introduced the new body part vocabulary and helped the scholars solidify this vocabulary with a song called "Tengo comezón" which means, "I have an itch". The song is about someone having an itch on different parts of their body and not knowing what to do about it. Due to the silliness of the song, it is really enjoyed by everyone and a good way for the class to practice their body part vocabulary. To follow up with the song, we did a body part wheel from their workbook that will help them with practicing this vocab at home. We will do some more review with body parts next week and delve into adjectives as well. 

Monday marked an important day in Mexico as the students have learned or will learn during their Wednesday Spanish lesson. Mexico celebrated the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain which began on September 16, 1810. After three attempts, they were finally successful and earned their independence in 1821. Due to this significant date, September 16th marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month as not only Mexico, but many other Spanish speaking countries celebrate their independence. There are various celebrations and events going on this month to commemorate these days of independence. Here are a couple of links with details. http://phoenix.about.com/od/events/a/HispanicHeritage.htm
http://news.estrellamountain.edu/2013/09/13/emcc-celebrates-10th-annual-hispanic-heritage-month
We live in a great city that offers many opportunites for us to connect with the Spanish speaking community
and make Spanish come alive for our children. Enjoy!

Putting our knowledge into practice and Instructions Not Included

¡Hola padres! This week has been mostly review, but in some fun and applicable ways for the scholars. In first grade, we have been going over our colors during P.E. (colored dots on the floor, colored balls for tossing and catching and during our parachute lessons on Wednesdays) since the beginning of the year, but this week, we addressed the colors specifically in Spanish class with a coloring sheet in the Sing 'N Speak workbook. 

In terms of numbers, we have also been practicing those during P.E. Last week, we tossed a ball with partners and counted in Spanish how many times we could do this without dropping the ball. As I handed the balls out and as the scholars returned them at the end of class, they had to tell me the color of their ball in Spanish.  This week in Spanish, we played a few games to help the scholars be able to better identify numbers using their Spanish vocabulary. The first was through a tapping game, where I would tap on a desk with a marker and when I stopped, the scholars would have to tell me en enspañol how many times I had tapped. For the second game, I passed out pipe cleaners or limpiadores de pipa, and when I called out a number in Spanish, the scholars then had to form that number with their pipe cleaner. They really had fun with this one. Our final way of practicing our números was with number bonds! I gave the students a number and we created as many number bonds we could for that number. This was all done in Spanish and the scholars learned that they could say 4+5=9 or they could say cuatro más cinco son nueve. It was really fun to be able to show them that math in English is the same as math in Spanish. 

For Kindergarten, we are wrapping up our number packet this week. I also played the number games with them this week to give them a little break. The packet has taken us a little longer than I expected but I think the scholars will be excited to move on to studying verano or summer which is a subject they have already covered. In P.E. we have also continued working on our numbers and colors in various ways. 

As an added note, I had the fortunate opportunity of going to the movies this past weekend with Ms. Keating. We saw Instructions Not Included. This was a beautifully sweet bilingual film. Although I wouldn't recommend it as a family movie, it was a movie with a heartlfelt message that was really well done. It was directed by Eugenio Derbez, a well known actor throughout Mexcio, who also played the lead role. This movie has been a surprise hit since it released Labor Day Weekend as was evidenced by the fact that it was sold out on two screens at the first theater we went to. If you get the chance, check it out! Its great to see a movie that isn't your typical everyday movie and we left the theater with smiles on our faces. Let me know what you think. 

Sinceremente, 
Sra. Hamilton 

Más números, lotería y México!

Hola padres! This short week started out with us playing a fun game of bingo o lotería to help us review our numbers. This was fun as I was able to use colored buttons as our bingo markers and we made sure to review our colors along with our numbers as we played. 

On Wednesday, first grade started its study on Mexico. We pinpointed six points on the map of Mexico using the first grader's newly learned map skills and also colored and discussed Mexico's flag. More importantly, we talked about how after several attempts, Mexico finally won its independence from Spain in 1821. We talked about their perseverance o perserverancia and how because of this, Mexico celebrates its independence on September 16, the anniversary of the start of the revolt against Spain which began in 1810. 

In the latter part of this week, first grade has been working on their workbook. I had them tear out page 4A to take home. It is a page of number flashcards that they can make at home if they would like extra pratice with their números. This is not homework, but just something fun they can work on at home if they'd like. 

In P.E. this week, we have started doing our warm up in español. The scholars all of a sudden get very attentive when they hear all the instructions in Spanish and need to follow along with what I am doing to know what to do themselves. Its a fun way to start class off! 

Kindergarten is doing an amazing job with their number packet as we continue our way to cinco. I plan to mix in some number games with them as well this week. 

Lastly, I wanted to mention a bit of motivation I am using with the scholars. I have Spanish reward stickers that I will be passing out during class to those students who show that they are paying extra close attention, make specific connections between lessons or who are showing that they are putting that extra effort forth. The same concept will hold true for P.E. The scholars understand that not everyone will get a sticker every time, but that it is their hard work that will earn them one. I did this last year with kindergarten and they enjoyed showing me that they were paying attention. I was pleased to see one scholar congratulate another this morning when he received one. We work on congratulating each other when we see those around us do well. I hope this helps them in learning the concepts of citizenship and friendship. 

Sinceramente, 
Sra. Hamilton

Números, colores y ¿cuántos hay?

¡Hola padres! Week four has been an exciting week as we have incorporated our knowledge of classroom vocabulary with learning colors and numbers. 

In P.E. this week we have begun to learn and practice our colors! We played zapped tag where the students used different colored foam balls to tag each other with. As I passed the balls out to my taggers, I said and had the students repeat the colors en español. As we played with the parachute on Wednesday, we discussed the different colors of the parachute and who was standing on which color. This adds a fun dimension to our classes as you can see the kids realize that they aren't there just to play, but to apply knowledge that they have. On parachute Wednesday, we also played games like palomitas and gato y ratón. If your scholar had P.E. on Wednesday this week, ask them about these games and how they were played. We had a lot of fun! 

In Spanish this week, we learned that it is ok to not know an answer and that we should then ask for help from our classmates around us. When the scholars aren't sure how to answer something I have asked them in Spanish, I taught them to say "ayuda, por favor" (help please) signaling to their classmates that they need help. The scholars have done a great job not only asking for help but jumping to each other's aid. I don't ever want a scholar to feel embarrassed to answer in Spanish because they are unsure, but wanted to give them a phrase they could rely on in case they got stuck. This seems to have done the trick. 

In Kindergarten Spanish this week, we started a packet on números or numbers 1-5. This packet will take us a few days to complete and I am hoping that it will help them visualize the numbers well both in English and in Spanish. They have done great so far. 

In First Grade Spanish this week, we played a fun game of memoria to practice the words for objects around the classroom and started on numbers through 16. I also put a classroom scene up on the document camera and had the scholars count how many of what objects they could see. They very eagerly learned that ¿cuántos hay? means "how many?" and that the appropriate answer is hay....I am so proud of how well they grasp these concepts and let them know that while they are out and about at school that I will be asking them this new question as well as how they are and what their name is and that they need to be ready with the appropriate answer. I know they will work hard at being ready for whatever I ask of them. 

Have a wonderful long weekend and as we look to next month, we will be studying Mexico and learning why their independence is celebrated in September. 

adiós,
Sra. Hamilton

la clase

¡Hola padres! Here we are in our third week of school and the kids are excited to be learning the names of some of the common objects found in the classroom: la maestra, la muchacha/el muchacho, el libro, el papel, la pluma, la mesa, la silla, el reloj y el lápiz. After learning the new vocabulary, we  spent some time on a "slap jack" type game where I divided the class into teams and had one player from each team come up to the board to see who could first point to the classroom object correctly. As we did in P.E., we talked about how not everyone always gets a turn and that sometimes we lose and sometimes we win, but that we always say buen juego after the game to show good sportsmanship. They really enjoyed this. We also worked on a page in our workbooks to reinforce the classroom vocabulary and Ms. Keating's class learned about Cuba.

For Kindergarten, we also worked on classroom object vocabulary and on our matching skills. I will start números de uno a cinco with them today with various games.

With both classes, in P.E. this week we have been hula hooping and they love it! On Wednesday I also broke out the parachute and although not much Spanish was incorporated, I hope to increase the use of colors words in the Wednesdays to come with this lesson.

Please ask your children about what they are learning in either class and let me know what they say. Feedback is a great way for me to make any adjustments that are needed to class and also a way for me to continue using what works. I would love to hear their stories.

Sinceramente,
Sra. Hamilton

¿Cómo te llamas?

¡Hola padres! We have completed our second week of school and also our unit on greetings. This week as well as reviewing ¿cómo estas? we began learning ¿cómo te llamas?  Me llamo....or "what is your name?" and "my name is....".  Now the trick is having the scholars differentiate between the two questions and responding appropriately to each question. I will continue to practice with them in class as well as when I see them around campus or in P.E.

In terms of integrating the first grade curriculum, this week I had the children listen to the continents said in Spanish on the quizlet website. For some reason, Asia was not included, but I went ahead and just said it myself. The scholars practiced listening to the words as well as saying them and locating them on the map.  Here is the link I used:  http://quizlet.com/395910/the-seven-continents-in-spanish-flash-cards/

For Kinder, I contined our study on igual y diferente with a matching game which they are also working on in math. I plan to continue matching with them next week as we move into our lesson on classroom objects. We also worked on completed our lesson on greetings.

Each month, I also intend to highlight a Spanish speaking country. This lesson will take place on
 Wednesdays and will rotate with a different class every week. This month we are studying Cuba. 
We talked about Havana, its capitol, the fact that it has both beaches and mountains, we talked 
about how many people ride bikes instead of driving cars due to the warm weather, we talked
 about where  Cuba is located and about its flag and how it is modeled after ours. 

In P.E. for both classes I did my best to incorporate numbers as we counted our saltos or jumping 
jacks, and plan to work on colors next week as we work with the parachute and hula hoops. I'll let 
you know how it goes.  

Next week for both grades, we will begin our study on the classroom and objects within it. Have a great weekend!

Adiós, 
Sra. Hamilton

The first week!

Hola padres! We have made it through our first week of school! I told the scholars this morning that I was so proud of them; I know it can be a tough and tiring week, but they did a great job and still have smiles on their faces. It has been so fun to see their them every morning and be able to greet them with the greetings that we learned this week in class: hola, buenos dias, ?como estas?, muy bien, muy mal, and asi, asi. They have really caught on and and eagerly used the hand motions I have shown them to converse with me.

Kindergarten: In Kindergarten this week, I have been working closely with the teachers and learned that they are studying same and different in math. I have then worked with them on igual and diferente, which means same and different in Spanish. They seem to catch on and I hope that I am not confusing them, but emphasizing concepts they are learning.
In P.E. the scholars were excited to play the Spanish version of duck, duck, goose or pato, pato, gonzo. What fun it was for them to see that they could do exactly what they normally do in English, in Spanish! I think they really enjoyed it and we will definitely play it again. We also worked on gross motor skills in squads and worked on some color and number recognition which I hope to work in more seamlessly as we progress through the year. Right now, this is all a bit of experimentation as I see how this will best work for both grades, but I do think it can be done.

First Grade: In first grade, I plan to follow the Sing N Speak Spanish workbook that all the students should have. This is a comprehensive curriculum that includes music, worksheets and flashcards that help reinforce the vocabulary and concepts taught. Instead of homework, we will do the worksheets together in class.
In terms of integrating curriculum with Spanish class, after talking to Mr. Record, my plan is to spend a few minutes at the end of each class discussing some geography, history or science concepts that the children have learned and teaching some of these words to them in Spanish. I know right now they are learning about the continents and I hope to be able to cover those words with them in the next week or so.

Again, I am very excited about this year and hope that your children are too. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I will also be presenting next Tuesday night at curriculum night and hope to see you there!

Sra. Hamilton

Bienvenidos!

Hola padres! Welcome to another year of Spanish! My name is Andrea Hamilton and I will be the Kindergarten and First grade Spanish teacher as well as the Kindergarten and First grade P.E. teacher this year at Archway Trivium. I am so excited to be given the opportunity to share this beautiful language with your children not only once but twice daily through Spanish class as well as P.E. class. You might be wondering how that will work. It is my belief that language is learned when it is applied to the everyday. For these young scholars, that means practicing their numbers, letters, colors and discovering all the new things around them. Children also learn through movement. As we learn moves in P.E., they will also be learning what those moves and actions mean in Spanish. This learning through movement and action solidifies word meanings in their minds. It is my hope to be able to conduct most of P.E. in Spanish after a few weeks. 

I will be partnering closely with Mr. David Brittain the new 2-5 grade Spanish teacher. It is our philosophy that Spanish will be taught through immersion, integration and initiation. Not only will the Spanish curriculum closely follow what your scholar is learning in their main classroom, but I hope to be in the classroom throughout the week reinforcing the Spanish vocabulary taught and also working with the lead and assistant teachers to see how they can integrate Spanish on their own throughout the day. We are very excited for this integrated approach and hope that it will be a successful way to foster a love for the Spanish language to your children. Please feel free to email me anytime at ahamilton@archwaytrivium.org 

Adios, 
Sra. Hamilton