Miércoles 18 de Diciembre, 2013

                  

Queridas familias,

            This wednesday was mainly spent preparing for our holiday party. We rehearsed the Los Reyes Magos song, adding a sing-along portion for the audience to participate. Before our party, I passed out more treasures to the students. This time it was sea tumbled shell fossils embeded in stone from the Purissima Formation, which is roughly 3.5 million years old. 

            We did take some time to review the names of body parts, and took turns reading a library book titled Voy al Médico (I Go to the Doctor), which explored the process and vocabulary of a doctor visit, as well as the characteristics of a doctor's career.

Following, came a couple of song rehearsals and, before we knew it, the Chiquitos Group was arriving to join the party. Soon our chorus was lined up ready to begin their performance. I introduced the song by explaining the tradition of El Día de los Reyes (The Day of the Kings), which is when children typically receive gifts. It is celebrated during the first week of January in most Latin American countries. Grass and water are left by children, before going to bed, for the hungry camels, which travelled so far to transport the Three Kings and their gifts.

Again, here is a YouTube link to the song and animated story:

Sung by Los Fronterizos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGMEv0yyeFA

Under the watchful eye of a fellow classmate, the students decided to relax prior to the recital.

Next came the wonderful singing.

Followed by an encore...

And of course...

...the yummy feast!

Thanks to those parents who were able to attend the celebration. I know it meant a lot to the students and helped them perform to the best of their singing abilities. Everyone, including me, also really enjoyed the refreshments, - Thank you Valérie.

I took the liberty of getting a small gift for the children on behalf of the Kings, thinking I could get them to the parents, ahem I mean, Kings on time. Unfortunately, I did not realize we are not meeting for 2 weeks, instead of just one,  leaving the timing a bit off since we won't see eachother again until January 8th.

Thanks to my deep connections, I have managed to cook up a deal with the kind Kings. They will actually swing by the school on the 8th while the kids are in class! I did agree to be sure and leave plenty of grass and water for the camels to get them off to a good start on their return trip, so please send some grass along with your child, we can get the water in the classroom. Come a few minutes before the end of class if you want to see the surprised look in your child's eyes!

As we come near to the Winter Solstice and the return of the light on Saturday Dec. 21st at 9:11am I look forward to the coming year with hope and excitement.

¡Felices Fiestas A Todos!

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 4 de Diciembre, 2013

Estimadas familias,

          I hope you had a great Thanksgiving holiday surrounded by family and feasting.

          We began our lesson this week by concluding our reading of Huevos Verdes con Jamón (Green Eggs and Ham) by Dr. Seuss. Everyone had a great time as we pounded the table in unison and declared: ¡No, no me gustan nada los huevos verdes con jamón! ¡No me gustan nada Juan Ramon! ( No, I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them Sam-I-am!)

Once again we distributed sea glass treasures as prizes. This time, for the great efforts everyone demonstrated with our word building game during our prior meeting.

Next, we concentrated on learning the names of various parts of the body. Everyone drew and labeled a drawing of a person to keep in their binders. I then introduced Pablo to the class, who has the peculiar habit of getting up in such a hurry, he often forgets to put on a body part. Leaving him, shall we say, feeling a bit incomplete? We used cards, such as the ones that follow below, as the students were asked to say ¡Ay, ay, ay, pobre Pablo. Pablo no tiene ¿¿¿???! (Ay, ay, ay, poor Pablo. Pablo doesn’t have ??????!). The children found it rather amusing. They were asked to recognize the name of the next missing body part and add it to repeat the sentence.

El Cuerpo Humano de Pablo on the board.

A few of Pablo's various bodily states.

          We even included a pop quiz to test their memory at the end of class. Without looking at their drawings, and facing away from the labeled drawing on the board, I would say the name of a body part and they had to silently touch it on themselves. They did very well.

                       Pop quiz time...

Hasta el próximo Miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 20 de Noviembre, 2013

Estimadas familias,

          This week we were inspired by the rainy Wednesday to introduce vocabulary which describes the weather. Among others, ¡Hoy está lloviendo! (Today it is raining!) They also learned a song about the rain and we got to take shelter in the classroom next to ours for a few minutes, while room #34 was used by the resident teacher to finish an art project with her class. Hot cocoa was served by one of our kind parents, and we took the opportunity to play a short hand of UNO giving the students a chance to review the names of colors.

  

          Once back in our regular classroom we distributed sea glass treasures as prizes for the Lotería game we played last week.

We went on to a word game found in the text, challenging the students to create both the longest and greatest number of Spanish words in a limited time. The students had a blast and, as we in the prior week, we were joined for this activity by the Los Chicos 2 Intermediate group.

Lastly, looking towards El Día de Acción de Gracias, (Thanksgiving Day) we read a superbly well translated, classic menu suggestion.

Please remember there will be no class on the upcoming Wednesday November 27^th due to the Thanksgiving break. May your cranberry relish be the best ever!

Hasta el Miércoles 4 de Diciembre,

Señor Lobo

Balance statements

Dear Parents,

Today, I sent out with your children the balance statements for the year. Please look for it in your child's binder.

Thank you and HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
Valérie

Miércoles 13 de Noviembre, 2013

Queridas familias.

          Last Wednesday we started class with our usual greeting – Buenas Tardes – adding the question: ¿Como estás? (How are you?). The responses quickly grew from a simple “estoy bien, gracias” - (“I am well, thank you”), to a long list of emotional states expressed by the students. From “estoy fabulosa, gracias” - (“I am fabulous, thank you”), to “¡estoy enojado!” (“I am angry”) and many states in between.

We moved on to a rough calendar of the history of planet earth, and also covered the seasons of the year, taking into account the fact that they are opposite in the southern hemisphere.

The class concluded with a game of Lotería – similar to Bingo except with pictures and names rather than numbers to enhance the students’ vocabulary.

Please remember there will be no class on the upcoming Wednesday November 27^th due to the Thanksgiving break.

Hasta el próximo Miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 6 de Noviembre, 2013

Buenos días familias.

We began this week’s class with a few lingering comments regarding Día de los Muertos. Each student was asked to write a sentence describing to whom their Ofrenda was dedicated. I hope some of you got to see the exhibit at the MAH in Santa Cruz. It was an amazingly colorful and joyous event to welcome the spirits of the departed.

Next in our class came the Calendario. We started with the names of the days of the week, pointing out their namesakes in our solar system. We than moved on to the names of the months and everyone was again asked to write a short sentence telling the class the date of their birth as well as their current age.

                                         
                                              Los días de la semana.

Los meses del año.

We’ll continue working on the calendar and clock next week, as well as a timeline of our planet earth.

Speaking of calendars, please check your child’s binder for the school yearly schedule which features a few Wednesday breaks including the upcoming November 27^th.

For the last part of the class, the students insisted on a quick hand of Escoba del Quince, which as I mentioned previously, is a card game involving addition and careful strategy. The children seem to really enjoy it…

Hasta el próximo Miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 30 de Octubre, 2013

Saludos queridas familias.

This week we finished the Ofrendas for Día de los Muertos. The creative range of the class to remember their departed loved ones was truly endearing. Each student decorated two molded traditional sugar skulls I provided, with brilliant colors of Royal Icing and, their favorite, the contents of one of the containers from my wife Nancy’s assorted bead collection. Treasure galore… Some students brought photographs of their family members, and even a beautiful thimble from grandma’s collection.

As they left the classroom carrying their Ofrendas, several students were eager to continue adding to them at home. Please encourage them to do so, and if possible take a moment during the weekend help them welcome the lasting spirit of their loved one by sharing a memory of their life.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH) will have a Día de los Muertos exhibit which includes Ofrendas from the community at large. It takes place in the main lobby and there is no entrance fee. I stopped by earlier this week and there was already quite a collection! If you have a spare moment, check it out! The MAH is right near the corner of Front and Cooper Streets.

          Next week we will work on el Calendario – de segundos a siglos (the Calendar – from seconds to centuries). We will also try to include major holidays, so if your family celebrates a favorite, please send that on with your child. We’ll do our best to find a Spanish translation for it.

Hasta el próximo Miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 23 de Octubre, 2013

Buenos días padres,

We started this week’s session with a quick rehearsal of Los Colores – the song we learned last week. As it turns out, only 1 of our seven students practiced the song during the week, as they were assigned to do. Thank you Ari for your hard work; as for the remainder of the class ¡Solo puedo confirmar que son muy honestos! (I can only confirm they are very honest!) At any rate, after our quick rehearsal, we made our way to the school office to serenade the office staff. Everyone sang beautifully, impressing their audience and, on our way back to the classroom, even insisted on performing a verse to a teacher and his colleagues working on a bench, much to their delight!

Ask your child to teach you the tongue-twisting chorus:

           

Paco guarda las pocas copas que poco a poco Pepe sacó…

         Paco guarda las pocas copas que poco a poco Pepe sacó…

Día de los Muertos - 2 de Noviembre 

We began our Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) projects this week. Many of you may be familiar with the traditional Mexican celebration honoring the memory of departed loved ones, by assembling Ofrendas or Offerings which attempt to capture the spirit of their time with us. Last Wednesday we decorated the receptacles which will be used to hold the traditional sugar skulls made for this holiday. They will be delivered next Wednesday 10/30th, be decorated in very festive colors, and sent home with your student.

As a homework assignment I asked students to search for items which in any way may represent someone they care about, but who is no longer physically among us. An old picture, a piece of ribbon, a bead, stamp, a bit of their favorite treat, or any other item they can add to their creation.

Gracias a la muerte y...

Gracias a la vida - por Violeta Parra -World recognized Chilean Poet and Composer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW3IgDs-NnA

. 
Hasta el próximo Miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 16 de Octubre, 2013

Buenos días padres,

This week we had a special treat as a result of circumstance. The teacher who uses room # 34 before us, needed her classroom a bit longer to finish an art project with her students. So both classes – Los Chicos and Los Chicos 2 – took a short excursion to the mini forest outside to learn and play a new game together:

- Juguemos en el bosque mientras el Lobo no está… ¿¡¡LOBO ESTÁ!!?

- Let’s play in the forest while the Wolf isn’t there… WOLF, ARE YOU THERE!!?

The students sing the song ending with the resounding question, which the hiding Lobo answers, describing a morning chore he is busy attending to. After two or three times Lobo comes out ready to run after the kids much to their surprise and wild excitement. Whomever Lobo tags in the forest becomes the Wolf, ready for the next round. Please keep in mind it is simply a coincidence that my name is Wolff a.k.a. Señor Lobo. Everyone got a chance to be the Wolf and had a lot of fun…Try this game to get your Lobo/a ready for school in the morning!

                           Juguemos en el bosque, mientras el Lobo no está... ¿¡¡LOBO ESTÁ!!?

                                            ¡¡¡¡SÍÍÍ!!!!, VOY A COMERLOS A TODOS..

                                              YES!!! I AM GOING TO EAT YOU ALL...

Once back in the classroom, we had a chance to follow up on colors and learn the new song – Los Colores by Luis Pescetti. Everyone should have the lyrics in their binder and is expected to learn the song by next Wednesday. Have your child pay close attention to the tongue twisting chorus, which they found hilarious.

Some students insisted in writing sentences for next week (others complained of time management issues). Those motivated to write, using any topic and vocabulary we learned so far, will certainly get a chance at the podium to present their work to the rest of the class.


Hasta el próximo Miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 9 de Octubre, 2013

Greetings everyone,

During this lesson we covered:

- The two forms of the verb to be: Ser and Estar. The first form can be thought of as a permanent state, whereas the second is a temporary one.
For example:
1) Yo soy Señor Lobo. I am Señor Lobo.
2) Yo estoy escribiendo. I am writing.

- We also learned colors using various examples of fruit as models. Your child should have a vocabulary list, from which she/he should compose three sentences to be read in class next week.

- Lastly we played a card game called Escoba del Quince (Broom of Fifteen) using a Spanish deck. It provided a chance to review numbers up to 15 (quince) and also to practice basic sum skills. It is not necessary to play with a Spanish deck, so if you have a standard deck at home, have your child teach you the game.

Hasta el próximo Miércoles,
Señor Lobo







o

Miércoles 2 de Octubre, 2013

Buen Día Familias,

 

This week we opened with our song, La Mar Estaba Serena, including the 5 different vowel versions to reemphasize vowel sounds. If you have not heard the song yet, please ask your child to sing it to you. The kids like singing it so much; they would not end the class without an encore performance!

 

We also covered La Familia, learning the various family member titles, including several names for mother and father ranging from the formal to the very endearing versions. Your child should have a list of these names in her/his binder. They are assigned to write 3 sentences using the vocabulary we learned this week about the family. They will read them to the class during our next class.

For example:

Mi prima se llama ______. _______tiene __ años y vive en _______.

 

My cousin (female) is called ______. ______ has __ years and lives in ______.

 

Saludos y hasta el próximo miércoles,

Señor Lobo

Miércoles 25 de Septiembre, 2013

We began our first meeting with greetings and introductions.

Buenos días

Buenas tardes

Buenas noches

      Try practicing these at home during the appropriate time of day. Your child should also have an introduction of him/herself in their binder. Have them read it to you. They will be reading it to the class during our next meeting.

      We also touched on word gender, i.e. la niña, el niño, and the Spanish pronunciation of vowels. To practice their sound, they learned a song called La Mar Estaba Serena. It should be in their binders, and they are assigned to teach it to their families to practice for our next class.

In addition, we had a look at the Spanish alphabet and pointed out differences compared to the English version. Namely the use of letters ch, ll, ñ, rr, the silent h sound as well as the double question and exclamation marks ¿? and ¡! and a brief mention of accents. Please review this in the beginning pages of the Cuaderno de Práctica your child brought home.

      Your child also learned an important question I encourage her/him to ask me, and you to them:

¿Qué quiere decir xxxxxxx?

 Literally translating to: What does xxxxxxx want to say? Or, what does xxxxxxx mean?

Hasta el próximo Miércoles.

Saludos,

Señor Lobo

Welcome to 'Los Chicos' class

Dear Parents,

I am very happy to inform you that Back to School will be on Wednesday September 25, 2013 at 1pm.
Please bring your children to the 'art room', room 34.

Thank you and see you soon!
Valérie