“Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world.” Paolo Freire – Pedagogy of Freedom

WINTER 2004 SPANISH NEWS LETTER

Dear Parents, Teachers, and Staff: welcome back! And hope you all had a very happy new year! In the hope of keeping you all informed on what we will be doing Spanish class for the next three months here is a brief summary:

January: This month I am planning to focus my lesson plan on reviewing the material that we have covered up to date. The new class unit will be “La Tienda” (The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”

February: The focus on each lesson plan will be to study about other cultures with a main focus on Africa Caribbean culture. The students will learn about Puerto Rico and that “Puerto Ricans” or “Puertoriqueños” are a group of people with many mixes in their race (Spain, Africa, Taino). Each lesson will focus on learning about on culture, music and poetry.

Dialogue # 4- Skit Classroom Objects (describing and telling others about objects in the classroom)

Cognates – review cognates and review songs learned.

March: being women’s month student’s lesson plan will focus on learning about women of color: Celia Cruz –Cuba, Rigoberta Menchu – Guatemala, Gabriela Minstral (to mention a few)

- “La Tienda” (The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye” (This will be done in class as a skit)

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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
Jan. 13^th– 16^th	SCHOOL RESUMES –REVIEW DAY “What to eat!” – ¿Que comer? “Hello my friends.” – “Hola mis amigos.”	SCHOOL RESUMES – REVIEW DAY Poem – “Hola mis amigos/ Hello my friends.” Song – “The sea is calm.” – “La mar estaba serena.”
Jan. 20^th- 23^rd	Poem - “Tengo un Gatito” “I have a kitty kat” Song – Review songs learned “La mar estaba serena” “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”	Spanish Dialogue- REVIEW #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.”
Jan. 26^th – 29^th	Review songs learned” “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye” “La mar estaba serena” –NEW SONG	Spanish Dialogue - REVIEW # 3 “Self”(discussing age and phone number) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Feb. 11^th- 13^th	-REVIEW DAY Songs – Review songs learned “La mar estaba serena “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”	-NEW MATERIAL -Dialogue # 4 Classroom Objects (describing and telling others about objects in the classroom) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Feb. 18^th-20th	Review poems & songs learned -alphabet BINGO GAME (students learn the Spanish alphabet) -Poem: NEW POEM	Review poems & songs learned -alphabet BINGO GAME (students learn the Spanish alphabet) -Poem: “Una Ronda por la Vida”by Gabriela Minstral (first verse)
Feb. 23^rd- 27^th	-Review songs & poems learned -Poem: NEW POEM (cont. review) - Puerto Rico (focus is on culture, music & poetry)	Song – Review songs learned Cognates – Review cognates learned - Puerto Rico (focus is on culture, music & poetry)
March 1^st- 5^th	Song – Review songs learned - Puerto Rico (focus is on culture, music & poetry) cont.	Song – Review songs learned - Puerto Rico (focus is on culture, music & poetry) cont.
March 8^th -12^th	REVIEW WEEK Songs – Review songs learned “La mar estaba serena “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”	REVIEW WEEK Songs – Review songs learned “La mar estaba serena “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”
March 15^th -19^th	REVIEW WEEK	Poem – “Yo Soy.” (I am) (New Material) – Reading and poem recitation
March 22^nd – April 5^th	SPRING BREAK	SPRING BREAK

Dates	5^th GRADE
Jan. – 13^th- 16^th	SCHOOL RESUMES – REVIEW DAY Poem – “Hola mis amigos/ Hello my friends.” Song – “The sea is calm.” – “La mar estaba serena.”
Jan. 20^th- 23^rd	Song – Naming the Spanish speaking countries Cognates – Nouns Dialogue/skit - #3 “Self”(discussing age and phone number)
Jan. 26^th – 29^th	Review songs learned” “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”
Feb. 11^th- 13^th	NEW MATERIAL -Dialogue # 4 Classroom Objects (describing and telling others about objects in the classroom) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Feb. 18^th-20th	NEW MATERIAL (Cont.) -Dialogue # 4 Classroom Objects (describing and telling others about objects in the classroom) Cognates – Review cognates learned Song – Review songs learned
Feb. 23^rd- 27^th	- Puerto Rico (focus is on culture, music & poetry) - Review cognates learned -Song – Review songs learned Cognates
March 1^st- 5^th	Song – Review songs learned - Puerto Rico (focus is on culture, music & poetry) cont.
March 8^th -12^th	REVIEW WEEK Songs – Review songs learned “La mar estaba serena “La Tienda”(The store) – exchanging greetings, names, purchasing items, inquiring about price, saying goodbye”
March 15^th -19^th	REVIEW WEEK!!! SPRING BREAK (MARCH 22nd – April 5^th)

6^th, 7thand 8^th grade have their own month to month daily calendars. The month to moth calendars is an easy way to let the student and parents know important information such as: test dates, homework, what to study etc. On January 14^th students received a copy of January and February schedules. 6^th Grade parents received as well a copy of the calendars via e-mail.

“I cannot be a teacher without exposing who I am.” ~ Paolo Freire, Pedagogy of Freedom