Hola todos,
Click here to see photos of Dr. Collins' visit to Whittier.
http://www.op97.org/curriculum/worldlang/whitterstory/index.html
hasta pronto, Sra. Deaton
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Noticias de octubre
Estimadas familias/Dear families:
Ha llegado el otoño con los días más cortos y un clima indecisivo. Un día es muy bonito, calientito con cielo azul y un sol brillante, árboles de muchos colores, pájaros y ardillas alistándose para el invierno, y niños jugando -- sus chaquetas y suéteres tirados por todas partes. El próximo día es oscuro, hojas caen del cielo, y un viento frío ruge. Espero que gozen de los días fresquitos antes de que llegue el invierno.
Fall has arrived with its shorter days and indecisive climate. One day is lovely, warm with sunshine and blue sky, trees of many colors, birds and squirrels getting ready for winter, and children playing -- their jackets and sweaters strewn everywhere. The next is dark, leaves fall all around, and a fierce wind roars. I hope you are enjoying the cool days before winter arrives.
Special guest:
We have been having so much fun in our language learning. Last week we had a very special guest. Our district superintendent, Dr. Collins, came to Whittier to read to our K-1 students in Spanish in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. She read one book in both languages, Dulces Sueños, by Pat Mora and another in Spanish only, Spot va a la escuela (Spot Goes to School). The students were very attentive and enjoyed learning the new vocabulary that came with those stories. They made beautiful class thank you cards to send to her. Watch for photos on the Whittier and D97 websites. It turns out that Dr. Collins loves to read in Spanish, especially to her little granddaughter. We hope Dr. Collins will come back again.
Enrichment ideas:
Don't forget to take advantage of all the opportunities the Chicago area offers for cultural and language enrichment. The National Museum of Mexican Art, located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, has a wonderful permanent exhibit on Mexicanidad and offers multiple temporary exhibits that are definitely worth the trip. At this time of year, it features the Día de Muertos, a celebration in which Mexicans remember family and friends who have passed away. The museum store itself is like a trip to a mercado in Mexico.
If you want to work on your own language skills, log on to the Oak Park Public Library research page, find Mango languages and start your multilingual adventure from home -- all you need is your library card. Great for helping get those language channels that have been dormant since high school or college working again -- and for starting another language! If you're in the market for something more, Rosetta Stone offers great language learning.
Don't forget all the other exciting things around the Chicago area. My favorite Mexican restaurant, Oak Park's own New Rebozo, was just featured on WTTW's show, Check Please! ¡Delicioso! ¡Dios mío! Check it out at www.wttw.com/checkplease.
Summer camps are already starting to fill up, so it's not too early to think about it. If you'd like your student to have an immersion experience and would consider a summer camp (1 week, 2 weeks, or a month), check out Concordia Language Villages, offering 15 languages!!
¡Leer! Read! ¡Leer! Read! ¡Leer! Read!
A great way to promote language learning (yours or your child's) is to read en español. If you studied Spanish at any time, dust off those brain cells and read to/with your child. If you are a native speaker, all the more!! And encourage your child to try, too! Start with easy board books, progress to simple or familiar stories, and more. Our school and local libraries have many books as do area book stores. If you need more guidance or suggestions, let me know.
Check out the Fun Links section for more info and ideas!
Here's a taste of our learning in octubre:
K, MAP K-1: We continue our work with body parts and just added two new songs to our repetoire: Tengo comezón (I'm itchy!) and Mi cuerpo hace música. In addition to calendar, numbers, shapes, and colors, we've started on a new theme, food!! Yum! ¡Delicioso! This week we've been getting acquainted with fruits (and of course, learning a song to go with them!!) We'll also be learning some seasonal words along the way.
MAP K-2: We are finishing our animales theme and are drawing our animal favorito. We continue with basic expressions, calendar etc. We have begun with a bit of seasonal vocabulary and will soon turn to food and expressing our likes and dislikes.
2, 2/3, 3: We have finished our work on places in the community and have begun our food unit. In addition to learning basic vocabulary for food names, we will categorize things (like "fruta", "no fruta"), will learn about different meals (desayuno, almuerzo, cena), make our own menus, and practice ordering and buying foods.
4/5: We are hard at work on our verb unit. One of the most important concepts we are trying to master is that verbos = palabras de acción (verbs = action words). Among our activities are drawing and acting out verbs. Now we are making collages about ourselves and the things we like to do. Once we finish our collages, we will make oral presentations to our class. We still have a ways to go before we finish our verb unit and will do lots of work in class to learn the words -- playing games, doing puzzles, and more. In early November, we will have a quiz.
Words! ¡Palabras! Words! ¡Palabras! Words!
Some of our fruta vocabulary: la manzana (the apple), la pera (the pear), la fresa (the strawberry), el limón (the lemon), la naranja (the orange), el plátano (the banana), las uvas (the grapes), el melón (the melon.) We also learned el teléfono (the telephone -- Why? What can you do with a banana!!!) and "Sí, me gusta." "No, no me gusta." (Yes, I like. No, I do not like.)
Algunos verbos importantes: If you had Spanish in high school or college, hopefully some of these will sound familiar! If you want to practice at home, say the verb and see if your student can act it out (or vice versa -- act it out and see if your student can say the verbo en español.) We've had fun doing this in class. [pronunciation tips: j in Spanish sounds like h in English; h is silent, and we pronounce all vowels - a =ah. e =ay, i=ee, o=o (so), u =oo (moo)]
caminar (to walk), correr (to run), saltar (to jump, to hop), brincar (to hop, to jump), hablar (to talk), escuchar (to listen to), mirar (to look at), gritar (to yell), jugar (to play), tocar (to touch, to play an instrument), abrir (to open), cerrar (to close), escribir (to write), dibujar (to draw), pintar (to paint), leer (to read), nadar (to swim), reir (to laugh), llorar (to cry), beber (to drink), comer (to eat), dormir (to sleep), levantarse (to get up, to stand up), sentarse (to sit down), cantar (to sing), bailar (t0 dance).
Conferencias/Conferences:
I enjoyed meeting and talking with so many of you at conferences. Fue un placer conocer a tantas personas en la ocasión de las conferencias. Keep those language channels humming! ¡Mantengan los "canales españoles" corriendo! Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time. Favor de comunicarse conmigo por cualquier cosa.
¡Hasta pronto y gracias por todo! Sra. D.
Ha llegado el otoño con los días más cortos y un clima indecisivo. Un día es muy bonito, calientito con cielo azul y un sol brillante, árboles de muchos colores, pájaros y ardillas alistándose para el invierno, y niños jugando -- sus chaquetas y suéteres tirados por todas partes. El próximo día es oscuro, hojas caen del cielo, y un viento frío ruge. Espero que gozen de los días fresquitos antes de que llegue el invierno.
Fall has arrived with its shorter days and indecisive climate. One day is lovely, warm with sunshine and blue sky, trees of many colors, birds and squirrels getting ready for winter, and children playing -- their jackets and sweaters strewn everywhere. The next is dark, leaves fall all around, and a fierce wind roars. I hope you are enjoying the cool days before winter arrives.
Special guest:
We have been having so much fun in our language learning. Last week we had a very special guest. Our district superintendent, Dr. Collins, came to Whittier to read to our K-1 students in Spanish in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. She read one book in both languages, Dulces Sueños, by Pat Mora and another in Spanish only, Spot va a la escuela (Spot Goes to School). The students were very attentive and enjoyed learning the new vocabulary that came with those stories. They made beautiful class thank you cards to send to her. Watch for photos on the Whittier and D97 websites. It turns out that Dr. Collins loves to read in Spanish, especially to her little granddaughter. We hope Dr. Collins will come back again.
Enrichment ideas:
Don't forget to take advantage of all the opportunities the Chicago area offers for cultural and language enrichment. The National Museum of Mexican Art, located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, has a wonderful permanent exhibit on Mexicanidad and offers multiple temporary exhibits that are definitely worth the trip. At this time of year, it features the Día de Muertos, a celebration in which Mexicans remember family and friends who have passed away. The museum store itself is like a trip to a mercado in Mexico.
If you want to work on your own language skills, log on to the Oak Park Public Library research page, find Mango languages and start your multilingual adventure from home -- all you need is your library card. Great for helping get those language channels that have been dormant since high school or college working again -- and for starting another language! If you're in the market for something more, Rosetta Stone offers great language learning.
Don't forget all the other exciting things around the Chicago area. My favorite Mexican restaurant, Oak Park's own New Rebozo, was just featured on WTTW's show, Check Please! ¡Delicioso! ¡Dios mío! Check it out at www.wttw.com/checkplease.
Summer camps are already starting to fill up, so it's not too early to think about it. If you'd like your student to have an immersion experience and would consider a summer camp (1 week, 2 weeks, or a month), check out Concordia Language Villages, offering 15 languages!!
¡Leer! Read! ¡Leer! Read! ¡Leer! Read!
A great way to promote language learning (yours or your child's) is to read en español. If you studied Spanish at any time, dust off those brain cells and read to/with your child. If you are a native speaker, all the more!! And encourage your child to try, too! Start with easy board books, progress to simple or familiar stories, and more. Our school and local libraries have many books as do area book stores. If you need more guidance or suggestions, let me know.
Check out the Fun Links section for more info and ideas!
Here's a taste of our learning in octubre:
K, MAP K-1: We continue our work with body parts and just added two new songs to our repetoire: Tengo comezón (I'm itchy!) and Mi cuerpo hace música. In addition to calendar, numbers, shapes, and colors, we've started on a new theme, food!! Yum! ¡Delicioso! This week we've been getting acquainted with fruits (and of course, learning a song to go with them!!) We'll also be learning some seasonal words along the way.
MAP K-2: We are finishing our animales theme and are drawing our animal favorito. We continue with basic expressions, calendar etc. We have begun with a bit of seasonal vocabulary and will soon turn to food and expressing our likes and dislikes.
2, 2/3, 3: We have finished our work on places in the community and have begun our food unit. In addition to learning basic vocabulary for food names, we will categorize things (like "fruta", "no fruta"), will learn about different meals (desayuno, almuerzo, cena), make our own menus, and practice ordering and buying foods.
4/5: We are hard at work on our verb unit. One of the most important concepts we are trying to master is that verbos = palabras de acción (verbs = action words). Among our activities are drawing and acting out verbs. Now we are making collages about ourselves and the things we like to do. Once we finish our collages, we will make oral presentations to our class. We still have a ways to go before we finish our verb unit and will do lots of work in class to learn the words -- playing games, doing puzzles, and more. In early November, we will have a quiz.
Words! ¡Palabras! Words! ¡Palabras! Words!
Some of our fruta vocabulary: la manzana (the apple), la pera (the pear), la fresa (the strawberry), el limón (the lemon), la naranja (the orange), el plátano (the banana), las uvas (the grapes), el melón (the melon.) We also learned el teléfono (the telephone -- Why? What can you do with a banana!!!) and "Sí, me gusta." "No, no me gusta." (Yes, I like. No, I do not like.)
Algunos verbos importantes: If you had Spanish in high school or college, hopefully some of these will sound familiar! If you want to practice at home, say the verb and see if your student can act it out (or vice versa -- act it out and see if your student can say the verbo en español.) We've had fun doing this in class. [pronunciation tips: j in Spanish sounds like h in English; h is silent, and we pronounce all vowels - a =ah. e =ay, i=ee, o=o (so), u =oo (moo)]
caminar (to walk), correr (to run), saltar (to jump, to hop), brincar (to hop, to jump), hablar (to talk), escuchar (to listen to), mirar (to look at), gritar (to yell), jugar (to play), tocar (to touch, to play an instrument), abrir (to open), cerrar (to close), escribir (to write), dibujar (to draw), pintar (to paint), leer (to read), nadar (to swim), reir (to laugh), llorar (to cry), beber (to drink), comer (to eat), dormir (to sleep), levantarse (to get up, to stand up), sentarse (to sit down), cantar (to sing), bailar (t0 dance).
Conferencias/Conferences:
I enjoyed meeting and talking with so many of you at conferences. Fue un placer conocer a tantas personas en la ocasión de las conferencias. Keep those language channels humming! ¡Mantengan los "canales españoles" corriendo! Please don't hesitate to contact me at any time. Favor de comunicarse conmigo por cualquier cosa.
¡Hasta pronto y gracias por todo! Sra. D.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Bienvenidos al año escolar 2009-2010
Hola todos,
¡Bienvenidos al año escolar 2009 -2010! Welcome to the 2009- 2010 school year. I am so excited to be back with the students again, seeing how much they remembered, getting their Spanish channels humming, and meeting so many new faces -- many who come with Spanish at home or from preschool and day care experiences. I look forward to seeing what they know and helping everyone grow even more.
Please check back soon for more details about our learning and to get ideas for activities and resources. There's much to do in the metropolitan Chicago area! Coming up are the ¡Viva Chicago! music fest downtown Chicago, Fiesta para todos at Brookfield Zoo, and great exhibits (including El día de los muertos) at the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Watch for más Noticias.
Gracias por todo y hasta pronto,
Sra. Deaton
¡Bienvenidos al año escolar 2009 -2010! Welcome to the 2009- 2010 school year. I am so excited to be back with the students again, seeing how much they remembered, getting their Spanish channels humming, and meeting so many new faces -- many who come with Spanish at home or from preschool and day care experiences. I look forward to seeing what they know and helping everyone grow even more.
Please check back soon for more details about our learning and to get ideas for activities and resources. There's much to do in the metropolitan Chicago area! Coming up are the ¡Viva Chicago! music fest downtown Chicago, Fiesta para todos at Brookfield Zoo, and great exhibits (including El día de los muertos) at the National Museum of Mexican Art.
Watch for más Noticias.
Gracias por todo y hasta pronto,
Sra. Deaton
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
¡Es julio!
Hola todos,
Es julio y espero que se estén disfrutando de todo lo que ofrece el verano. It's July and I hope that you enjoying everything that summer offers. Be sure to check out my earlier posts and links for festivals and other ideas, including the "fruitful learning" of Mango languages.
World Music is all about town -- and much of it with a Latin flavor. This Thursday, July 9, at Millennium Park there's an Afro-French-Brazilian twist. And this weekend the Old Town School of Folk Music sponsors the Roots and Folk festival with lots of Latin artists. There's also a Peruvian picnic in Schiller Woods sponsored by the Peruvian Cultural Center -- sure to be music and food there!
Check out the links for more info.
Have fun! ¡Diviértense!
hasta pronto, Sra. D.
Es julio y espero que se estén disfrutando de todo lo que ofrece el verano. It's July and I hope that you enjoying everything that summer offers. Be sure to check out my earlier posts and links for festivals and other ideas, including the "fruitful learning" of Mango languages.
World Music is all about town -- and much of it with a Latin flavor. This Thursday, July 9, at Millennium Park there's an Afro-French-Brazilian twist. And this weekend the Old Town School of Folk Music sponsors the Roots and Folk festival with lots of Latin artists. There's also a Peruvian picnic in Schiller Woods sponsored by the Peruvian Cultural Center -- sure to be music and food there!
Check out the links for more info.
Have fun! ¡Diviértense!
hasta pronto, Sra. D.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Festivals, fútbol, and "fruitful" learning!
Hola todos,
Another festival --El Festival Orgullo Mexicano -- Mexican Pride Festival -- takes place this week Thursday (jueves) June 25 to Sunday (domingo) at Toyota Park (home of the Chicago Fire Soccer team). Thursday through Sunday: "Carnaval" each day; Friday/viernes: dance, 7 pm, & movie in the park, 8:30 pm; Saturday/sábado: Chicago Fire vs. Tigres UANL (Mexico), 7 pm; Sunday/domingo: Lucha Libre Mexicana, 4 pm. Toyota Park is located in Bridgeview, right down Harlem to 79th. For more information: chicago-fire.com
¡Viva el fútbol! If you are a soccer fan, the Inaugural Mayor's Cup will be played at Toyota Park on Sunday, July 5, 6pm. Sure to bring out lots of Chicago soccer fans -- it's Mexico (Rayados de Monterrrey) vs. Poland (Cracovia Krakow)! Check out chicago-fire.com for more details, including ticket info. I just went to my first game in Toyota Park on Saturday -- the Chicago Fire vs. San Luis. McBride scored the lone (and winning) Chicago goal on an assist from Cuahtémoc Blanco. A real treat! Great fun and lots of Spanish practice!
"Fruitful learning:" If you haven't tried Mango Languages avaliable through the Oak Park Public Library site (see my link section), you definitely should, especially if you are thinking of taking a trip to Spanish-speaking country any time in the future! It makes for fruitful learning! I am working on my Italian and Japanese and am at about Lesson 7. Each language has 100 lessons! So far, I am learning to introduce myself, order in restaurants, say good morning, evening, good-bye, and ask and answer basic questions. At the start of each lesson, there is review of the prior lesson.
Even if it might not be the most exciting or useful conversation for kids because it tends to focus on social situations that involve adults, like asking for the bill in restaurants, it's good because it introduces and reinforces basic vocabulary (some of which they already know) and offers a chance to see written Spanish as well as hear the oral. Maybe the youngsters will even be the ones introducing themselves or doing the restaurant ordering!
As I said in my last note, everyone in the family can work with a language of his/her choice at his/her own level. It's a great free resource -- we are so lucky that our library supports language learning. The way to help keep it available is to use it -- and encourage others to do so.
Hope you are having a verano fantástico! Don't forget to check out the other festivals happening around town this summer.
hasta pronto, Sra. D
Another festival --El Festival Orgullo Mexicano -- Mexican Pride Festival -- takes place this week Thursday (jueves) June 25 to Sunday (domingo) at Toyota Park (home of the Chicago Fire Soccer team). Thursday through Sunday: "Carnaval" each day; Friday/viernes: dance, 7 pm, & movie in the park, 8:30 pm; Saturday/sábado: Chicago Fire vs. Tigres UANL (Mexico), 7 pm; Sunday/domingo: Lucha Libre Mexicana, 4 pm. Toyota Park is located in Bridgeview, right down Harlem to 79th. For more information: chicago-fire.com
¡Viva el fútbol! If you are a soccer fan, the Inaugural Mayor's Cup will be played at Toyota Park on Sunday, July 5, 6pm. Sure to bring out lots of Chicago soccer fans -- it's Mexico (Rayados de Monterrrey) vs. Poland (Cracovia Krakow)! Check out chicago-fire.com for more details, including ticket info. I just went to my first game in Toyota Park on Saturday -- the Chicago Fire vs. San Luis. McBride scored the lone (and winning) Chicago goal on an assist from Cuahtémoc Blanco. A real treat! Great fun and lots of Spanish practice!
"Fruitful learning:" If you haven't tried Mango Languages avaliable through the Oak Park Public Library site (see my link section), you definitely should, especially if you are thinking of taking a trip to Spanish-speaking country any time in the future! It makes for fruitful learning! I am working on my Italian and Japanese and am at about Lesson 7. Each language has 100 lessons! So far, I am learning to introduce myself, order in restaurants, say good morning, evening, good-bye, and ask and answer basic questions. At the start of each lesson, there is review of the prior lesson.
Even if it might not be the most exciting or useful conversation for kids because it tends to focus on social situations that involve adults, like asking for the bill in restaurants, it's good because it introduces and reinforces basic vocabulary (some of which they already know) and offers a chance to see written Spanish as well as hear the oral. Maybe the youngsters will even be the ones introducing themselves or doing the restaurant ordering!
As I said in my last note, everyone in the family can work with a language of his/her choice at his/her own level. It's a great free resource -- we are so lucky that our library supports language learning. The way to help keep it available is to use it -- and encourage others to do so.
Hope you are having a verano fantástico! Don't forget to check out the other festivals happening around town this summer.
hasta pronto, Sra. D
Friday, June 12, 2009
¡Celebrar el verano! Celebrate summer!
¡Hola! Ya llegó el verano. Por fin, hoy hace calorcito y brilla el sol. Espero que se estén disfrutando del tiempo con la familia y los amigos. Aquí comparto unas ideas para gozar del verano en Chicago. Hay tantas cosas que hacer para celebrar nuestra diversidad.
Summer has arrived! Finally, today it's feeling warmer and the sun is shining. I hope you are enjoying time with family and friends. Here are some ideas for enjoying summer in Chicago. There are so many things to do to celebrate our diversity.
Celebrations abound in Chicago, especially in summer. Just browsing Metromix's list of festivals comes up with scores -- 18 pages of listings! There are festivals for a multitude of ethnic groups -- Japanese, Greek, Thai, Celtic, Scottish, Swedish, Irish-American, Chinese, Korean, Armenian, Croatian, Mexican, Puerto-Rican, African-American, Caribbean, French, Peruvian, Ukranian, Italian, and more. Be sure to check out the "Fun Links" for Metromix for all the details and many more ideas for Chicago fun. Below is a sampling of some "Spanish-flavored" festivals.
Stretch your brain and your world: You can also work on building your family's language skills over the summer. Brain research shows that it helps our brains grow in ways different from any other learning. Plus our world just keeps getting smaller.
First, keep speaking, reading, singing your heritage languages. Many students' families speak a language other than English! Some that I know of are Spanish, Greek, Polish, Serbian, Russian, German, Norwegian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, .... It's important for your children to be surrounded by these languages. They are proud of their heritage, love to know words in different languages, and love to make comparisons between them and our Spanish learning.
Second, the Oak Park Public Library offers an on-line language learning service called "Mango Languages." All you need is your library card number and your pin (usually the last 4 numbers of your phone number.) Each person in the family can choose a different language and work at his or her own speed. Go to the main oppl page and then click on the "research" section. Mango Languages will be one of your choices.
Nine languages are offered including Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and 3 separate English programs (for speakers of Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, or Polish). I tried Spanish, Italian, and Japanese last night. Because of Spanish, my Italian lessons go much quicker and more easily than my Japanese, but I'm even making progress there. Check out "Fun Links" for the Oak Park Public Library and have fun!
Festivals
For a Spanish-language flavor, here's just a taste:
Fiesta Back of the Yards: June 12, 5-10 pm, June 13, 10am -10 pm, Mexican music, food, ...
Chicago Summer Dance Festival: Begins June 12 runs for 11 weeks, Grant Park, 1 hour dance lesson, 2 hrs live music & dance of all kinds and many cultures; A few "Latin dance" dates: June 18, tango; June 19, salsa & cha, cha, cha; other dates for more salsa, rumba, mambo
Fiestas Puertorriqueñas: June 16, 4-10:30 pm, June 17, 4-10:30 pm; Puerto Rican food, salsa, merengue
Peace Festival: June 19, 20
Puerto Rican Day Parade: June 20, 12:00 noon, steps off from Columbus & Balbo, up Columbus to Monroe
African-Caribbean International Festival of Life: July 3, 4
12th Annual Chicago Folk and Roots Festival: July 11, 12
Fiesta del Sol: (Pilsen), July 30, 31
Peruvian picnics: July 12, Aug 16 (check out Peruvian Cultural Center link for more details)
Chicago Carifete: Caribbean festival, August 15, 16
¡Viva Chicago! Latin Music Festival: August 29, 20
Mexican Independence Day Parade: Sept. 13
Sin más por el momento, ¡Feliz verano! Happy summer!
Sra. D
Summer has arrived! Finally, today it's feeling warmer and the sun is shining. I hope you are enjoying time with family and friends. Here are some ideas for enjoying summer in Chicago. There are so many things to do to celebrate our diversity.
Celebrations abound in Chicago, especially in summer. Just browsing Metromix's list of festivals comes up with scores -- 18 pages of listings! There are festivals for a multitude of ethnic groups -- Japanese, Greek, Thai, Celtic, Scottish, Swedish, Irish-American, Chinese, Korean, Armenian, Croatian, Mexican, Puerto-Rican, African-American, Caribbean, French, Peruvian, Ukranian, Italian, and more. Be sure to check out the "Fun Links" for Metromix for all the details and many more ideas for Chicago fun. Below is a sampling of some "Spanish-flavored" festivals.
Stretch your brain and your world: You can also work on building your family's language skills over the summer. Brain research shows that it helps our brains grow in ways different from any other learning. Plus our world just keeps getting smaller.
First, keep speaking, reading, singing your heritage languages. Many students' families speak a language other than English! Some that I know of are Spanish, Greek, Polish, Serbian, Russian, German, Norwegian, French, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, .... It's important for your children to be surrounded by these languages. They are proud of their heritage, love to know words in different languages, and love to make comparisons between them and our Spanish learning.
Second, the Oak Park Public Library offers an on-line language learning service called "Mango Languages." All you need is your library card number and your pin (usually the last 4 numbers of your phone number.) Each person in the family can choose a different language and work at his or her own speed. Go to the main oppl page and then click on the "research" section. Mango Languages will be one of your choices.
Nine languages are offered including Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and 3 separate English programs (for speakers of Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, or Polish). I tried Spanish, Italian, and Japanese last night. Because of Spanish, my Italian lessons go much quicker and more easily than my Japanese, but I'm even making progress there. Check out "Fun Links" for the Oak Park Public Library and have fun!
Festivals
For a Spanish-language flavor, here's just a taste:
Fiesta Back of the Yards: June 12, 5-10 pm, June 13, 10am -10 pm, Mexican music, food, ...
Chicago Summer Dance Festival: Begins June 12 runs for 11 weeks, Grant Park, 1 hour dance lesson, 2 hrs live music & dance of all kinds and many cultures; A few "Latin dance" dates: June 18, tango; June 19, salsa & cha, cha, cha; other dates for more salsa, rumba, mambo
Fiestas Puertorriqueñas: June 16, 4-10:30 pm, June 17, 4-10:30 pm; Puerto Rican food, salsa, merengue
Peace Festival: June 19, 20
Puerto Rican Day Parade: June 20, 12:00 noon, steps off from Columbus & Balbo, up Columbus to Monroe
African-Caribbean International Festival of Life: July 3, 4
12th Annual Chicago Folk and Roots Festival: July 11, 12
Fiesta del Sol: (Pilsen), July 30, 31
Peruvian picnics: July 12, Aug 16 (check out Peruvian Cultural Center link for more details)
Chicago Carifete: Caribbean festival, August 15, 16
¡Viva Chicago! Latin Music Festival: August 29, 20
Mexican Independence Day Parade: Sept. 13
Sin más por el momento, ¡Feliz verano! Happy summer!
Sra. D
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
¡Es fin del año! The year's over!
Hola todos,
The school year is coming to a close and we are down to the last few hours. It has been a great year and I will especially miss my 5th graders who are moving on to middle school. Watching them grow in their understanding and use of Spanish has been wonderful. Please encourage them to continue language study as they move on through middle school and beyond. And as I told them today, it doesn't matter which language. It's good for their brains, it's good for them, and it's good for the world. (More on this later.)
Coming up this weekend is the Peruvian Cultural Center picnic. The Peruvian Cultural Center is relatively new and centered in Oak Park. Its goal is "Educating our community to understand Peruvian culture and heritage." If you saw the dancers at the Ethnic Fest and felt their energy, you might enjoy checking out the picnic. It's Sunday, June 7, from 11 am to 7 pm at Schiller Woods Area #12, Schiller Park, IL (Irving Park Road and Cumberland.) There will be Peruvian food, dances, games, music and more. Check out the Peruvian Cultural Center website for more info: http://www.peruvianculturalcenter.org
Once school is out and there's a bit more time, I will be back on-line with an update on the year, suggestions for further enrichment, and events around town.
sin más por el momento,
Sra. D.
The school year is coming to a close and we are down to the last few hours. It has been a great year and I will especially miss my 5th graders who are moving on to middle school. Watching them grow in their understanding and use of Spanish has been wonderful. Please encourage them to continue language study as they move on through middle school and beyond. And as I told them today, it doesn't matter which language. It's good for their brains, it's good for them, and it's good for the world. (More on this later.)
Coming up this weekend is the Peruvian Cultural Center picnic. The Peruvian Cultural Center is relatively new and centered in Oak Park. Its goal is "Educating our community to understand Peruvian culture and heritage." If you saw the dancers at the Ethnic Fest and felt their energy, you might enjoy checking out the picnic. It's Sunday, June 7, from 11 am to 7 pm at Schiller Woods Area #12, Schiller Park, IL (Irving Park Road and Cumberland.) There will be Peruvian food, dances, games, music and more. Check out the Peruvian Cultural Center website for more info: http://www.peruvianculturalcenter.org
Once school is out and there's a bit more time, I will be back on-line with an update on the year, suggestions for further enrichment, and events around town.
sin más por el momento,
Sra. D.
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