Off and running! Here is a quick update on what's happening in Spanish classes so far this fall:

• PreK 3 and 4: Having a blast playing with the Prek's in full immersion! I've been visiting the 4 year old class during free play on Tuesdays and Thursdays where I speak only in Spanish. At first some kids were hesitant and others excited to meet "The Spanish Lady", but they are beginning to see me as one of their playmates and are now trying to communicate with me in Spanish while teaching me some English words too! I have also joined in for Muddy Boots Club every Friday with both the 3's and 4's. Last Friday kids enjoyed learning words for campfire and roasting marshmallows as we pretended we were on a camp out! They also loved to direct me (in Spanish) in and out of the trees and forts that were left from summer camp. It is looking to be a successful start! 
• K/1's have been studying La Oruga Hambrienta (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) by Eric Carle. We listened to the story in Spanish and now students are learning to act out the story in the language. Next week we will be making monarch butterflies to send to Mexico and in the spring we are expecting to receive back a set from them! 
• 2/3's are learning numbers and playground words. We've been working with the online PBS Kids Spanish program Noah Comprende, to build our vocabularies and next week we will be looking forward to practicing some of our new words while directing each other in Spanish on our own playground.
• 4/5's are studying animal words and learning to describe them. I have been so impressed that they are already writing short paragraphs in Spanish with no help or dictionaries! Later this week we will play 20 questions guessing animals in the language and will learn the popular "Bear Hunt" song to perform soon at assembly! 
• Spanish 1 is doing research on Spain through a virtual trip project. They have to work in groups within their budgets to create a trip plan, itinerary and more! We are also practicing using our new Spanish names and identities!
• Spanish II is a big one this year (by Parker standards!) but it's not stopping us! Former students are preparing lesson plans to teach the newer students and today everyone made hilarious skits using greeting words in the language. The students have really been working together! 
• Spanish III just finished the first part in a PBS documentary series called Latino Americans and learned about the early foundations behind the racism that still exists against Mexican in the U.S. Tomorrow we are all looking forward to planning a student run Spanish radio segment that will be a new addition to assembly this year.