22-26 de marzo

 ¡Hola Familias!

It has been another wonderful week of learning and growth in our class! I have seen so much growth in the kids, and I can't wait to share all of it with you in our upcoming conferences!

Here's a snapshot of our week...

Lectura / Reading: This week we practiced words and syllables with W, which are not too common in Spanish. We also compared the phrase me gusta (I like) with me encanta (I love). The kids had fun thinking up phrases for these!

Escritura / Writing: We've been honing in on small moments, or semilla (seed) vs. sandía (watermelon) stories. This week the students planned and wrote another story, this time focusing on a small moment and including details.

Matemáticas / Math: We have been reviewing numbers 11-20, larger addition and subtraction problems (within 10), 3D shapes, counting and writing 1-100, and more!

Biblia / Bible: This week we have started our huevos de la resurrección (Resurrection eggs) project. We've learned about significant moments in Jesus' last week on earth with symbols like el burro (the donkey), la copa (the cup), and la corona de espinas (the crown of thorns). The kids have been enjoying coloring a book and putting papers inside an egg each day. We are excited to remember that Jesus did not stay dead--He is alive!

Immersion Tip of the Week

Have your child be the "language teacher" in your house one evening. Encourage him/her to teach you some new words or phrases. Let your child show off and be the expert. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and laugh as you learn. Most importantly, have fun!

Reading Tip of the Week

In some of our reading groups, we've worked on developing fluency when we read. Fluency is reading like talking--not too quickly, but also not in a choppy way. When you read to your child, read with lots of expression to model this!

Book Helpers Needed!

We have been blessed with many new additions to our school library in both English and Spanish! Before the books are put on shelves for kids to take home and enjoy, they need to be covered and labeled for circulation. Is anyone willing to take home some books to help with this? If so, let me know. (You can start after spring break!) Muchas gracias!

Other Announcements

Yearbooks!  If you did not have a chance to order a 2020-21 Rose Park yearbook this past fall, please follow this link to place your order.  

HAC Splash and Dash
Holland Aquatic Center is excited to announce a USA Triathlon sanctioned Splash and Dash. This is both a youth and adult event that features an age group designated swim and run. The date is set for Saturday, April 24 at Holland Aquatic Center. See attached flier and event guide for more details. Registration is available on the HCAC website or HERE.

Have a great weekend! Spring Break is on the horizon!

15-18 de marzo

 ¡Hola Familias!

I don't know about you, but I have been acutely aware of the calendar this week. Last year at this time, I was scrambling to figure out online learning, teaching kids how to use Zoom, and figuring out how to make videos, edit them, and upload them to YouTube. What an incredible blessing that we are STILL learning in person together! I am so thankful for the opportunity to see your child's beautiful, eager face every day, and not just on a screen!

Here's what we were up to this week!

Reading / Lectura: We are nearing the end of learning all the syllables! This week we practiced words with ga, gue, gui, go, gu (all of these have the same /g/ sound, and the "u" in gue/gui is silent). The kids are getting so confident in writing words syllables by syllables. I am so proud of them! Additionally, we practiced identifying, hearing, reading, and writing sentence that are exclamaciones!

Writing / Escritura: This week we continued the process of planning and writing about an experience from our lives. We talked about our writing having un tema, or a theme or big idea. We then shared our writing with the class and celebrated the growth each student is making.

Math / Matemáticas: We have been practicing solving number stories and writing equations based on real-life situations. We've also been practicing counting by 1s, 5s, and 10s, and identifying 3-dimensional shapes and comparing them with 2-dimensional ones. Nicole and Will, our high school immersion helpers, have been working with the kids every Thursday afternoon and helping with math.

Bible / Biblia: This week we learned some stories about when Jesus was growing up and preparing for ministry. We learned about how He was "lost" at the temple in Jerusalem, His baptism by John, and the choosing of His disciples.

Science / Ciencias: This week we learned about el aire, or the air. We talked about how you can see the air moving in things like plastic bags, bubbles, balloons, and kites. It was a fun outdoor experience!

Immersion Tip of the Week
Your child recently brought home a book that he/she wrote during Writing class. Ask your child to read it to you and to talk about each page. I hope you will be impressed with how far your child has come in the area of writing!

Reading Tip of the Week
You already know that reading to your child is critically important, but did you also know that talking to your child is just as important? When we engage in conversation, we model language, taking turns, eye contact, listening behaviors, comprehension, and good manners. Take some time to talk to your child this weekend. Ask about his/her favorite activities in school, games to play on the playground, or just play together!

Easter Crafts 

I have not done the final count, but I don't think I have received all of the egg cartons or sticks yet. If you have not sent them in, please do so by Monday!

P/T Conferences 

Some families have yet to sign up for conferences coming up Monday, March 29th and Wednesday, March 31st. Please do so ASAP so I can plan accordingly. Thank you! Here is the link to the Virtual Paragon.

Have a great weekend! Please don't hesitate to reach out to me tomorrow if you have questions regarding our virtual learning day. 

8-12 de marzo

¡Hola Familias!

We had a beautiful, sunny week! I'm so proud of how much the kids are learning! Here's what we've been doing at school this week...

Lectura / Reading: We've been focusing on the letter c and the sounds ca, co, co (pronounced as the sound /k/) and ce, ci (pronounced as the sound /s/). The kids have done an awesome job distinguishing between these two different sounds. We've also been practicing using the word lo, which in Spanish can be used to replace a noun (much like the word "it" in English).

Escritura / Writing: We have continued to learn how to write about small moments that have a beginning, middle, and end. This week we focused on staying on topic and adding detail to our work. We also presented our work to the class, which was a lot of fun!

Matemáticas / Math: This week we have focused a lot on the parts of numbers. We've also been working on addition and subtraction problems with numbers from 5-10.

Biblia / Bibla: We have started the New Testament and have been re-learning the story of the birth of Christ, including Simeon and Anna meeting the baby Jesus at the temple. We will continue connecting Jesus's birth to his life and ministry, which we'll start next week. :)

Ciencias / Science: Continuing with our unit of Mi Tierra (my Earth), we explored 3 different types of earth this week: tierra (soil), piedras (rocks), and arena (sand). We looked for them outside, explored them using magnifying glasses, and compared their different characteristics.

Immersion Tip of the Week

I encourage you to help your child continue to hear and speak Spanish this week, whether it be watching a video, going to a place where there are Spanish speakers, or talking with a friend or family member! Language learning never stops, even outside of the classroom!

Reading Tip of the Week

Visit the library this week (or sometime this month) and check out some new books! Try some easy readers in English, or in Spanish (the Holland public library has a good selection of Spanish books). Get excited about starting a new book or a new series with your child!

Virtual Learning Day

...is next Friday, March 19th! I will be sending an email with some activities your child can do in Reading, Writing, Math, and Bible that day. Each activity should take no longer than 15 minutes. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Hope you've signed up for our conferences Monday, March 29th and Wednesday, March 31st! If not, please let me know, and I can help you sign up.

Reminders

Don't forget to send in your numbered plastic eggs in a carton and 2 sticks for our upcoming Easter activities!

Have a great weekend! Enjoy that sunshine!