30 de agosto - 2 de septiembre

¡Hola Familias!

I am so thankful for a first "normal" week of school! I am finally feeling like the kids and I are getting to know each other, and it has been wonderful! We have had a great time together playing, singing, and learning. Here are some more things we've been up to this week!

PBIS: PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. This is a school-wide system that we are using to promote positive behavior and encourage students to make good choices! We use the acronym SER (Self-control, Engaged, Respectful) to teach students how to behave positively, and we reward them with tickets. We had two dinosaur friends, Dino and Rexie, help us learn about SER in our classroom this week!

Reading / Lectura: This week, we have started to learn el alfabeto, or the alphabet. If you're curious to hear the alphabet in Spanish, here is a video with the names of the letters. We have learned and practiced the names and sounds for the letters A, B, and C this week. We've also been practicing "reading" books quietly, using our imaginations, and sharing with a partner.

Writing / Escritura: We have been practicing our Writing Workshop routine this week, where we think of an idea and draw pictures or write letters. We have also practiced sharing our work with the class.

Math / Matemáticas: We're learning the numbers in Spanish! This week we learned the numbers 1, 2, and 3 along with a poem and some motions to go with each number. We are working on penmanship and also practicing counting orally and on our fingers.

Bible / Biblia: After learning some vocabulary, including Jesús and la Biblia, we have starting to learn about la creación--the Creation story. We learned how on the first day of creation, God created la luz (light) and la oscuridad (darkness). More to come next week!

Science / Ciencias: During the first month or so of school, we will be exploring los cinco sentidos--the five senses. We started learning some of the vocabulary this week and will be starting to focus on each sense in the coming weeks.

Parent Helpers

Thank you to those who filled out the parent helper form. If you didn't have a chance to yet, you can still do so! We are also in need of some library volunteers, who would receive training in a specific area from Mrs. Mary Hofman, our wonderful librarian. Would anyone be willing to dedicate a few hours a week or a month to help keep our library in tip-top shape? Please contact me if this sounds like something you would be able to do. Thank you in advance!

In Your Child's Folder

Please make sure you check your child's folder daily. Today, you will find your child's Walkathon packet (to raise funds for our school) and school picture form. If you have any questions about either form, please let me know!

Immersion Tip of the Week

One technique I use to encourage students to produce language, even when their vocabulary is limited, is called "circling". For example, I'll ask "sí-no" questions, such as: "Is this ball big?" "Is this a pencil?" Then, I'll ask "either-or" questions, such as: "Is this a Bible or a notebook?" "Is this book red or blue?" "Is the boy happy or sad?" This helps students hear more vocabulary and feel successful because they can understand and answer questions correctly. (For more great information, check out the "Myth vs. Fact" infograph on the left!)

Reading Tip of the Week

When you're reading a new book to your child this weekend, talk about the pictures you see on the title page. Ask, "What do you think this book will be about? Why do you think that?" Make predictions together. Most of all, have fun!

Hope you have a fantastic long weekend! See you back on Tuesday!