Spanish Class: January & February

Primary and LE: “Las formas”, “Los días de la semana”; UE: “La ropa”, “Los artículos”; MS: “Artículos definidos e indefinidos”, “Acuerdo entre el sustantivo y el adjetivo.” In addition FWM middle school students were able to work on listening, pronunciation and comprehension in different tasks given during class.

FWM students kept working on their usual conversation about feelings, Spanish greetings, calendars, and descriptions of the weather. They are continuously improving their Spanish listening and vocabulary. Students from Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School listened carefully to Spanish books and songs and participated in interactive games that were displayed during class.

Primary students focused on learning shapes such as Cuadrado (square), círculo (circle), triángulo (triangle), rectángulo (rectangle), and óvalo (oval). They studied “las formas,” “días de la semana,” and y los “meses del año” through Spanish Montessori lessons that were left on the language shelves of each class for the students to practice for the entire week.

Lower Elementary students also learned “las formas” such as: Cuadrado (square), círculo (circle), triángulo (triangle), rectángulo (rectangle), óvalo (oval), corazón (heart), hexágono (hexagon), estrella (star). They studied “las formas”, “días de la semana” y lo s” meses del año” through Spanish Montessori lessons that were presented in class and complemented with songs, games, and some worksheets to practice.

Upper Elementary Students put in hard work learning about clothing and some accessories in Spanish. They also learned how to properly use the articles (el, los, la, las) in Spanish, and they reviewed “Los números del one al 100.”

Middle Schoolers kept learning about personal pronouns, definite and indefinite articles, noun-adjective agreement, conjugation of the verb “ser y estar,” and when and how to use it.

All the students at FWM are enjoying and learning Spanish, and I am very pleased with their progress in accomplishing goals in my class.

Young Artists Make a Splash!

Both Upper and Lower Elementary students have been learning about the modernist art movement and abstract expressionism. Classes discussed American post-war artists Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko, and Lee Krasner and how they used non-representational abstract art as a form of expression. Students experienced creating spontaneous mark-making and using gestural movements to paint. While thinking of the paintbrushes as an extension of themselves, they created open-ended compositions. These activities provide opportunities for non-verbal expression and foster an understanding of how to create an active field of vision with no particular focal point.

Lower Elementary students are creating collaborative large-scale physical paintings on the floor with brush extenders. There was a clear sense of discovery felt when they could redefine painting. The students enjoyed building upon each other’s work.

Upper Elementary has been working on a series of abstract paintings exploring color, space, movement, and nontraditional processes like painting with magnets! Through unpredictable processes in artmaking, the students have been discussing the nature of creativity and authorship.

Both upper and lower elementary students have been learning about the modernist art movement and abstract expressionism. Classes discussed American post-war artists Jackson Pollock, Helen Frankenthaler, Mark Rothko, and Lee Krasner and how they used non-representational abstract art as a form of expression. Students experienced creating spontaneous mark-making and using gestural movements to paint. While thinking of the paintbrushes as an extension of themselves, they created open-ended compositions. These activities provide opportunities for non-verbal expression and foster an understanding of how to create an active field of vision with no particular focal point.

Lower Elementary students are creating collaborative large-scale physical paintings on the floor with brush extenders. There was a clear sense of discovery felt when they could redefine painting. The students enjoyed building upon each other’s work.

Upper Elementary has been working on a series of abstract paintings exploring color, space, movement, And nontraditional processes like painting with magnets! Through unpredictable processes in artmaking, the students have been discussing the nature of creativity and authorship.

Primary and LE: “Las formas”, “Los días de la semana”; UE: “La ropa”, “Los artículos”; MS: “Artículos definidos e indefinidos”, “Acuerdo entre el sustantivo y el adjetivo.” In addition FWM middle school students were able to work on listening, pronunciation and comprehension in different tasks given during class.

FWM students kept working on their usual conversation about feelings, Spanish greetings, calendars, and descriptions of the weather. They are continuously improving their Spanish listening and vocabulary. Students from Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School listened carefully to Spanish books and songs and participated in interactive games that were displayed during class.

Primary students focused on learning shapes such as Cuadrado (square), círculo (circle), triángulo (triangle), rectángulo (rectangle), and óvalo (oval). They studied “las formas,” “días de la semana,” and y los “meses del año” through Spanish Montessori lessons that were left on the language shelves of each class for the students to practice for the entire week.

Lower Elementary students also learned “las formas” such as: Cuadrado (square), círculo (circle), triángulo (triangle), rectángulo (rectangle), óvalo (oval), corazón (heart), hexágono (hexagon), estrella (star). They studied “las formas”, “días de la semana” y lo s” meses del año” through Spanish Montessori lessons that were presented in class and complemented with songs, games, and some worksheets to practice.

Upper Elementary Students put in hard work learning about clothing and some accessories in Spanish. They also learned how to properly use the articles (el, los, la, las) in Spanish, and they reviewed “Los números del one al 100.”

Middle Schoolers kept learning about personal pronouns, definite and indefinite articles, noun-adjective agreement, conjugation of the verb “ser y estar,” and when and how to use it.

All the students at FWM are enjoying and learning Spanish, and I am very pleased with their progress in accomplishing goals in my class.

November:

Primary and LE: “Los números”; UE: “El abecedario y las sílabas”;

MS: “How to describe themselves and others”, “Adjectives and Opposites”.

FWM students learned about the tradition of “Día de los Muertos,” how this Spanish Holiday is celebrated in Latin America, and how each country has a unique way of celebrating this tradition.

This month at FWM, students kept working on their conversations about feelings, Spanish greetings, the calendar, and weather descriptions. They are continuously improving their Spanish listening and vocabulary. Students from Primary, Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, and Middle School listened carefully to Spanish books and songs and participated in interactive games that were displayed during class.

Primary students focused on learning the numbers from 1 to 10. Uno (1), dos (2), tres (3), cuatro (4), cinco (5), seis (6), siete (7), ocho (8), nueve (9) y diez (10). They studied “los números” through Spanish Montessori lessons that were left on the mathematics shelves of each class for the students to practice for a long period.

Lower Elementary students also learned “los números” from 1 to 20 in Spanish such as: uno (1), dos (2), tres (3), cuatro (4), cinco (5), seis (6), siete (7), ocho (8), nueve (9), diez (10), once (11), doce (12), trece (13), catorce (14), quince (15), dieciséis (16) , diecisiete (17), dieciocho (18), diecinueve (19) y veinte (20). They learned these numbers through Spanish Montessori Lessons. Second- and Third-grade students were able to learn the numbers up to 100. In addition, they enjoyed using the numbers and learned to play “Spanish Bingo,” which helped them to practice and remember them.

Upper Elementary Students put in hard work learning how to read in Spanish. First, they learn the pronunciation of each letter of the alphabet and form syllables, which leads them to better pronunciation of words, increasing their vocabulary and understanding.

Middle Schoolers learned about adjectives and how they are used to qualify the noun. They worked on adjectives and opposites, learning how they work and how they can use them. They also learned about definite and indefinite articles and noun-adjective agreement. Also, middle school students were very excited to play Spanish Kahoot and to watch an age-appropriate movie called “Luca” in “Spanish,” where the students were able to understand the movie as part of our enrichment program.

I am very pleased with the progress and accomplishment of learning goals in all of my classes.

All the students are doing an amazing job in Spanish.

In the Art Studio, our young artists from Kindergarten through 8th grade kicked off the school year by putting together a Tiny Art Exhibition! Our artists have been hard at work creating multiple tiny works of art on small paper the size of 4×4 inches or smaller. Students

have explored various art materials such as colorful sharpies, acrylic paints, watercolors, color pencils, and more. Some students chose to recreate a famous painting, such as Van Gogh’s Starry Night, or one of Bob Ross’ famous landscape paintings. Others chose to create a unique work of art of their own creative expression. The small size restriction challenged students to problem solve ways in which they could fit the entire composition onto the tiny canvases, as well as developed their fine motor skills as they carefully applied paint with tiny paintbrushes. It has been a joy to see the variety of artwork created on such a tiny scale!

Next, we will set up the exhibition in the hallway for the whole school to enjoy. Many students have already even begun  prototyping and constructing miniature gallery/museum spaces to display their artwork in using cardboard.  Magnifying glasses will be set up with each display so everyone can take a closer look at all of the wonderfully unique FWM Tiny Art Exhibition!

The Art Studio has been buzzing lately with lots of wonderful clay work from students in kindergarten through middle school! Students have been exploring a range of clay processes and techniques, such as coil building, slab rolling, pinching, and throwing on the pottery wheel.

Working with clay has many benefits for children of all ages. It is a complex sensory experience that encourages self-expression, helps promote self-confidence, and develops problem-solving and motor skills. Because clay is highly responsive to touch, children become engrossed in their work: they can express and articulate their ideas through shaping clay and learning to repair mistakes. Clay is different from other art mediums because it requires an understanding of the three-dimensional world. While working on their projects, students must move around to see their creations from all sides. From this, they begin to understand shape, form, and perspective and gain knowledge of planning methods and problem-solving as they map out their creation.

Upper Elementary and Middle School students have particularly enjoyed creating bowls, cups, and vases on the pottery wheel. The first step is to center the clay on the wheel by applying water and pressure to the clay with our hands. Once the clay is centered, students open it and slowly form it into a bowl, cup, or vase. Working on the potter’s wheel is a physical activity that aligns with the Montessori philosophy of encouraging freedom within limits: children focus on specific forming techniques and hand positioning while being free to move the clay into a desired shape. Each step of the wheel-throwing process engages both the body and the mind.

Primary and LE: “Los días de la semana”, “Los meses del año”; UE: “La ropa”, “Que hora es?”; MS: “Spanish celebrity Presentation”. A general review of all we have learned to this point this school year was done at every level. In addition, FWM middle school students could travel virtually to Spanish-speaking countries such as Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica.

FWM students are still working on their usual conversation about feelings, Spanish greetings, the calendar, and the weather description, as repetition is the key to learning another language. They are continuously improving their Spanish listening and vocabulary. Students from Primary, Lower and Upper Elementary, and Middle School listened carefully to Spanish books and songs and participated in interactive games displayed during class.

Primary and Lower Elementary students also continued learning about the days of the week “Los días de la semana”: Lunes, Martes, Miércoles, Jueves, Viernes, Sábado, y Domingo. In addition, they learned the months of the year: Enero, Febrero, Marzo, Abril, Mayo, Junio, Julio, Agosto, Setiembre, Octubre, Noviembre y Diciembre using the same type of Montessori lessons such as three-part learning cards and matching cards to reinforce concepts. The children also really enjoyed singing and participating in classroom games. Spanish Montessori Lessons were presented in class and left in their classroom to be practiced during the week.

Upper Elementary Students continued learning about clothing and practicing using the articles (el, los, la, las) in Spanish. In addition, they are learning how to tell time in Spanish “Que hora es? They continue practicing their writing through activities and games we used in class. We continue reading books; we are reading Llama in Lima by Katie A. Baker. Reading is a great way to enhance comprehension and pronunciation of the language. Students learned songs in the class that helped with vocabulary and pronunciation memorization.

Middle School students also continue working year-round on their Spanish greetings, description of weather, feelings, and their daily calendar, including days of the week, months, and seasons. Students continue working on the Spanish curriculum in the “Avancemos” program. They also focused on learning the vocabulary and phrases related to planning parties, chores, and responsibilities around the house, the schedule of different classes at school, and how to identify themselves and other people. They are also learning how to use and write more irregular verbs and conjugations such as ir (to go), dar (to give), decir (to tell), poner (to put), salir (to leave), traer (to bring) and venir (to come). We continue reading books for youth in Spanish to enhance their vocabulary, reading, listening, and comprehension skills of a story. For example, we read Agentes Secretos y el Mural de Picasso by Mira Canion.

On Fridays, we also work on “Spanish Enrichment,” where students virtually visit Chile, Colombia, and Costa Rica. Students learn how people live, their customs, and their types of food. They also can see the difference in the geography within all these countries, observing the diversity of sightseeing, plants, and animals that other countries can offer. I believe this experience contributes to expanding their horizons in the knowledge of different cultures and people worldwide. Also, we continued playing in Spanish with puzzle words, storytelling, and other activities that made it more enjoyable to learn Spanish. Also, Middle School students worked hard in their research and presentation about a Spanish-speaking celebrity. All students showed their knowledge of their subject based on research they had done. They presented their projects very organized way, and slides enhanced their presentations. All the presentations were done clearly and were easy to follow. In addition to that, Middle School students responded successfully to the audience’s questions and comments.

All the students at FWM are enjoying learning Spanish, and I am delighted with their progress in accomplishing goals in my class.

The Kindergarten and Lower Elementary students participated in a gymnastics unit where they experienced body weight transfer through floor skills. Students experienced the following apparatus: gymnastic mats for an obstacle course and a balance beam. They also did pyramid building, single balances, and cartwheels. Pyramid building is when a group of gymnasts makes a human pyramid by standing or kneeling on top of one another with only one person on the top level. A human pyramid is a formation of three or more people in which two or more support a tier of higher people. For practical reasons, lighter people are often higher, while stronger/heavier people are closer to the base.