Symbolic Monarch Migration Update!

Since the time our first graders made paper monarch butterflies and sent them off to Mexico in a "symbolic migration," we have been waiting to find out where and when they would be delivered to Mexican school children.  Back in October, I had blogged about first graders' participation in the Journey North project.  This program builds friendships between the USA, Canada, and Mexico via our shared conservation of monarchs, which annually migrate from north to south each year in order to winter in Mexico.  Each spring, the monarchs return from Mexico to Vermont and other northern locations.  Hartland first graders have been learning about butterflies and Mexico in conjunction with Journey North program.

Our latest news is that our students' paper monarchs were recently delivered to children who live near the Mexican monarch sanctuary!  Now, you can go online and see photos of those students holding our butterflies (mariposas)!

Mrs. Craft's class mariposa was delivered to a 6th grade class at Colegio Vasco de Quiroga School.  In the photo, our butterfly is front and center, right above a pink backpack and held by a girl in a purple jacket.  Click on this link to see the photo:  Colegio Vasco de Quiroga School

Mrs. Kamb's class butterfly was sent to 18 de Marzo School, also near the El Rosario Monarch Sanctuary.  It is a large school, and our butterfly arrived there along with lots of other North American butterflies.  Unfortunately, it's hard to see exactly where our butterfly is hiding out in the photo...but you can still see the name Hartland Elementary School listed on the page.  Click here to see the photo:
18 de Marzo School

How exciting!

Our own students should receive paper mariposas later in the spring when the real monarchs make their journeys northward.  We will keep posting information about this great project as it becomes available.

Student Work Coming Home This Week

Students in third, fourth, and fifth grades made packets of their first semester Spanish work.  These packets are coming home this week in students' homework binders.  Please do take a look at your child's work.

A letter will go home next week describing our first semester activities:  what we studied, practiced, and learned in Spanish.  Be on the lookout for it in Friday folders.

Remember, we do a lot of oral language activities in the classroom, so the written work is only a small portion of what your child experiences during Spanish class.  Take this opportunity to ask your child about what he or she does in Spanish lessons!  Your child will enjoy telling you about it.  If you are not a Spanish speaker, let your child take on the role of "teacher" ("maestra" or "maestro") and show you a few new things.

Mexican Pen Pal Letters are Sent!

Fifth graders received the names of their Mexican pen pals at Escuela Urbana 889 in Guadalajara.  Each HES student wrote a letter to a pen pal using Spanish and English.  These letters were mailed off in December.  We are hopeful that we will soon receive letters in return.  I am very impressed with the thoughtfulness and effort our students put into writing their letters.

In class we were able to look at our pen pals' school via Google Earth and our classroom SmartBoard.  It was very interesting to compare the building, neighborhood, and cityscape with our own Hartland Elementary School area.  We have lots of questions about Guadalajara that we hope our pen pals can answer for us.

Stay tuned for more!

Third Graders Make Máscaras

We spent time this week making colorful, whimsical masks in honor of the Día de los Muertos holiday.  Third graders identified key points about the significance of the holiday and then singled out the important characteristics of calaveras (see previous posts).  Students applied their learning to create their own original skull masks that capture the spirit of the Mexican holiday.  

Who are behind these fanciful masks?

Football team spirit colors!

Look at these teeth...

What a group of quirky, comical calaveras!

Sugar Skulls - Calaveras de azucar

Fourth and fifth graders have been learning about the cultural perspectives and products that accompany the Día de los Muertos holiday.  Today students were excited to work with real sugar skulls--calaveras--imported from Mexico and to design their own imaginative creations.  Sugar skulls are a traditional part of the holiday and are often given as gifts for the Day of the Dead.  See our calavera gallery below!

 

 
 

El Día de los Muertos

Last week and this week students in the Spanish program have been learning about the Mexican holiday El Día de los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead.  This holiday, which actually spans 3 days, is an opportunity for the Mexican family to honor loved ones who have died.  Death is seen as a part of life, and the holiday is a time to enjoy the company of family with laughter, music, and traditional foods like pan de muerto (the bread of the dead).

Art and crafts that accompany this holiday often depict death in a comical way.  Candy sugar skulls (calaveras), decorated with brightly colored frosting, are given as presents.  Skeletons dressed up in "everyday" clothes make us laugh.  To make my point I thought I'd include here a great calaca (skeleton) of a maestra like me:

 

Don't I look great?

Students really enjoy the crafts that go along with this holiday.  This week 4th and 5th graders will decorate sugar skulls imported from Mexico.  Third graders will make decorative skull masks.  Stay tuned for photos...

Salsa and More Salsa

Today we had another great day making and tasting salsa.  Most students who tried salsa really liked it.  Our recipe is going home in backpacks tomorrow so families can cook together...and maybe try their own variations on our recipe.

A huge GRACIAS to our parent volunteers:  Leah Hinckley, Leah Gartner, Carla Balch, Michelle Dunne, Bettina Read, and Amy Alexander.  We couldn't have done it without you.  Rachel Ray is jealous of your culinary skills.  

Some classes had time to listen to salsa music and do a little dancing at the end of class!  What fun!

Third graders try some salsa steps