19-21 de octubre

 ¡Hola Familias!

We had a whirlwind of a short week, but it sure was busy--and we've been learning a lot! I also really enjoyed having time to talk with all of you, and I am thankful for the technology that allowed us to do so. I want to reiterate, I am SO proud of these kids--they have come so far since the beginning of the year and grown so much! Every day I am thankful for the learning, growth, and of course the fun that takes place in school. :)

Here is what we've been up to this week...

Reading / Lectura: This week we learned a new syllable: pa, pe, pi, po, pu. We practiced sorting words by syllable, writing the syllable, and identifying the syllable in words all over the classroom! We sure are getting good at finding las sílabas everywhere! We also practiced classifying nouns as singular and plural using the definite articles el and los.

Writing / Escritura: We've been wrapping up our unit on el cuerpo (the body) and practicing incorporating this vocabulary in our writing. Additionally, our focus this week has been adding espacios (spaces) between the words we write so we can read more easily.

Math / Matemáticas: This week we continued practicing comparing numbers, writing numbers, counting quantities, and identifying shapes with lineas rectas (straight lines) and curvas (curves).

Bible / Biblia: This week we learned how Moisés went to Egypt to ask Faraón to free God's people. We learned about the diez plagas that God sent when Faraón didn't listen, and how finally they were freed from slavery. Finally, we learned how God never left his people, and how he led them with una nube en el día (a cloud by day) and un pilar de fuego en la noche (a pillar of fire by night). Our God always takes care of us!

Science / Ciencias: We are concluding our unit on los cinco sentidos, or the five senses. We'll wrap it up with one more fun activity next week!

Reading Tip of the Week
Your child recently brought home books from the library--one in English and one in Spanish (or bilingual). If you don't speak Spanish, help your child look for words or syllables that he/she knows! Don't forget to look at the pictures and talk about what you think is happening in the story! 

Immersion Tip of the Week
Make sure you expose your child to a lot of rich vocabulary in English (and in Spanish, too, if you speak the language!). You can do this by reading, talking about what you see in books, describing pictures, talking about what you see in the supermarket--pretty much any activity you do! This will help your child continue to make connections between languages, as well as strengthen verbal skills. 

Have a wonderful long weekend! I didn't get a chance to take too many photos this week, but here are a few:

12-16 de octubre

 

¡Hola Familias!

Brr... it's getting cold outside! Fall is definitely upon us, and despite the colder weather, we have the opportunity to relish in God's beautiful creation as we observe the changing seasons and fall colors. I lived on the Mexico/Texas border for 8 years, and I REALLY missed the fall--the colors, the crunch of leaves under my feet, even their smell!

Along this same note, we enjoyed some fall activities this week--a beautiful field trip exploring our five senses (and playing!) at Wolter's Woods, and a fun afternoon painting calabazas today!

Here's what else we've been doing this week...

Reading / Lectura: While English reading typically starts with short vowels and CVC words (dog, hat, etc.), Spanish reading is based on las sílabas--or syllables. We started our study of las sílabas with ma, me, mi, mo, mu. We are starting to identify syllables everywhere, and even reading words like mano, mesa, mamá, and more! Check out this video we've been watching during lunchtime with an introduction to these syllables.

Writing / Escritura: This week we've been continuing to practice thinking of a topic, drawing, writing/stretching words, and sharing our work. We've also been focusing on making our writing neat and organized by adding punctuation (punto at the end of a sentence) and espacios between words.

Math / Matemáticas: We have been practicing writing and identifying numbers from 1-10, counting from 1-20, making patterns, and arranging and comparing numbers. We also played a game putting pom poms into egg cartons using clothespins--a great counting AND fine motor skill activity!

Bible / Biblia: This week we finished the story of José! We learned how he forgave his brothers, just as God forgives us when we do the wrong thing. Then, we began the story of Moisés, learning how he was rescued as a baby and later called by God to rescue his people enslaved in Egypt. It has been exciting to teach the kids how God is faithful to His people, la familia de Abraham, throughout the Old Testament.

Science / Ciencias: We finished our fifth sense--los ojos para mirar, or eyes to see--this week. We did some outdoor exploration at school with toilet paper tube "telescopes" to help us focus on details in nature. Then, we practiced using all of our senses on our field trip on Wednesday!

Immersion Tip of the Week
I am gradually starting to require more and more Spanish to be spoken in the classroom. Remind your child that he/she already has A LOT of vocabulary, even though sometimes he/she won't know the exact word to use. Ask your child how to describe an object in Spanish, using colors, shapes, numbers, and adjectives like big/small, hot/cold, hard/soft, fast/slow, etc. I think you will be impressed!

Reading Tip of the Week
When you read with your child, encourage your child to look for words, vowels, sounds, and/or syllables that he/she knows. As they begin learning to read, the students will become much more aware of print. Call their attention to features of the text in a fun, non-pressured way as you enjoy a book together. 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

It's not too late to sign up for a spot if you haven't yet! I look forward to meeting with you next Monday or Tuesday to talk about your child's progress. Please navigate to the Virtual Paragon to find the Zoom link at your scheduled time. Prior to our meeting, I will be sending you a document with your child's progress report and some of his/her work.

No School October 22-23

Enjoy the short week next week! 

Wintry Weather is Coming!

Please remember to send your child with lots of warm, layered clothing as weather gets colder. We spend at least an hour outside every day!

Here are some photos from our week!