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