August 2007.
¡Bienvenido! ¡Bienvenida!
Welcome to Spanish class 2007-2008. I want to invite you to open your mind
and take the risk to improve your Spanish Language skills, or start to learn
about this different and exiting language.
Every class session will be a great opportunity to practice previous
vocabulary, learn a new word or sentence, learn tong-twisters (trabalenguas),
discover new places trough pictures and media, and work on projects and have
fun.
1. During each class, I’m expecting you to be part of the group
• through your participation
• by being respectful with everybody
• by paying attention
• by doing your classroom assignments
• by working and bring your projects on time
• by having your materials and books ready to work
• by visiting the Spanish class web-site
• by asking about assignments if you were absent
2. How are you going to earn your grades?
Every single assignment (class work or homework) has a 3 points scale:
• 3 points: assignment finished, 80% correct and turned in on time
• 2 points: assignment 50 – 80% completed, assignment completed and
50-80% correct, or turned back late
• 1 point: less than 50% completed or corrected
• 0 points: missing assignment, no turned back
Once your assignment was graded, you can up-graded it! How? Please write
down the whole assignment in a new piece of paper and turn it back in for a
second review. Make sure it is attached to the first one.
3. Each month, beginning in September, we will work on a project which
include
the following topics:
➢ a personality from a Spanish speaking country
➢ a Spanish speaking country
➢ a Saint from the calendar (current month)
➢ a Hispanic festivity or cultural information
➢ a specific question about Spanish language
A list of these topics will be listed on the web site. The project can be
mostly written in English and MUST contain 10 to 15 sentences in Spanish
(taken from your research or personal opinion) or you can be brave and write
your project in Spanish.
4. At the end of each Unit there will be a test, which will be graded
formally.
5. There is an annual project named “This Is Me” (“Este soy yo”). Students
will be writing in Spanish his / her own descriptive biography using the
information, grammar skills and creativity that he / she is learning.
Each time student writes a page or paragraph, it will be turned to the
teacher
to be checked and the student will be asked to correct / edit the errors and
put the corrected page in the book.
You don’t need to bring any material to class, but your enthusiasm, courtesy
and responsibility!
¡Vamos a aprender español!
Ms. Judith De la Peña
Spanish Teacher
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August 2007.
Dear Parents,
¡Bienvenidos!
Welcome! I’m very happy to re-introduce myself to you as your daughter /
son’s Spanish Teacher at St. Patrick School. .
I would like to share with you my expectations for your kids for this year’s
Spanish classes. They include:
WORK RESPECT PARTICIPATION COMMINTMENT
Work: students must complete all assignments, turn them in on time and
re-edited them if necessary. Practice is part of the learning
process –
the more contact your kid has with the language, the better
opportunity
to learn it.
Respect: speak a new or second language is a challenge. Respect for others
as
everyone begins using a new language, whether is writing, listening or
speaking, gives everyone the opportunity to improve themselves.
Making
mistakes is a part of the process and being aware of these mistakes
helps students learn.
Participation: no answer or question is wrong; step up and share with others
what you already know or what would you like to know.
Commitment: be responsible for yourself in developing this second language.
Ask yourself Is what I’ve done the best I can do ?
Trying is the best way to learn anything,
Making the best effort gives the best results for each one,
Let your kid do their best and
Let yourself watch his / her development
Ms. Judith De la Peña
Spanish Teacher
SPANISH CLASS
Themes or topics for monthly projects.
Countries
España México Guatemala Belice El Salvador
Nicaragua Honduras Costa Rica Panamá Venezuela
Colombia Ecuador Perú Bolivia Uruguay
Paraguay Chile Argentina Cuba
República Dominicana Brasil Filipinas
History and Culture
Sept. Independence of Mexico
Oct. United Nations / OEA (Organización de Estados Americanos)
Nov. Day of Death
Dic. Vírgen de Guadalupe / Juan Diego
Jan. Pyramids (Teotihuacán, Tenochtitlán, Palenque, Machu Pichu)
Feb. Food (mole, tamales, paella, pupusas, moros y cristianos, etc.)
Mar. Traditional games (matatena, balero, la oca, serpientes y escaleras,
loteria, etc.)
April Caribbean Rythms (cumbia, bachata, salsa, merengue, reguetón)
Spanish dances (la jota, flamenco)
Mexican dances (prehispanic dance, zapateado, polka norteña)
May Culturas (maya, azteca, inca, zapoteca, etc.)
Personalities
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Mariano Rivera
Simón Bolivar
Isabel I de España
Frida Kahlo
Rigoberta Manchú
Desi Arnaz
Aranxa Sánchez Vicario
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Julio Iglesias
Salma Hayeck
Cristóbal Colón
Octavio Paz
Che Guevara
Selena
César Chávez
Evita Perón
Gabriel García Márquez
Diego Rivera
Or any other personality from Spanish country that you want to write about
General topics
- Why is Spanish language important in United States?
- What are the differences in vowels when you speak Spanish and
English?
- In speaking Spanish countries, kids stay at parent’s home until they
finish College or even years later. How do you think this improve
or
not the family relationships?
- What cultural aspects from this country (U.S.) would you introduce
to
a foreign student visitor?
Feast of August
3 Santa Juana de Chantal
5 San Pedro y San Pablo
6 La Transfiguración del Senor
8 Santo Domingo de Guzmán
9 Santa Otilia
11 Santa Clara de Asis
15 La Asunción de la Santisima Virgen
16. San Esteban
17 San Roque
18 Santa Elena
22 Santa María Virgen
23 Santa Rosa de Lima
29 Martirio de San Juan Bautista
30 Beato Tomás de Kempis
Feast of September
Feast of October
1 Sta. Teresita del Nino Jesus
2 Los Santos Angeles de la Guarda
5 Zacarias e Isabel
7 El Santo Rosario / Santo Domingo de Guzman
9 San Luis Beltran
10 Santo Tomas de Villanueva
11 Santa Maria Soledad Torres
12 Nuestra Senora del Pilar de Zaragoza
15 Santa Teresa de Jesus
20 San Pedro de Alcantara
24 San Antonio Maria Claret
30 San Alonso Rodriguez
Feast of November
1 Todos los Santos
2 Los Fieles Difuntos
3 San Martin de Porres
20 San Roque Gonzalez
Feast of December
3 San Francisco Javier
6 San Nicolas
8 La Inmaculada Concepcion de la Virgen Maria
12 Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe
14 San Juan de la Cruz
20 Santo Domingo de Silos
25 Nacimiento del Hijo de Dios
28 Los Santos Inocentes
Feast of January
Feast of February
Feast of March
Feast of April
Feast of May
Feast of June
Feast of July
Calendar
#1 September 27
#2 November 1
#3 November 29
#4 January 24
#5 February 21
#6 March 20
#7 April 17
#8 May 15
