Good afternoon New Traditions,

I hope this final blog finds you all well and enjoying the sunshine. I also hope that everyone enjoyed our end of the semester performance and the salsa de tomatillo I made! I’m definitely sad that the semester is coming to an end because I’ve had a wonderful time getting to know each of the children, whom are all such unique, delightful, and talented individuals. Everyone has learned so much in such a short time and I am eager to see each and every one of you next semester so we can continue advancing together.

This week was intentionally set aside for some fun; Spanish style of course! We have played many games this week and have also enjoyed a few treats since the class has done such a marvelous job. We played Loteria again on Wednesday and it has seemed to really help the children expand their vocabulary and practice their pronunciation (which is absolutely fabulous). We also used some of our time this week to make tarjetas (cards) in order to express our appreciation to Teacher Gary and Teacher Dale, since without their profound generosity and willingness to allow us to use their classrooms, we wouldn’t have had a designated space for our Spanish class. Friday will officially mark our last day of class so we will try to spend most of it outdoors playing games (if weather permits), as well as making something special for Fathers’ Day (I know that Dia de los Padres isn’t until June, but it’s only fair since all of the madres got something for their special day). I am aware that Friday is the last day of school and as a result, we may have lower attendance, but regardless of the fact, I will be there and ready for a final day of fun! I’m going to wrap this up (before the tears come) and once again thank you all for your support and dedication to your children. Have a great summer and I hoe to see you all soon! ADIOS!!

-Joanna

Greetings New Tradition parents,

           This week has been a little hectic because we have been putting the finishing touches on our routine that we will perform at our end of the year celebration.  I had originally planned to focus on deportes (sports)  this week, but since the end of the year is coming, I felt that we needed additonal practice singing/dancing to “Para Bailar la Bamba.” We did , however, discuss our favorite deportes (futbol = soccer, nadar = swim, futbol Americano = football, as well as brincar cuerda = jump rope, and anything involving a pelota = ball).

          We have also spent some of our time this week playing Loteria and luz roja luz verde (red light green light). Next week will be our final week of the semester, so I want to make sure to keep it fun and engaging.  Playing juegos (games) and deportes (sports) has really helped the children start speaking more Spanish and they can all understand a majority of what I say to them, which is a MAJOR breakthrough! We will spend the latter half of Friday’s class rehearsing our routine on the stage and I will begin my preparations for the salsas I will bring in (I’ll keep them very mild, I promise).  I’m sure  that you all received Yang’s evite and I hope to see you all there on Monday! I will provide chips, salsas, napkins, forks, and plates, but feel free to bring any other finger-foods you may desire. Thank you all for being so supportive and have a wonderful weekend. Adios!

Good afternoon everyone,

             This week we have been playing lots of different games as well as making a few fun crafts to play with. While playing some games in class, we have also been practicing a lot of what we’ve learned. Another few rounds of  Twister have helped the class distinguish between la mano y pie esquierda y la mano y pie derecho. As I mentioned previously, Twister really proved to get us tied in up in knots! As a class, we have been making a lot of improvements when asking for items during craft time (puedo tener papel = can I have paper, puedo tener tijeras = can I have scissors, me pasas las tijeras = can you pass the scissors, quiero papel rojo = I want red paper or red paper please= papel rojo por favor, puedo tener un lapiz = can I have a pencil) but some of the children seem to be asking for more things in Spanish than others (few children still seem a little shy to use more than a noun or adjective but even that alone is amazing for such young beginning Spanish speakers).

               Everyone in class has been doing a wonderful job at using their manners, even in Spanish! I’m so proud of how the class works so well together and how everyone works harmoniously during craft time. I have encouraged the children to share (compartir) with one another and to practice asking for things in Spanish, which they all seem to do very well. The class as a whole is also starting to really understand most of what I am saying to them, even the words/sentences they haven’t encountered as frequently. Craft time has proved to do wonders, because it is during that time which the children learn from each other as well and those who have stronger Spanish skills help the others. This week during craft time, we have made drawings that represent primavera (spring) and discussed the coming of verano (summer). We also made Lotteria (picture bingo) cards that we later used to play a couple of rounds.

                     Next week we are going to focus on the seasons of the year and sports, which should be a fun way to practice speaking more Spanish and developing sentences. We will also continue practicing our routine for the end of the year performance that is so quickly approaching. The children took their lotteria cards home, and I encourage you to locate an actual Lotteria set and play with the whole family. That’s all for now and I hope everyone enjoys the sunshine while it lasts! Adios!

Greetings New Tradition parents,

           As many of you already know, this week is our parent-teacher conference week and we have been discussing the individual and collective progress of each of the children in the class. I’ve been pleased to report that everyone in class is doing fantastic and that every single child in class has made tremendous improvements in learning Spanish. This week we continued to immerse ourselves in Spanish through some music, games, and LOTS of crafts! Since Mothers’ Day and Cinco de Mayo are coming right up, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to learn about these special days and further expand our knowledge through art and music.

           On Monday, the class played an exciting game of Twister so we could practice some vocabulary and colors (mano=hand, pie= foot, izquierdo=left, derecho=right  example: el pie esquierdo en amarillo = the left foot on yellow). I recommend this game at home because it proved to be quite tricky but fun for both mind and body! We concluded Monday’s class by making some silly puppets and describing the features we were putting on the puppets (great reveiw of body parts … pelo=hair, boca=mouth, ojos=eyes, nariz=nose, orejas= ears …. also …. pelo largo= long hair, corto= short, pelo chino= curly hair, pelo lasio= straight hair, que color tu/su pelo = what color is your hair). 

                Today, we made some banderas (flags) to celebrate tomorrow being cinco de mayo and also did a small review of the different months. We also listened to “Jarabe de Tapatio” which is a famous Mexican folkloric song and the class loved it, as they do most music! We also got started on some Metapec suns which are usually made as ceramic suns/moons but not everyone in class was able to finish because some were still adding finishing touches to their other projects. As for Friday, Mom will receive an early Mothers’ Day surprise!

               Next week we will continue to make several crafts that will help us review some of the other things we’ve learned and help the class become more comfortable with conversing in Spanish. There are also still a few parent-teacher conferences planned for Friday, and I am also still availble for a phone conference if anyone has any specific questions or suggestions. I’ve again recommended that the children practice a little at home so that they can better retain the information; even going over their past assignments is a great help to your both YOU and your child. I hope that everyone has been enjoying the great weather and that you all have a wonderful rest of the week. Adios!

Ms.Joanna

Good evening New Tradition parents,

              It definitely feels good to be back and practicing our Spanish again! This week is a short week so I wanted to use it as a transition point in moving towards FULL immersion with the students. Thus far, they have done very well in communicating with me in the target language but we’ve occasionally had to speak in English to give directions for a game/activity and address some behavioral issues. Thankfully, the class is doing very well in terms of class conduct and have really been on their best behavior as of late. Improved behavior combined with the knowledge the class has acquired will now allow us to practice our conversational skills.

              On Wednesday, the class made flashcards that can be used at home to help them review what they have learned in class along with some artwork; I was SO impressed with how much the class has improved in describing their artwork. By the end of the semester, I bet that the class will even be able to tell me the stories behind their artwork in Spanish! We also spent a lot of time on Wednesday playing a new game called Leon (lion) in which we use the colored ”safety zone rings”, la carce (jail), and the leon (Ms.Joanna the lion) to put a twist on traditional “Simon Dice.” I (the leon) say either directional commands for the children to respond to (caminar=walk, rapido=fast, despacio=slow, saltar=jump, brincar=hop, corer=run, manos ariba=hands up, manos abajo=hands down, a la esquierda=to the left, a la derecha=to the right, bailar=dance, para=stop, adelante=foward, atras= back) or I say different types of animals for the children to imitate (gato=cat, perro=dog, pajaro=bird, vaca=cow, rana=frog, tigre=tiger, oso=bear, pato=duck, pez=fish, mariposa=butterfly, caballo=horse, conejo=rabbit) but as soon as I say Leon, I turn into a lion and they must run to the safety rings before I catch them or go to la carce (they can also be heroes and tag their friends out of jail). This game really helped the children review a lot and also have a lot of fun, perhaps a little too much fun!

                  On Friday we are going to listen to some music, dance a little, and play some more games so we can review what we’ve learned in a fun, expressive way.  The class will also make a few more flashcards to take home along with their homework. The flashcards are a great tool and can be implemented with the word list that I handed out last Wednesday, but if you’ve misplaced the word list, just let me know and I’ll be more than happy to bring some additional copies. As for next week, we will also be incorporating music and art to make our transition of 75%  to 100% Spanish smooth and enjoyable. Again, thanks for reading and have a great week. Adios!

Ms.Joanna

Hola New Tradition parents,

             We learned a lot of different things last week, so I tried to make this week a little more fun and decided to focus on animals (animales). Considering that the class seemed to really like Easter (Tasqua), rabbits (conejos), and colorful eggs (huevos colorados), I thought that it would be enjoyable for the children to combine their study of animales with Tasqua! On Monday we did a few worksheets that involved matching, using vocabulary, and lots of art. We also did a lot of other crafts that included creating an Easter collage and a drawing our favorite animals.

              There are obviously many different species of animals, but since we”re beginners here, we only focused on the most common types of animals and household pets (gato=cat, perro=dog, pez=fish, pajaro=bird, pato=duck, conejo=rabbit, rana=frog, vaca=cow, caballo=horse, abeja=bee, oso=bear, leon=lion, rata=rat). Today the class did a worksheet that asked them to draw a specific number of a particular type of animal and also did some riddles about pets. After recess today, we reviewed color and basic commands with the aid of our handy-dandy parachute (which was a huge and I mean HUGE success). The parachute proved to be a great way to get some energy out and really learn in a more dynamic and fun manner. We concluded our class today with our Easter projects and a little Easter surprise from me.

              As you may know, I will be away this Friday and teacher Johanna will be substituting for me (I reminded the class of this as well). I gave her some supplies and our basic lesson plan for Friday which will conclude our lesson on animals. I omitted “El Doctor” this week because there was so much to cover in animal vocab and describing animals that I felt that we could put it off until a little later; plus the kids seemed to really enjoy saying the animal names in Spanish. Next week will be a little short with the furlough day and all, but we will be focusing on common expressions (and possibly some advanced greetings), expressions in music (through songs and chants), and will also begin practicing for our end of the year show. I hope this has been helpful and that you all have a wonderful remainder of the week. Adios!

-Joanna

Greeting New Traditions parents,

I’m pleased to inform you that the children have been making major breakthroughs as of last week. Learning about all the different types of food really struck a chord with the children and seemed to make them eager to learn more Spanish! We have done a great job as a class learning the all of the basic components of Spanish and the class is now prepared to start expanding their knowledge by learning more difficult concepts. This week we started learning about common objects found around the house (mesa=table, silla=chair, ventana=window, puerta=door, toalla=towel, cuchara=spoon, cuchio=knife, plato=plate, tenedor=fork) as well as classroom objects ( lapiz=pencil, pluma=pen, papel=paper, borrador=eraser, cuaderno=notebook, tijeras=scissors). The class did several matching worksheets as well as some descriptive artwork to help better understand all of this new vocabulary.

Along with household and classroom objects, we also began to learn about different types of clothing (camisa=shirt, pantalones=pants, falda=skirt, vestido=dress, zapatos=shoes, calcetines=socks, botas=boots, sombrero=hat or gorro=hat/cap, chaqueta=jacket, pantalones cortos=shorts). As you can see, this is a LOT of new vocabulary, so bear with your child and help them practice! We also started learning about our community and the common places that we visit in San Francisco (el museo=museum, parque=park, la tienda=store, biblioteca=library, casa=house, escuela=school). On Wednesday we did a lot of drawings of our favorite places and began to describe our drawings in Spanish in terms of who, what, when, and where (not quite to the “why” stage yet, but we’re getting there).

On Friday I will send home several worksheets that can be completed to your child’s/your convenience that will help reinforce what they have learned so far. Next week we will start to learn about animals and “El Doctor” which should be fun since everyone loves animals (and the Doctor), right? I have also been collecting a lot of the children’s work which I will present to you toward the end of the year, and trust me, you will be impressed! Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful weekend!

Good afternoon New Tradition parents,

I hope that everyone enjoyed their spring break! We picked up this week with a review of feelings and our formal greetings. On Monday, we started off by reading a short story titled, “Como te Sientes?” and a book titled, “Opuestos.” Both of these books were a great review for the children because they were simple and engaging. Many of the children enjoyed contrasting the opposites in “Opuestos” and vividly acting out the feelings described in “Como te Sientes?” Hopefully, the children saved their flashcard we made a few weeks back so that they could practice some basics!

On monday we also learned about the face and basic parts of the body. Cabeza, hombros, rodillas, y pies (head, shoulders, knees, and toes) proved to be a great song that helped the class learn the parts of our body. We also did some exercise to a song that prompted the class to do certain actions at various paces (which was also a great review of the action words and got our blood pumping).  On Wednesday, the class learned about the different types of food (comida) that we commonly encounter. One of the children in the class brought in a book to share that was entitled, “El Mural de Frutas” (The Mural of Fruits) that vividly described all of the various types of fruits, and even some that aren’t as frequently encountered (example: guayaba). We also read a shorter story called “Vamos a Comer”  that described more basic types of fruits, vegetables, and foods (pan = bread, sopa= soup, carne = meat, jugo= juice, queso=cheese). The class also did a few worksheets this week that helped them better understand the different types of food that we eat.  It was interesting to learn that the entire class loves ALL the fruits (unfortunately, not all were so fond of the veggies)!

On Friday we will review all that we’ve learned this week, especially the different types of food. We will also hopefully learn to incorporate our love of food with all that we’ve learned in order to be able to construct very basic sentences (Tengo ambre, tengo sed, quiero comer, quiero beber, quiero comer fruta, etc.). Next week we will begin to explore common household/classroom objects, animals, and the parts of our community. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Adios!

 Greetings New Tradition Parents,

                I hope that everyone is enjoying the beginning of their spring break and staying dry! This week we continued expanding on our formal greetings and the children made several flashcards which they were able to take home for additional practice. As we continue with our curriculum, we will always reinforce our formal greetings and how to engage in a basic conversation. We have been singing the days of the week song that is very popular among all the children (domingo, lunes…martes, miercoles.. jueves, viernes, sabado…..domingo, lunes, martes, miercoles… jueves, viernes, sabado   to the “Clementine” tune) but have also refined our knowledge of the days of the week with several worksheets.  We will also continue to discuss the days of the week and the months of the year once we return from spring break.

                 In addition to greetings and the days of the week, we also started learning about how to identify members of our families (padre, madre, hermano, hermana, abuelo, abuela, tio, y tia). To reinforce this, the children drew a picture of their family (familia) and labeled the drawing accordingly. While we were busy drawing our families, we listened to the song “La Tia Monica” which the children thoroughly enjoyed! We also continued to talk about action words and started incorporating feelings (me siento enojado=mad, cansado=tired, triste=sad, feliz=happy, enfermo=sick, apenado=embarassed). The song “Vamos a Jugar” taught us all a very important lesson about how to overcome feelings such as being enojado, cansado, y apenado by putting on a sonriza (smile) and being feliz!  The song, “Una Jirafa Resfriada” was about a giraffe with a cold (resfriado) that had to have lots of rest in order to feel better. I couldn’t help but notice how well all of the children respond to music and because of this, I will continue to bring in much more music for us all to enjoy!

                 Furthermore, we had a few behavioral issues from select individuals last friday (a lot of this could be attributed to the poor weather, teacher conferences, and being couped up in the library) so we had to reinforce the school rules a few times and take a few timeouts.  However, this week, the class seemed to make a huge improvement and each student acted in a safe, respectful, and responsible manner. I reminded the class that in order to make the most of our time together, we need to respect each other so that we can learn as much as possible, and also have lots of fun doing so. When we return from spring break, we will continue on with the months of the year, the face/body, food, and common classroom and household objects. That is all for now, and I wish you all a safe and eventful spring break!

- Ms. Joanna

Good afternoon New Tradition parents,

I’m so pleased to inform you that we have been making much progress as a class. This week we began to explore shapes, colors, and feelings, as well as a review of what we learned last week (numbers, alphabet, and action words). Along with reviewing numbers, we have also continued to integrate numbers into the activities we have done this week. I’ve noticed that the children really enjoy counting in Spanish and I encourage them to try and count as high as possible! Try asking your child to count to at least 20 (or higher) and see if they can at least tell you the multiples of each number thereafter (30, 40, 50, 100, etc); just for fun of course.

On Monday we began to explore basic shapes such as un circulo, quadrado, rectangulo, triangulo, estrella, and corazon ( circle, square, rectangle, triangle, star, and heart, respectively). Along with the basic shapes, we also started talking about colors. Many (but not all) of the children already knew the primary colors (azul=blue, rojo=red, amarillo=yellow) so we focused more attention towards learning the secondary colors (morado = purple, verde= green, and naranja= orange, rosa= pink) along with negro (black) and gris (gray).  Playing Simon dice (simon says) on the colored mat proved to be a great way to practice identifying colors combined with our action words (saltar en= jump en verde, brincar=hop en naranja, caminar=walk en morado, etc.) At the conclusion of the class, the children would draw a picture containing the specific number of shapes and in the specific color indicated (ie tres corazones en rojo y dos estrellas en amarillo).

On friday we will begin to elaborate on feelings and how to describe how we feel in a particular situation. We will try phrases such as me siento bien (I feel good), me siento mal (I feel bad), me siento enfermo(a) (I feel sick), me siento feliz (I feel happy), me siento enojado(a) (I feel mad), y me siento cansado(o) (I feel tired), tengo frio (I’m cold), and estoy caliente (I’m hot). Try asking your child about the colors of their surroundings (que color es eso), ask how many of a particular thing are present (quantos son), and also try and ask them what types of shapes are present ( eso es un circulo, es un triangulo, es una estrella, etc.). My basic goal for the next coming weeks is for the children to be able to describe their environment, expresss their feelings, and describe their actions. I hope you have a wonderful week and Happy St.Patrick’s Day!

-Ms. Joanna