FALL SPANISH NEWS LETTER

“When you [the teacher] come and stay one hour with us, you bring the milieu….It is as though you bring a candle into the room. The candle is there; there is a kind of light-zone you bring in. When sage is there and you sit near him, you feel light, you feel peace.”

By Thich Nhat Hanh

Vietnamese Buddhist Monk

Dear Parents, Teachers, and Staff: I want to take the time to introduce myself. My name is Mario Sagastume and I was born in El Salvador, then later moved to this country when I was 15 years old. My parents moved to Coos Bay in the early eighties where I attended High School and graduated from Marshfield in 1988. I was the first student from Marshfield High School in Coos Bay to receive the Oregon Publishers Scholarship which I used to attend classes at Lane Community College beginning in 1989. I received an AA Oregon Transfer Degree in 1992 and moved on to the University of Oregon and began studying Romance Languages which include Spanish and Italian literature. I received my BA in 1994 and my MA in 1996.

Since 1992 I have been continuously dedicated to working with students with learning disabilities and students of color, as a tutor and/or teacher. Throughout this time I have acquired the ability to optimize a students learning experience by helping to identify and establish instructional strategies and accommodations that can help the student prosper. I strongly believe in using a variety of instructional modes to enhance learning for students as well as students with learning disabilities. Utilizing auditory, visual, or experiential presentations and instructional technologies increase the ability of students with different strengths to benefit from instruction.

From 1994 to 1997 I worked for the Department of Ethnic studies as a Graduate Teaching Fellow. I was very fortunate indeed to have been part of a new and developing department at the University of Oregon and to have participated in the development of curriculum and teaching materials. During this time I was responsible for teaching literature and theory about the four underrepresented groups in the United States; Americans of African, Asian, Latino/a and Native American descent.

Please check out my resume on-line for a detailed look at the various places I have taught and tutored. http://home.comcast.net/~mariosaga/

All of the material covered in my tentative schedule provided below is subject to the needs of the students and parents. I am willing to meet with parents to make adjustments to meet the child’s needs as we go along.

Contact Information

If you need to contact me call the school, making an appointment, or E-mail me at mariosaga@comcast.net. I will make every effort to return your message ASAP. Please keep in mind that I will be teaching at a different school on Tuesdays and Thursdays so it will be more difficult for me to meet on those days.

Dates	1^st and 2^nd Grades	3^RD and 4^TH Grades
Sept. 3^rd - 5^th	Spanish alphabet Songs “What to eat!” – ¿Que comer? “Hello my friends.” – “Hola mis amigos.”	Spanish alphabet Cognates – nouns (Words written the same way in both languages but pronounced differently.) Poem – “I am.” – “Yo soy.” Song – “The sea is calm.” – “La mar estaba serena.”
Sept. 8^th- 12^th	Poem - “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” – “Una vieja que se trago una mosca.” Song – Review songs learned Review alphabet Numbers in spanish	Spanish Dialogue #1 Self Formal (exchanging greetings, names, country of origin, saying goodbye) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – “It’s a small world.” – “Es un mundo pequeño.”
Sept. 15^th- 19^th	Poem – “La viega…” Song – “Peace.” – “Paz.” Review – alphabet & numbers	Spanish Dialogue #1 Self Informal (exchanging greetings, names, country of origin, saying goodbye) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Sept 22^nd -26^th	Poem – “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” – “Una vieja que se trago una mosca.” Song – Review Songs Learned	Review Spanish alphabet Cognates - adjectives Song – Review songs learned
Sept. 29^th -Oct 3^rd	Review poems & songs learned	Poem - “There was an old lady who swallowed a fly” – “Una vieja que se trago una mosca.” Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – “Hasta Los Muertos Salen a Bailar” (Even The Dead Are Rising Up To Dance)
Oct. 6^th -10^th	Song – “Baile Vegetal” (Barnyard Dance) Poem – Version of the “old lady” who swallowed some nouns	Poem – Review poems learned Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Oct. 13^th -17^th	Alphabet review Song – Review songs learned	Poem – Review poems learned Cognates – verbs Song – Review songs learned
Oct. 20^th -24^th	Fall Break	Fall Break
Oct. 27^th- 31^st	preparation for “El Día de Los Muertos”	preparation for “El Día de Los Muertos”
November 1^st	“El Día de Los Muertos”	“El Día de Los Muertos”
Nov. 3rd-7th	Poem – “Tengo un gatito.” – “I have a kitty kat.” Song – Review songs learned	Poem – “Una ronda por la vida.” Gabriela Mistral (first verse) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Nov. 10th-14th	Review poems & songs learned	Poem – “Una ronda por la vida.” Gabriela Mistral (second verse) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Nov. 17th-21st	Fable/Story – Cuento “La cucarachita Martina…” Song – Review songs learned	Poem – “Una ronda por la vida.” Gabriela Mistral (third verse) Cognates - adverbs Song – Review songs learned
Nov. 24th – 26th	Continuation of “La cucarachita…” Song – Review songs learned	Poem – “Una ronda por la vida.” Gabriela Mistral (whole poem) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Dec. 1st- 5th	Poem – “The nest.” – “El Nido” Song – Review songs learned	Spanish Dialogue #2 Self (getting acquainted with a new friend and telling what each other is like) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Dec. 8th- 12th	Review poems & songs learned	In Class Activity – act out Spanish dialogues 1 & 2 Poem – Review poems learned Cognates – adjectives Song – Review songs learned
Dec. 15^th- 19^th	Review poems & songs learned	In Class Activity – act out Spanish dialogues 1 & 2 Poem – Review poems learned Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Dec. 22-Jan. 9^th	Winter Break	Winter Break

Dates	5^th and 6^th Grades	7^th and 8^th Grades
Sept. 3^rd - 5^th	Poem – “Yo Soy.” (I am) Song – “La Mar Estaba Serena.” (The sea is calm.) Cognates – Nouns Dialogue/skit - #1 Self Formal and Informal (exchanging greetings, names, country of origin, saying goodbye)	Poem – “El Lagarto Esta Llorando.” Lorca Song – “La Mar Estaba Serena.” (The sea is calm.) Cognates – Nouns Dialogue/skit - #1 Self Formal and Informal (exchanging greetings, names, country of origin, saying goodbye)
Sept. 8^th- 12^th	Poem – Review poem Song – Naming the Spanish speaking countries Cognates – Nouns Dialogue/skit - #1 continued	Poem – Review poem Song – Naming the Spanish speaking countries Cognates – Nouns Dialogue/skit - #1 continued
Sept. 15^th- 19^th	Poem – Review poem Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Adjectives Dialogue/skit - #2 Self (getting acquainted with a new friend and telling what each other is like)	Poem – Review poem Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Adjectives Dialogue/skit - #2 Self (getting acquainted with a new friend and telling what each other is like)
Sept 22^nd -26^th	Poem – “La Chivita” Song – To Be Announced Cognates – Adjectives Dialogue/skit - #2 continued	Poem – “Los Monitos” Song – To Be Announced Cognates – Adjectives Dialogue/skit - #2 continued
Sept. 29^th -Oct 3^rd	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Verbs Dialogue/skit - #3 Self (discussing age and phone number)	Poem – Review Poem Song – Review song Cognates – Verbs Dialogue/skit - #3 Self (discussing age and phone number)
Oct. 6^th -10^th	Activity – storytelling to young children “Los Tres Ositos” Poem – Review poem Song – Review songs learned Cognates - Verbs Dialogue/skit - #3 continued	Activity – storytelling to young children “La cucarachita Martina…” Poem – Review poem Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Verbs Dialogue/skit - #3 continued
Oct. 13^th -17^th	Letter writing to South America?? Poem – Review poems learned Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit – Review first three dialogues	Letter writing to South America?? Poem – Review poems learned Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit – Review first three dialogues
Oct. 20^th -24^th	Fall Break	Fall Break
Oct. 27^th- 31^st	Preparations for “Día De Los Muertos” Performance – “Los Tres Ositos”	Preparations for “Día De Los Muertos” Performance – “La cucarachita Martina…”
November 1^st	“El Día De Los Muertos” – Celebration	“El Día De Los Muertos” - Celebration
Nov. 3rd-7th	Poem – “El Lagarto Esta Llorando.” Lorca Song Cognates – Adverbs Dialogue/skit - #4 Classroom Objects (describing and telling others about objects in the classroom)	Poem – “Margarita de Valle” (first part) Song Cognates – Adverbs Dialogue Dialogue/skit - #4 Classroom Objects (describing and telling others about objects in the classroom)
Nov. 10th-14th	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Adverbs Dialogue/skit - #4 Continued	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Adverbs Dialogue/skit - #4 Continued
Nov. 17th-21st	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit - #5 Self/Calendar (continue getting better acquainted exchanging age, phone number, date, and birthdates)	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit - #5 Self/Calendar (continue getting better acquainted exchanging age, phone number, date, and birthdates)
Nov. 24th – 26th	Poem – “Los Monitos” Song – “Feliz Navidad” Jose Luis Feliciano Cognates – False cognates Dialogue/skit - #5 Continued	Poem – “Margarita del Valle (second part) Song – “Feliz Navidad” Jose Luis Feliciano Cognates – False cognates Dialogue/skit - #5 Continued
Dec. 1st- 5th	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit - #6 Money (purchasing items for the school, inquiring about price, adding up amounts and paying)	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit - #6 Money (purchasing items for the school, inquiring about price, adding up amounts and paying)
Dec. 8th- 12th	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit - #6 – Continued	Poem – Review poem Song – Review song Cognates – Review cognates learned Dialogue/skit - #6 – Continued
Dec. 15^th- 19^th	Poem – Review poems learned Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Review all cognates learned Dialogue – Review second three dialogues	Poem – Review poems learned Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Review all cognates learned Dialogue – Review second three dialogues
Dec. 22-Jan. 9^th	Winter Break	Winter Break

BEING PEACE

“If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace.” By Thich Nhat Hanh

Vietnamese Buddhist Monk