17-21 de febrero

¡Hola Familias!

After so many cloudy, dreary days, isn't it wonderful to see the sun again?! We've had a fun and joyful week of exploration, learning, and play! Here are some of the highlights:

Bible / Biblia: We have finished learning the stories from the Old Testament in our Bible! This week we learned about Daniel en el foso de los leones and about Jonás y el enorme pez. One of my favorite things about these Bible stories is connecting them to the children's lives. From Daniel's story, we learn that when we are scared, we can turn to God, and that God can use us to teach others about Him. From the story of Jonah, we learn that God is always willing to give us second chances. It is a privilege for me to be able to share these truths with my students!

Reading / Lectura: This week we learned about the letter h (pronounced "ah-chay"), which is a special letter in Spanish because it makes no sound! The kids had fun learning about lots of words with this secret sound. We also began to study the verb estar, which is one of the verbs in Spanish for "to be" and refers to an emotional or physical state (e.g. I am happy; I am at home). 

Writing / Escritura: Continuing our how-to unit, this week we made sun butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch on Thursday! We also learned new vocabulary words and wrote about each step.

Math / Matemáticas: In math this week, we've studied the numbers from 11-20 by forming them with centimeter cubes. We also started learning the concepts of mayor (more/greater) and menor (less) when comparing numbers.

Social Studies / Estudios Sociales: This week we learned about President's Day and about George Washington, our first president. We also learned a little bit about groundhogs (catching up from when I was out with the flu!), where they live, and what they eat. We also enjoyed time playing with felt figures and puppets, which is a great way to develop language skills!

Immersion Tip of the Week

Your child may be starting to decode words using Spanish pronunciation, even if the words are in English! This can be fun to listen to, but don't worry about "fixing" your child's pronunciation. You can simply say, "Wow! That's exactly how you'd say it in Spanish! In English we say the sounds like this: ____". Your child will start to unconsciously separate English from Spanish as you continue to read at home and as he/she continues to grow in reading skills. 

Reading Tip of the Week

Speaking of reading, make sure you are reading every day at home! If you do not have a regular "reading routine" (e.g. before bedtime, right after school, etc.), make it a point to establish one--and stick to it! Life can get hectic, but I have to say, as a parent I really enjoy slowing down every evening to read with my kids.

Announcements / Upcoming Dates to Remember

*Friday, February 28th: Silly Sock & Hat Day

*Wednesday, March 4th: Buddy Chapel. We'll be leading chapel with our 4th grade buddies. Come join us in worship at 10:35am in the small gym!

*Friday, March 20th: Fun Night at Rose Park

*Monday, March 23rd and Wednesday, March 25th: Parent/Teacher Conferences. Have you signed up yet? I look forward to meeting with you and talking about your child's progress!

*Tuesday, March 31st: Rose Park Spring Program

For Adults only, if you're interested in a cultural evening out!
Sat, Feb 22, 8 pm to 11 pm: Baile Latino #3 (Latin Dance #3): ¡Bienvenidos a todos! Everyone's welcome! Instrucciónes de baile con DJ Sol (dance instruction with DJ Sol) 8 pm to 9 pm. Entrada $10 (pay at the door, $10). Las ganancias serán donadas a Westcore Neighbors (proceeds will be donated to Westcore Neighbors). At Merchant Hall, 438 Washington Ave, Holland.

That's all for now... enjoy some pictures below!

11-13 de febrero

¡Hola Familias!

We had a fun and exciting week celebrating el amor and el día de San Valentín! On Thursday, we enjoyed making crafts, eating snacks, exchanging valentine cards, and doing a special activity with our buddies (take a look in our hallway to see what we made!). The rest of the week we were busy too! Here's what we've been up to:

Bible / Biblia: This week we learned about how los israelitas were captive in Babylon. We talked about how sometimes sad things happen in our lives, but God is always in control and can work out His plan even though difficulty. We also learned about the heroes Sadrac, Mesac, y Abednego and how they refused to bow to a false God even when everyone else was.

Reading / Lectura: We've been learning about the syllables ña, ñe, ñi, ño, ñu. The Spanish letter ñ (en-yay) makes the sound "ny" as in the word "niño". This week we practiced reading and sorting words with this sound. We also continued our study of los verbos, or verbs.

Writing / Escritura: Continuing our "how-to" unit, this week we brainstormed things that we know how to do and can teach others. The students each picked a topic and wrote a short "how-to" piece about it. Ideas included making cookies, playing soccer, making a paper airplane, and drawing a house. It was exciting to see the kids share their work with others!

Math / Matemáticas: This week we continued practicing seeing tens in teen numbers as well as dividing numbers into parts. We've also worked on story problems using vocabulary from a grocery store.

Immersion Tip of the Week

Are you as amazed and excited about your child's learning journey as I am? Tell a friend! Spread the word to help our program continue to grow and thrive in the coming years. We are still accepting students for kindergarten next year!

Reading Tip of the Week

When reading with your child this week, ask him/her to retell the story to you in order after you finish it. Or, ask: "What happened at the beginning? The middle? The end?" Sequencing and retelling stories are important reading comprehension skills for your child to practice in English AND Spanish!

Announcements / Upcoming Dates to Remember

*Friday, February 21st: Fun Fridays: Pajama Day

*Blessing Bags: We are still in need of a few more items. Would you look at the signup here and consider something you can bring in? We are excited about this project to show God's great love to others! The deadline for bringing in items has been extended to next Tuesday, February 25th.

*SI Summer Experience: If you have not filled out an interest form, please do so here! Thank you for those who have already filled them out. We have received your questions and hope to answer them and provide with you with more information once we have gotten details back from the administrative end. :)

*How to be a Living Testimony in February: This month students at Rose Park are participating in a shoe drive through an organization called Soles 4 Souls. They collect shoes then redistribute the shoes in places of greatest need such as refugee camps and places of disaster. Did you know shoes can help kids go to school, prevent disease, and provide jobs? Please watch this short video with your child and help find a pair of shoes to donate this month.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwhjFmquyS0 

¡Gracias, familias! Enjoy your weekends and see you on Tuesday!