What's Ahead and Week in Review!

Ms. Cristi Elliot-Earby sent out an important letter regarding 50/50 Language Immersion Model. Please read carefully and let me know if you have any questions. I am excited about the change because our children will be immersed in the language every day! The students will learn English Language Arts and Social Studies in Ms. Salzillo's room, and Mandarin Language Arts, Math, and Science in Ms. Liu's. This is the model most immersion programs follow in the United States, and Kindergarten will be the first grade to pilot. Remember it is key to consistently read and write with your child at home as well as practice Mandarin on Better Chinese frequently to ensure meeting your child's foremost potential.

Next Week...
- Uniform Free! Wear whatever you want, but please wear sneakers for PE.
- 12/15 Kindergarten Lunch Mini Concert (Parents are not invited to this, sorry!)
- 12/18 Kindergarten Mandarin Mid-Year Performance (K Mandarin Parents ARE invited!!) 
- 12/19 Polar Express and Dress in your Pajama Day!

Mid- Year Performance
Your child has been busy getting ready to show off! They are so excited about this opportunity to perform in front of their loved ones. Show starts at 12:15 in the Village Plaza, a craft activity to follow.

Pete the Cat Field Trip
Don't forget to turn in your permission slip and money for Pete the Cat field trip in January!

Better Chinese Online Subscription
Sign in using the log-in ID and password emailed to you last week. This is a very interactive program that will keep your child busy while learning during the break.


Mandarin Buddies
So this is not new that Mandarin 1st and K have been doing buddy convo practices for three months now. Now not only we are able to greet and ask for basic personal information, we are also buying and selling fruits (and veggies, not really popular, yet! ;)) The children never seize to amaze me everyday with their growth and desire to learn. The video shows the 1st grader buying and the kindergartener selling. How many fruit names can you pick up? Leave a comment!

More Fruit Stand Pictures!

 First Field Trip on the Yellow Bus for newbies!! 

|WATCH| 耶誕快樂

At GLOBE we celebrate all cultures and holidays. Due to time constraint, each class won't be able to perform a song for each holiday. Here is a song our class will be performing during the mini concert on Monday, 12/15. Please have your child practice over the next few days!

Better Chinese Online Learning System

An email regarding the Better Chinese Online Subscription has been sent out to all parents. Please contact me if you did not receive one.  

Follow these easy steps to get your child set up:

1. Go to: online.betterchinese.com   

2. Select "School Account" tab   

3. Class ID: GLOBELIU 

4. Enter User Name/Password

When logging in for the first time, go straight to SETTINGS on the upper right hand corner and enter your child's first/last name and your email address. 

|WATCH| 我要謝謝...

|WATCH| 小皮球兒 The Little Ball

|Homework| Week of November 11-14, 2014

Starting in December, we will be starting four speaking centers that focus on (1) Ordering food in a Chinese restaurant (2) Having some tea with friends (3) How to make (ordering) a sandwich (4) In the doctor's office. I NEED your help!!! I grabbed these photos on Amazon, but if you are able to grab similar items at local yard sale that'd be great. In addition, I would love four shoe size clear boxes to store these in. Please email me and let me know if you are able to help and with which center so we won't have duplicates. 

In language, we will be learning how to say our birthday in Mandarin. Please review your child's birthday in English prior to Monday, 11/17. For Thanksgiving break, your child will be completing a home project that will involve teaching a non Mandarin speaker how to say their birthday in Mandarin. More details coming...

The sheet below is coming home in your child's folder this week. Fill out the birthday in English, and find the month and day in the chart by circling them. Once you find the month and day, fill them in the blanks. 月(yue) is Month, and 日(ri) is day.
Complete and return on 11/17(Liu Homeroom) or 11/18(Salzillo Homeroom).

In Math we are learning directionally words (上shang, 下xia, 左zuo, 右you). The students are identifying where objects are located by listening to the directions. Next week we will allow students to give directions to each other to reinforce the skills. 

More Mandarin recourses have been update, go here-----> 

Forecast is looking brrrrr... We are quickly dipping into the 20's in the coming days. Please make sure your child is dressed in layers and always has a heavy jacket/ coat for outdoor recess. 

And don't forget those water bottles! 

Some of the highlights of the week...

Counting and matching quantities to Mandarin Numerical Numbers

                              Mandarin Buddies Day - We played the Carrot Squat Game 蘿蔔蹲

Matching the words to the nursery rhymes, Putting them in order, and Reading them! 

Students practicing their Positional Words skills

One friend is blind folded while the other one gives directions on whether to go forward, backward, left, or right. 

|WATCH| Can you explain that?

One of the most important homework for children in Mandarin Kindergarten is to review nursery rhymes. It retains with them even though they don't necessary comprehend. I tell the parents that it is okay for them not to be able to translate or explain. Think about asking a one-year-old who sings Hickory Dickory Dock to explain herself what in the world she is singing...and you get a blank stare and maybe some drool. Some songs or poems are simply like nursery rhymes. They are catchy and fun to learn. Some words and phrases make sense to them especially the fruits and colors, but some don't necessary mean a thing. Below is a video clip of two of my students putting the puzzles of the poem 大拇哥 (Big Brother Thumb...told ya!) together then reading it afterwards. Enjoy!

|Newsletter| November, 2014

Week of October 27-31, 2014

Peace week was successful! Students were introduced to the meaning of bullying, heathy eating, and the importance of good reading habits. Asides from all the exciting programs, we continued on retelling in reading, learning to introduce self (name, age, favorite fruit, number of siblings), and comparing two/three dimensional shapes.

Shape book should remain in your child's reading bag. Please practice reading nightly. The video is posted HERE.

Parent teacher conference is coming up between 11/3-11/10. Click HERE if you are unsure of the time you signed up for. Be sure to arrive 10 minutes early as we are running a very tight schedule.  MAP test scores and portfolio will be shared during that time.

Book Character Day Class Picture

Book Characters

Mystery Reader

|WATCH| What is this shape?

Week of October 20-24, 2014

 

The children have been to the Mandarin class for twenty four days, so it is time for them to become fully immersed. The students are now required to not speak English in the Mandarin classroom. Lots of tools have been given and are utilized frequently to ensure familiarity and fluency. If you learned to speak a second language as a child, you know how essential it is to be immersed in the language. 

True story... Dr. Reese came into the classroom with a girl from the class looking for sticky notes while the class was out. She started asking if she knew where they were and she looked horrified "BU KE YI!!! (Don't!) Then she proceed to pull her outside to show her the sign on the door. She explained to her that we only speak Mandarin in the classroom, and that she has to step outside to speak English. 

"What is the Shape?"is a Mandarin book that your child made and it's in the Reading Bag. We have been working on it during Reader's Workshop, please continue to read nightly. I will post a video of there is any interest...leave a comment below. 

"Chinese Restaurant Project" 

The project is a huge success! Thank you for your time, effort, and support in completing the project with your child. The display in the hallway looks amazing and the children have been sharing their experiences with their friends in class. I would love to hear your side of the story, please comment below! How did the experience impact you? Any surprises? I know it could be a hit or miss with some restaurants as not every Chinese restaurant is staffed with native Chinese speakers. I encourage you to visit different ones and encourage your child to hold a conversation whenever a chance arises. 

Progress Report 

Don't forget to sign and return the progress report in your child's folder ASAP! 

Peace Week Reminder

Monday, October 27th- Healthy Community/Spirit wear to celebrate our unified school community.

School-wide anti-bullying assembly – eight of our very own 4th graders will be presenting an anti-bullying skit for the school. Fourth grade will also present a video for the school. Erin Beacham from the Anti-Defamation League will be coming to the assembly and will conclude our time with some large group anti-bullying activities.

Tuesday, October 28th – Healthy Community/Crazy sock and shoes day – to stomp out bullying from GLOBE. Please make sure your child’s shoes are safe and can be worn to PE. Clothing is wear what you want.

Wednesday, October 29th – Healthy Bodies/Wear what you want (just make sure it’s clean)! Dr. Reese and parent volunteers will be visiting classrooms and will be sharing good health/hygiene practices with the students.

Fourth graders will be learning how to be healthy/drug free youth.

Thursday, October 30th – Healthy Bodies/Sportswear – GLOBE staying active! Healthy Halls, a 45 minute theatrical presentation from CHOA, will be at school at 8:30 (K-1) and 9:30 (2-4) to talk with the students about staying healthy. Thank you, CHOA!

Friday, October 31st – Healthy Minds/Favorite Book Character. Children will bring their favorite book and dress like their favorite character. Children will discuss their characters in class.

Wish List

Amazon wish list has been update...check it out- http://amzn.com/w/3MKQG5OQDHEL3

Week of October 6-10, 2014

Math

We continued to explore shapes and reinforce their names this week. The students are learning names of shapes - Triangle, Square, Rectangle, Pentagon, Hexagon, and Circle. Students made group mobiles as well as individual ones to take home. During center, students built shapes using geo-boards, blocks, play-dough, and played interactive shape games on the iPads. 

Writing

We talked about ways to show respect in specials. Students brainstormed, illustrated, and copied words and phrases off the board. Students are reminded to use punctuation marks (for now just period) at the end of a statement. 

Reading

"Big Thumb" the poem was introduced this week. Please practice the poem at home using the video below and pay attention to the highlighted / high frequency words. 

 

Social Studies

Liu Ying Lao Shi introduced the Great Wall of China, The Forbidden City, Beijing, Taiwan, China, and the US. The students showed enthusiasm and were eager to learn more through pictures and videos. 

HOMEWORK reminder! Restaurant project due THIS Friday 10/17.

|Newsletter| October 2014

|PROJECT DUE 10/17| Chinese Restaurant Outing

Due Date: Thursday, 10/17/2014
What: Take your Mandarin Immersion student out for dinner at an authentic Chinese restaurant.
Why: Your child will get to speak to the native speakers and possibly order a cup of tea for you.
And: Collect artifacts from the restaurant (menu, chopsticks...whatever) that exemplify the experience. Create a display using the cardboard trifold display (the stand along kind you can get at the Dollar Tree).

Can't wait to hear about it! Email me if you have any questions...comment any authentic Chinese on here or on our Mandarin K FB page.

|WATCH| Week of September 22-26, 2014

In language, we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Mandarin and did retelling by stuffing the fruits inside the caterpillar. The students are learning to combine simple color or number words and fruit names into simple phrases. For example, This is a red apple. I have four red strawberries. 

Most students could understand the context more than they may be able to verbalize, which is perfectly on target. I encourage you to remind your child to say their fruit names in Mandarin as well as practice counting. Counting backwards is also another important skill to have. 

On Friday, we officially began a new program called the "Mandarin Buddies". This is when the first grade and Kindergarten Mandarin students come together with a purpose.  We set norms for the activities and decided on the basic greetings that any beginner Mandarin student needs to learn. Both classes came up with four questions; How are you? What is your name? How old are you? What is your dad/mom's name?

So it goes like this, while the music is playing, the students were to roam around the classroom. When the music stops, each student was to find another child who is holding a different color cube( they were given two colors). It took some practice (as always) but seeing little teachers in action was truly amazing. 

At the end of the activity, first graders shared their thoughts...

Keeler: This activity made me happy because I was able to help.

Kodi: It made me happy because I learned their names.

Madison: I am happy because I had fun teaching the little kids.  

So, that is what this is all about. We had a purpose in mind, and they made it happen. Building confidence in learners one day at a time. 

Thank you Jamie for reading Rani with a Chance of Meatballs / It's the Great Pumpkin

      You may find the Five Finger Song in your child's Mandarin Journal.


Five and Six year olds stepping out of their comfort zone to speak and teach Mandarin to complete strangers! So far my Kinder class has only had 15 days of instruction.

Please continue to send in paper towels, thanks to those who have! 

Week of September 15-19, 2014

:: Project Alert :: A home project will be assigned at the end of this month or early October, get ready! You and your child will dine at an authentic Chinese restaurant while your child converse with the waiters/waitresses. To make the project more worthwhile, we will be practicing basic greetings and ways to order water and tea. The feedbacks from last year's families were positive, so I am excited to hear what's in store this year! 

Writing - The children continued working on an Opinion Piece. They copied the statement and illustrated. Next week, we will be brainstorming on why readers should eat certain vegetables or fruits. You will find their writing in English to be similar, that is because the teachers collaborate frequently to ensure understanding. 

Reading - It is important that your child is familiar with the Routine Phrases in their journal by now. I will continue to assess and provide one-on-one support during center. 

Math - Please review numbers in Mandarin (1 to 10) with your child. Encourage him to count objects (cars sitting in traffic, trees, crackers...etc) in Mandarin and perhaps even make words out of pretzel sticks. 

And as always, pack water bottle and fresh fruit/veggie daily! :)