Cantando y contando en español: a guest blog from Julie
Dear Families,
There’s been a lot of singing in Lower School Spanish classes lately. Not just the songs you’d expect, like the Buenos Días song and Cantemos Adiós that we sing at the beginning and end of our work together; we also make up our own melodies to sing with the questions and answers the children are learning in Spanish. Singing makes the rhythms and the sounds of the Spanish words easier to remember. It also makes it easier (and more fun!) to join right in. Children don’t worry about saying something “wrong” if they’re singing it instead. And they often sing their Spanish words after class, after school, when they’re out and about, when they notice that the rhythm of their steps triggers the memory of the song they’ve been learning.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpTaICdNqsM
Here’s what we’ve been singing about:
- The fours and kindergartners are singing about hot chocolate, which they’ll drink in Spanish class next week. Ask them to sing the chocolate song for you. The words say: Uno dos tres CHO, uno dos tres CO, uno dos tres LA, uno dos tres TE. Bate bate chocolate, bate bate chocolate. ¡Qué rico!
- The first graders are singing our very own made-up counting song about filling a piñata with goodies, inspired by the book Fiesta by Ginger Foglesong Guy. The words go like this: una piñata, dos trompetas, tres animales, cuatro aviones, cinco dulces, seis chicles, siete silbatos, ocho anillos, nueve dulces, diez serpentinas. By the end of the song the piñata is full!
- Second graders are singing about their favorite sports. Ask them, ¿Cuál es tu deporte favorito? So far they are working on fútbol, béisbol, la natación, and la gimnasia, as well as monopatín and patineta (skateboards and scooters).
- Third graders are singing about birthdays. Ask them, ¿Cuándo es tu cumpleaños? They have also made calendars for the new year, dos mil once, which are labeled with the class birthdays, and which they’ll take home next week. I hope each calendar finds a home on a refrigerator door or a desk.
- Fourth graders are probably singing a little less than the younger ones, but they’re talking more. Finishing up a project about their experiences harvesting, preparing and trying new foods at Hawthorne Valley Farm, they used the same words in a new context after Thanksgiving, saying things like this: Yo preparé el pastel de manzana and Yo tomé cidra de manzana caliente. After a meal, ask a fourth grader, ¿Qué tomaste? ¿Qué comiste?
It’s been a busy and melodious few weeks in Spanish this fall!
Sincerely,
Julie Sterling, Lower School Spanish Teacher
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LETTERS FROM LOWER SCHOOL TEACHERS
(click on the links below to view and print notes from teachers)
Elizabeth & Samson’s K: Click here to read a note from Elizabeth and Samson about what the kindergartners have learned so far in their hobbies and occupations study and get some important reminders about winter break.
Rebecca & Jessi’s First Grade: Click here for a letter from Rebecca & Jessi with highlights of “Busy Street Park,” publishing photos, and a look ahead to the new year.
Kate & Nicole’s Fourth Grade: This week, fourth graders mapped 100 feet in various locations around the school. Click here to watch a video of the fourth graders discussing the project and see pictures here.
Dina & Farrah’s Fourth Grade: Click here to view photos from the 4th graders’ Magbana Drum and Dance Workshop.
All Fourth Grades: Looking for some fun math games to keep your child engaged over the vacation? Here is a great resource provided from Rose Reilly, LS Math Coordinator. Enjoy! And Happy Holidays!
Peggy’s Shop Class: Third Graders have been exploring joinery and have made animals with at least three moving parts. The animals are resting in the Sixth Avenue lobby display case. Please check them out!
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LOWER SCHOOL REMINDERS AND EVENTS
For the most up-to-date information visit the school’s online calendar at www.lrei.org/calendar. Click here to download the one-page 2010-11 school calendar.
Winter Break: Tomorrow, Friday, December 17th, is a half-day and school closes for winter break. Dismissal for grades 2nd-4th is 12 pm. Dismissal for Fours through 1st grades is 11:45am. There will be no Afterschool on Friday. School reopens Tuesday, January 4th.
Afterschool Registration: Please be on the look out for an email with registration information and materials. All of the information included in the email – including class descriptions, and teacher bios will be available on the LREI website by tomorrow.
Afterschool Registration Week for the Winter/Spring session begins on Tuesday, January 4th. During registration week (1/4-1/7), students are welcome to come for free childcare during regular Afterschool hours (2:30-6:00).
The Enrichment and Instrumental Registration Shuffle will take place on Tuesday, January 4th at 3 p.m. We urge you to turn in your completed registration forms to the Afterschool Office by that time. Registration forms received after the shuffle will be processed on a first come, first serve basis.
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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS
Alumni College Panel: Join us for our annual Alumni College Panel. This is a terrific opportunity to hear recent LREI grads discuss their transition from high school to college and how their time at LREI prepared them for success. Thursday, January 6th, 6:30PM, PAC 40 Charlton Street. Moderated by our new Director of College Guidance Carey Socol. RSVP to Liza Sacks at (212) 477-5316 ext. 291 or lsacks@lrei.org. Click here to view and print a flyer with full details.
Adult r(ED): There is still time to sign up for the second two terms of Adult r(ED). Don’t miss out! Click here to view and print the complete course listing and sign up information.
Save the date for Karamu! The Multicultural Committee of the Parents Association is busily planning another wonderful “joyous celebration” (which is what Karamu means in Swahili) after the new year. Please save the date–Friday January 21st. The dinner buffet and a performance by our wonderful high school Jazz band begin at 5pm at the Charlton Street building. Guest performances of music and dance begin at 6:15pm and will be followed by our annual DJ’d dance party in the Performing Arts Center. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, January 18th in the Sixth Avenue lobby and also at the front desk of the Charlton Street building. We will also be selling tie dye Karamu bandannas and raffle tickets for exciting prizes.
Spirit Club: Baby, it’s cold outside…but our Basketball teams are smoking hot! So warm up with friends after winter break and come to one of our exciting home games! The Spirit Super Fan Club will gather on our first day back, Tuesday, January 4th at 3PM, before the exciting Varsity Boys home game!
Spirit Club is open to all – so come hang out, have a snack, do your homework and have some fun while the teams warm up. Get ready to scream, yell, wave your flags and MAKE SOME NOISE!! All games are held at Thompson Street Athletic Center, 145 Thompson Street.
- Tuesday, 4th January at 4pm: Varsity Boys vs LFNY
- Wednesday, 5th January at 4:30pm: MS Girls vs Churchill
- Thursday, 6th January 4:15pm: JV Boys vs Birch Wathen Lenox
Come out and cheer our teams on to victory! LET’S GO KNIGHTS!! Click here for a flyer with all the information.
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PARENTS ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
All parent association meetings are held in the LS Cafeteria at 8:45 am, unless otherwise noted
Looking ahead:
Tue, Jan 4, 2011: PA Executive Meeting w/Phil
Wed, Jan 5, 2011: Multi-Cultural Comm. Meeting
Thu, Jan 6, 2011: LGSA Meeting
Red is Green: In January the Red is Green Committee will be collecting holiday cards for recycling. The cards will be donated to St. Jude’s Ranch. St. Jude’s will remove the front of each card and attach a new back then sell the new card to raise money for the organization. Cards that can be recycled must not have writing on the back side of the front cover. Please, no cards with personal photographs or Hallmark, Disney or American Greeting cards. Cards can be placed in the collection bin located in the lobby.
POCOC Book Club & Potluck: The Parents of Children of Color Committee (POCOC) provides a forum for discussion on the needs and concerns of parents of children of color. Each school division hosts its own Parent of Color Children Committee for dialogue and support on common issues. Currently, the Lower and Middle school POCOC meet together every third Wednesday of the month starting at 8:15 am in the cafeteria. The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, January 19th.
One of the POCOC community building events for the POCOC children is the bi-annual POCOC Book Club & Potluck that will take place on Friday, January 7th from 6:00 – 8:00 in the Sixth Avenue Auditorium.
On the evening of January 7th we will have our potluck dinner then the children will be split into their book clubs which will be led by teachers & parents with help from students from Elizabeth Irwin High School. We are actively seeking facilitators for each group. Middle School teacher Margaret Andrews has volunteered to lead the 5th – 8th Grade discussion and if someone knows of another teacher who would like to volunteer for the other grades, please let us know.
The Book Club reading choices are:
- 4’s through 1st Grade: Amelia’s Show and Tell Fiesta by Mimi Chapra and Dear Juno by Soyung Pak
- 2nd through 4th Grade: Bussing Brewster by Richard Michelson
- 5th through 8th Grade: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
The link for the Potluck signup sheet can be found here.
We look forward to seeing you at the monthly meeting and the Book Club Potluck.
Rhonda Hartley & Kaiko Hayes
MS POCOC Co-Chairs
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LOWER SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
All Lower School Assemblies are held in our Auditorium at 8:45 a.m, unless otherwise noted.
Wed, Jan 19, 2011: 9:00am, LS MLK Jr. Assembly
Wed, Feb 23, 2011: 9:00am Families Assembly
Wed, Apr 13, 2011: First Gr. Assembly
Wed, Apr 20, 2011: K’s Music Assembly
Wed, Apr 27, 2011: 2nd Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 4, 2011: 4s/4k Assembly
Wed, May 11, 2011: 3rd Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 18, 2011: 4th Gr. Assembly
Wed, May 25, 2011: K’s Movement Assembly
Wed, Jun 1, 2011: 4s/4k Movement Assembly
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LOWER SCHOOL PARENT REPRESENTATIVES 2010-2011
Beth’s Fours Maren Berthelsen, Becca Markley
Fours/K Marjorie Goldner, Sara Taplitz
Elizabeth’s K Juliet Burrows, Carmen Lenzi
Luise’s K Shannon Barden, Yael Goverover
Gina’s 1st Diane Hoffman, Ceci Van Blerkom
Galen’s 1st Dawn Eig, Christine Boyle
Rebecca’s 1st Hilary Meltzer, Mishi Hosono
Tasha’s 2nd Mary Gerzema, Linda Phillips
Deborah’s 2nd A.M. Homes, Fia Hatsav, Julia Wilbur
Dan’s 3rd Hillary Butler, Holly Glass, Denise Roederer
Vonick’s 3rd Heather McMaster, Beth Dary
Dina’s 4th Connie Butler, Lara Olivieri
Kate’s 4th Susan Harris, Liselotte Vince