¡Feliz Día de la Resurrección! (Happy Easter!)
What beautiful weather we are blessed with today--nothing like last week's January-like storm! Seeing the flowers bloom and the leaves starting to come out on the trees reminds us of the new life that we, too, have in Christ! Death could not hold him--he is risen! ¡Cristo Vive!
We had a wonderful week, highlighted with a wonderful visit from author Crystal Bowman, a great concert at Holland Language Academy with 123Andrés, and a lot of opportunities to talk about and remember Jesus' sacrifice for us on the cross. I hope you had a chance to see your child's book and huevos de la resurrección (Resurrection Eggs). It is powerful to hear little ones tell about the story of Jesus' last week on earth from their perspective.
Our Week
Bible: As mentioned above, we spent our Bible time this week studying la Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Talking about 2-3 items inside each huevo each day helped the children tie together the story of the Resurrection, and at the end they enjoyed telling the story to each other. We also really enjoyed singing this song every day (the video is actually from the church we attended in South Texas!).
Reading: In Reading class, we studied the letter "g" (pronounced a little like the word "hey") and its 2 sounds--ga, go, gu (sounds like /g/) and ge, gi (sounds like a hard /h/ sound). We sorted words, wrote and worked with stamps and magnets to practice the different sounds.
Writing: This week, we revisited our small moment writing. We practiced thinking about a certain time, place, and event that we could write about adding details. It has been exciting to see how much progress each student has made in writing! We also enjoy sharing time, where we read our work to each other and offer encouragement.
Math: In math this week, we have been playing games and doing other activities to reinforce the concepts we have learned. We especially enjoyed playing math bingo with sumas y restas (addition and subtraction).
Science: In ciencias, we have been talking about la tierra (the Earth) and las plantas. This week, we learned about las semillas (seeds) and what they need to grow. We did a few experiments planting seeds in sand, soil, and rocks, and we will be watching to see which one grows! We also put bean seeds in moist plastic bags in the windows, and we'll see how much they grow too!
Upcoming Dates to Remember
*April 22-May 3: Swimming lessons at Holland Community Aquatic Center. Our lessons will take place from 10:15-10:45am every day. You are welcome to join us at the Aquatic Center to observe the lessons from the bleachers. A few notes:
-Bathing suits will be provided (no need to send one!)
-Please make sure girls' hair is tied back in a ponytail or braid every day\
-Here is a video about what to expect in swim lessons. We watched it Friday in class, but feel free to show it to your child again!
-Please make sure your child is on time to school every day (8:15). We will be starting instruction earlier to make up for the time we will be missing. Gracias!
*Friday, April 26th: Noche de Película/Movie Night at Maestra's house! Drop off your child at 6:00 and pick him/her up at 8:30. We will eat pizza and watch the movie Río!
*Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th: LAUP Fiesta! at the Westshore Mall parking lot. We will have a table for Rose Park Spanish Immersion, and some classmates will be performing baile folklórico (both on Saturday)! Enjoy great music, food, and family fun!
*Wednesday, May 8th and Thursday, May 9th: Half Days for Tulip Time
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day with your family! Enjoy some fotos below:
¡Hola Familias!
Welcome back from spring break! We had a fantastic week together, playing games, exploring, and enjoying some nice spring weather (and a little bit of snow too!). A friend from Costa Rica visited our classroom on Wednesday and we got to try gallo pinto, which is a typical dish (usually eaten for breakfast) made of rice and black beans. We loved learning about a new country and culture!
We also had a great field trip to the Outdoor Discovery Center on Thursday, although it was a little chilly! The kids enjoyed seeing some live animals up close, including a snake (una serpiente), a tree frog (una rana), and an owl (un búho)!
Here are some other updates on our week:
Our Week
Bible: In Bible, we have been talking about Jesus's last week on Earth. We started with Palm Sunday (el domingo de ramos) and worked our way to la crucifixión. It has been powerful to talk about these important moments in Jesus's life, and the children are excited to learn, read, and sing songs about him. I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to teach these little ones about how Jesus died for us, and just how great his love is!
Reading: This week we reviewed the letter C, which makes the sound /c/ as well as the soft /s/ sound with the vowels E and I (similar to in English). The kids have done a great job listening to sounds and writing them. Continue practicing reading at home with your child's books, and don't forget to ask questions!
Writing: For the next few weeks, we will be reviewing pequeños momentos, or small moments. We talked about how writers need to choose one small moment to write about instead of one huge idea. The kids practiced doing this by writing about their spring break as well as the field trip on Thursday.
Math: In matemáticas, we have continued to practice forming teen numbers as a 10 plus some more. We have also worked on building fluency with las partes de diez, or parts of 10. Have your child break 10 items into 2 parts and explain what parts he/she chose.
Science: Our new unit in ciencias is Nuestra Tierra, or Our Earth. We have been exploring maps and globes and learned that Earth has more water (agua) than land (tierra). Then, we explored some different things we find on the land--soil (tierra), pebbles (piedras), and sand (arena). It was fun to look at these items closely and explore them using our five senses!
Immersion Tip of the Week
We've had quite a few opportunities to explore some new and different Spanish-speaking cultures in class over the past few weeks, thanks to many of you parents! How else can you help bridge the "culture gap" for your child? I encourage you to try a new dish, visit a restaurant or another place, watch a video, or listen to music that will help your child continue to explore different cultures.
Reading Tip of the Week
After reading a book, ask your child to sequence a few events. For example, ask: "What happened first--did Clifford look for his bone under his bed or in the tree?" Sequencing is an important skill that goes hand-in-hand with reading comprehension.
Upcoming Dates to Remember
*Friday, April 19th: Field trip to Holland Language Academy to see 123Andrés, a Latin Grammy-winning performer! You may also see him perform a concert at the Herrick District Library the following Saturday, April 20th, at 11am!
*April 22nd-May 3rd: Swimming lessons at the Holland Aquatic Center every day from 10:15-10:45am. You do NOT need to send a bathing suit; the HAC will provide them for all students! You are welcome to come and watch your child during his/her lessons.
*Friday, April 26th: Noche de Película/Movie Night at Maestra's house! Drop off your child at 6:00 and pick up at 8:30. We will eat pizza and watch the movie Río.
I think that's all for now! Hope you have a great weekend, and we'll see you again on Monday! ¡Hasta el lunes!
Bible: As mentioned above, we spent our Bible time this week studying la Semana Santa, or Holy Week. Talking about 2-3 items inside each huevo each day helped the children tie together the story of the Resurrection, and at the end they enjoyed telling the story to each other. We also really enjoyed singing this song every day (the video is actually from the church we attended in South Texas!). 
