3-6 de septiembre

¡Hola Familias!

We had another great week of fun, playing, and learning together! Here is a brief update on what we've been learning:

Bible: We finished "Mi Libro de la Creación", which your child took home on Wednesday. We also started learning about Adán y Eva and how they brought sin into the world. We are so thankful that Jesús paid the price for all our sins!

Reading: This week we learned the letters H, I, J, and K. We also practiced differentiating between un lugar (a place) and una persona.

Writing: We continued to write about our familias this week, adding more words to our vocabulary as we worked to strengthen our stamina and our writing and sharing routines.

Math: This week we finished up our number poems with 7, 8, 9, and 0. We also played some math games. Next week we'll start using our math workbooks, so you'll see some of the pages starting to come home with your child!

Science: We started our unit about Mis 5 Sentidos (My 5 Senses) by learning about how we use our manos (hands) to tocar (touch). We learned lots of great vocabulary while exploring mystery objects!

Immersion Tip of the Week
One reason we don't use translation in a Spanish Immersion class is because we want the students to make immediate connections between the action, object, or concept to the Spanish word. If we translate into English, they pay less attention to the Spanish word and just wait for the translation. In the coming weeks, we'll be practicing an important skill called circumlocution in which the students learn how to describe unknown words using vocabulary they already know. 

Reading Tip of the Week
When reading a book this week, try to think of words that rhyme with words in the book. For example, "This word says 'house'. What words rhyme with house? Can you think of any?" This kind of activity will increase your child's phonemic awareness, a critical skill for reading in any language!

Announcements / Upcoming Dates to Remember

Homecoming Football Game: I'm looking forward to seeing you this coming Friday, September 13th, at our Preschool & Kindergarten Homecoming Night! The activities are from 5-7pm and the football game begins at 7:00. Come and enjoy games, fellowship, and free dinner! Please RSVP to me if you would like free tickets for your family!

Celebración de Independencia: September 16th is Independence Day in Mexico! Many other Spanish-speaking countries also celebrate their independence days in September, including Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador, and Chile. To celebrate this event, the Spanish Immersion first grade, kindergarten, and preschool 4’s classes would like to invite you to a Celebración de Independencia! After dropping your child off on Monday, September 16th, please join parents in the library for some authentic refreshments. Then, at 8:45, gather with other students in the Intersection for a short presentation given by the Spanish Immersion students. Come and enjoy the colors, flavors, music, and dancing of Latinoamérica! 

Grandparents Day: Our Rose Park community would like to celebrate ALL of our children and ALL of our families/friends, preschool through sixth grade. We would like to invite our preschool grandparents/friends to celebrate and participate with our entire Rose Park community this upcoming Grandparents/friends Day. This is a new format for us and we're excited about the program with children, preschool through sixth grade worshipping and singing together. Your child's grandparents/friends are invited to our program on October 3 for the program in the gym at 9:30. Following the program, children will host their grandparents/friends in classrooms in an open house format from 10:15-11:15. During this time, children will be prepared to lead their grandparent/friend through activities for as long as they are able to stay. We hope this format accommodates both grandparents who have multiple children to visit by popping in for a bit as well as grandparents/friends who have one child to visit with. More details will be forthcoming as the date approaches.

Parent/Teacher Conferences Date Update: Parent/teacher conferences will be held from 4:00-8:00 on October 21 and 22. Sign up notification will be forthcoming. October 23 is a half-day of school. We will NOT hold parent/teacher conferences on the 23rd.

That's all for now! Here are some more pictures from our week:

26-29 de agosto

¡Hola Familias!

We had an excellent second week of school! The kids have been comfortably getting into routines and are able to answer more and more questions in Spanish. We also had a wonderful opening Convocation ceremony to celebrate the new school year--it was great seeing so many of you there!

Here are some highlights from our week:

Bible: We are continuing to study the seven days of la creación, including el sol, la luna, las estrellas, los pájaros, y los peces (sun, moon, stars, birds, and fish)! 

Reading: This week we studied the letters and sounds made by D, E, F, and G. We also learned about las vocales (a, e, i, o, and u) and the difference between una persona and una cosa (person vs. thing).

Writing: We learned how letters are everywhere! Help your child spot letters in your house, in the car, and everywhere you go. We also drew and wrote about our familias.

Math: This week we practiced writing and saying poems for numbers 3, 4, 5, and 6, as well as new math games and activities.

Science: We are starting to learn about mis cinco sentidos, or my five senses. This week we did some introduction activities, and next week we'll learn about the sense of touch!

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 right!)

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!

Announcements/Upcoming Dates to Remember:

Volunteer Background Check - To ensure the safety of our students at all times and in all places at Rose Park we ask that all adults be granted clearance prior to having access to students. Anyone who desires to assist students, chaperone a field trip or supervise in a classroom at Rose Park must stop in the school office and fill out a short background check form.  Mrs. Steenwyk and Mrs. Chase have that form for you. Please also have your driver's license as they will need to make a copy of it.  Mrs. Rynsburger is happy to answer any questions you have about the process or results. All results remain confidential. Thank you!

Homecoming 2019 Family Event 

We love seeing as many of you possible back here on campus for our annual Homecoming Event, this year on Friday, September 13. It’s an all-ages community event, from high school students, elementary and preschool kids, young parents and grandparents, all gathering together to share a meal together, enjoy each others’ company, and then cheering the football team on. Just like before, the picnic dinner and children’s activities, including bouncy houses, lawn games and crafts, start at 5 pm, then the varsity football game against Unity Christian begins at 7 pm. Can't get enough of the HC love? Tickets also include admission to the Varsity Volleyball game vs. Unity at 4:30. The cost is $8 per person in advance, including both dinner and game, and tickets are available online at hollandchristian.org/homecoming-tickets, or at the HCS administration office. Or it’s $10 per person  on the day of the event. Note: Preschool & kindergarten families, look for an email from our Preschool Director on how you can join us for free as our way to welcome you to the HC community!

Adios for now! Check out more fotos below:

20-23 de agosto

¡Hola Familias!

What an amazing first week of school we had together! The kids have done a wonderful job getting adjusted to our daily routines in kindergarten, and they are quickly picking up lots of new vocabulary! Remember, their brains are on overload right now, so make sure you allow for lots of down time, spend time as a family, and get back into a routine for early bedtimes. :)

Here is a quick summary of what we've been up to in the classroom...

Bible: We talked about how la biblia is the book that talks about Jesús and Dios. We started learning about la creación and are working on a creation book.

Reading: We learned about the letters A, B, and C, practiced writing them, and sorted objects based on their initial sounds. (FYI, the letter "a" in Spanish is pronounced like the word "ahhh". B and C make the same sounds as in English!)

Writing: We practiced our daily writing routine by thinking of something we like (me gusta) and writing about it. We also shared some of our drawings and writing with the class.

Math: We sang songs to learn and practice numbers 1-10, and we are working on our handwriting for numbers 1 (uno) and 2 (dos). 

We also had lots of fun playing games, doing crafts with our names, and getting to know each other!

Immersion Tip of the Week

I had the pleasure of talking with many of you during Parent night this past Thursday, and I mentioned that you shouldn't worry if your child comes home saying that he/she learned nothing or didn't understand what was going on. This is VERY normal! Children this age often aren't able to process or verbalize what they are learning, but their little brains are busy making TONS of connections! Expect your child to be exhausted over the next few weeks, so make sure he/she is getting lots of rest! Above all, keep being a cheerleader for your child!

Reading Tip of the Week


When reading aloud to your child, "track" with your finger under the words as you read. This helps build print awareness and reinforces the concept that we read from right to left. This is an example of the "common underlying proficiency" (see #2 in link), a theory stating that skills learned in one language naturally transfer to the second.

Upcoming Dates to Remember

*Wednesday, August 28th: All-school convocation at the High School. We will leave Rose Park on the bus promptly at 8:30am, so please be on time! You are welcome to join us at the high school for the ceremony--it should last about half an hour.

Enjoy some pictures below!

About my blog / Sobre mi blog

¡Hola Familias!

Wow, I can't believe school starts in a little over a week! I have been spending lots of time preparing to receive your little one at our ice cream social on Thursday from 6-7:30pm, as well as on the first day of school, which is Tuesday, August 20th!

I know that starting a new school year and program can be a little...gulp...overwhelming. So, I wanted to introduce you to my blog so you can poke around a little bit before school gets into full swing!

I've been poking and tweaking around in my blog and have added some pages and resources that I hope you find useful. Here is a list so you can check them out when you have a chance!

On the bar at the right, you'll see links for...

Lunch Duty Signup: If you are free on Wednesdays during lunch time, the students would love to have lunch with you! This would also enable me to attend my weekly grade-level meeting. ¡Gracias!

Hot Lunch Menu: I'll send home a paper menu each month, but here is another link for easy access. :)

Community Connections: Check out this page to learn about upcoming events in the community, cultural connections, and places I recommend to experience the rich and vibrant Hispanic/Latino community right here in the Holland area. *If you would like me to add something to this page, please let me know! It is not a complete list by any means!

Classroom Wish List: A link to some items I'd LOVE to add to my classroom!

Spanish Language Resources: A page with some great resources on ways you can continue learning Spanish in a fun way at home!

Calendar: See upcoming events in our school and community. Please let me know if you have any questions about what's coming up.


Also, I published several posts during the summer that you can scroll down and read if you'd like. Please expect an email from me every week with a link to my updated blog.

That's all for now, I think! Enjoy! ;)