¡Ras Tas Tas!

Fresh back from South America where he spent 38 days in Brazil for the FIFA World Cup and the rest in Colombia, Profe Bañuelos taught his Spanish 3-4 and 5-6 classes one of the Colombia National Soccer Team's goal celebration dance, the "Ras Tas Tas."  The lesson was tied to how one properly pronounces Spanish vowels and a read-aloud article about the World Cup's top goal-scorer, #10 James Rodríguez (pictured).

Vous Avez Francais?

Madame Leidhoff's students of French 1 are ready to go in French class.  They are playing Jacques a Dit to learn classroom language using the TPR method.  Students are learning salutations and culture of the French-speaking world.  Students know their numbers to 30.  In structure of language, they understand subject pronouns and learning the verb: TO HAVE  (avoir).

Back to School Night, Thursday, September 18

The World Languages Department is excited to meet parents this Thursday, September 18!  Presentations begin at 5:40 PM with classroom visitations starting at 6:00 PM. 

Many of us remember those very hot evenings without air-conditioning and the surprise of many parents to experience what their children were experiencing during the school day.  We're so very excited to talk to you about the World Languages programs in the pleasant cool of 74.5 degrees!  All classrooms in the upper 200 building have air-conditioning!

For more information on the Back-to-School Night scheduling, please go to the SRHS website.

Un Desafío. The Biggest Loser!

Profe Bañuelos was surprised during his 4th period class when Sr. Lawhead entered and tossed a glove upon the floor and declared:  --Allí está el guante.  Agárralo si aceptas el desafío.  ("There is the glove.  Take it if you accept the challenge.")  The challenge? Who would lose the most weight in 30 days!  Students, with some translation, followed the conversation and enthusiastically encouraged Profe to pick up the gauntlet.  The consequences for losing?  Sr. Lawhead must wear an Oakland Raiders jersey for an entire day.  Profe Bañuelos must wear a San Diego Chargers jersey. On Monday, Nurse Harkey officiated at the official weigh-in.  Results to be published on October 14.  May the "biggest loser" win!

 

Spanish students exploring countries and conversing in the target language

Dr. Jacobson's Spanish 5-6 classes have begun the year with a survey of some of the Spanish speaking countries through the creation of 'infographs'.  Choosing three countries, students wrote interesting facts about each, adding a pictorial representation of the country.  AP Spanish classes are reading and responding to articles related to families and communities, including issues related to literacy, the environment and the impact of technology. All students will be answering a 'conversation' question in pairs, each speaking for approximately one minute.

Japanese students explore geography!

Mr Blackwelder's Japanese 3-4 class, after a few days of review, is embarking on a year-long examination of the world around them and how to function day-to-day in Japanese. First stop: Japanese geography! Students are creating presentations in pairs, with a mix of Japanese and English, on a major Japanese city. From Naha and Fukuoka in the south to Tokyo and Sapporo in the north, students will research and share reports about their chosen city's history, topography, famous sports teams, and more!

Ms. Pryor joins the ASL program

Ms. Sandra Pryor joined the World Languages Department this year and is teaching 3 classes of American Sign Language.  She first studied ASL in order
to communicate with a friend many years ago.  Her educational history includes teaching at the elementary and high school level including many years as a vice-principal.  She "is thrilled" to be back in the classroom and we are delighted to have her.

Señor Saylor joins our staff

Señor Steven Saylor joins the World Languages Department this year after a year's leave of absence from the district.  Prior to SRHS, Sr. Saylor taught Spanish for 17 years at Hoover High School.  He's a big fan of Spanish rock and roll and was a DJ in Mexico for 15 years!  ¡Bienvenido, Sr. Saylor!

Students begin TPR/S oral practice

Students in Señor Lawhead's classes are getting used to TPR/S.  This technique (Total Physical Response w/Storytelling) was developed in the 90's by Blaine Ray and based on research by William Asher and Steven Krashen to provide students with a more natural method of language acquisition. Sr. Lawhead's approach is a bit of a hybrid adaptation and is exclusively used to assist with oral proficiency.  Watch the video as Sara's partner, Rachael, tells a story based on a cartoon that she's never seen before. For more information concerning TPR/S visit:  http://trpsstorytelling.com or www.blaineraytprs.com

Welcome to 2014-2015!

The World Languages Department is delighted to welcome its new and returning students to the 2014-2015 academic year!  There have been a few delightful changes that include two new staff members, Promethean Boards and...YES!...air conditioning!  Remember that the goal of this department is that students learn to COMMUNICATE through reading, writing, speaking, listening and understanding the cultures of the new languages being discovered.  Be sure to communicate your needs and desires to your teachers and let them know how best to serve you in your search for fluency and understanding.