¡Bienvenidos Otoño! Fall is in the air, and so is the fun and excitement of learning a new language! Fall ushers in a host of unique and exciting cultural topics, and it has been wonderful to see students so enthusiastic to learn!
As October comes to a close, all grade levels are working on a mini-culture unit about Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. This popular Latin American holiday is often confused with our Halloween, but in fact, it is all about the importance of the family. Students are learning that this ancient holiday is really a celebration of the memories and love that live on after our friends and loved ones pass away. It is the Hispanic way of honoring their families and is a combination of Aztec and contemporary traditions.
Fifth Graders will be learning about this holiday, and will also have the opportunity to make their own version of the popular Calaveras de Azúcar, or Sugar Skulls later in the school year. In addition to this mini-unit, we will continue learning our Año de Palabras vocabulary words. This month we will focus on words that we associate with the month of November.
Fourth Graders are finishing their unit on the basic school supplies in Spanish. We completed a wide variety of practice activities to allow students to utilize their new vocabulary words. It was wonderful to see how much effort they put into all of their work! This month they will be moving on from their study of the school supplies and will begin a short cultural unit on Día de los Muertos and the art of the Sugar Skull.
Third Graders are completing their Science extension unit on the migration of the Monarch Butterfly. We have discussed the characteristics of the Monarch, its migration, and the location of the overwintering areas in Mexico. We have also learned about the migration routes, and how the arrival of the Monarchs every year ties into the cultural celebration of Día de los Muertos.
Second Graders are completing their unit on the basic greetings and leave takings. We are currently learning how to introduce ourselves in Spanish, and are doing a related art project. Once that is completed, we will take a brief look at the holiday of Día de los Muertos, before moving on to our next unit on Weather and the Seasons.
First Graders were very intrigued by the customs of Día de los Muertos. They are currently working on a special project using what they learned about Calacas, or the friendly, Mexican skeletons. When completed, students will be moving on to learn the Spanish vocabulary words for members of the family.
Kindergartners have done a wonderful job of settling into the routine of Spanish class. We have been learning 2 songs to practice our greetings and color words. Be sure to ask them to sing the rojo song for you at home! We have also completed our study of the word rojo, which means red, and will be moving on to azul, or blue. We will also be learning the Spanish word círculo, which means circle.
This November, I must say how thankful I am to have the opportunity to work with each and every one of your children! Their enthusiasm and interest in the Spanish Language are a true blessing!
-Mrs. Zaremba
