April 6th – 10:00 – 10:50 am Spain Presentation – Spanish I class – Middle School

Presenter: Dr. Patricia Andueza - Assistant Professor of Spanish, University of Evansville

April 7 – Argentina Presentation – JPK – 4th grade; 8 am – 3 pm

Presenter: Analia Pereira – Fulbright Foreign Language Teacher, University of Evansville

Ms. Pereira will be on our campus, talking to preschool-primary school students about Argentina.  She will introduce her homeland and talk about the music, geography, customs, history and other fun cultural activities.  Furthermore, she will teach short songs/dance and will speak to our 3rd and 4th graders only in Spanish. This will be an ‘all day’ activity, as she will be presenting to all of our classes – every period.

About the Speaker:

Analía Pereira is from Aristóbulo del Valle, Misiones, Argentina. She earned her B.A. in English Teaching in March 2014. Since then she has been teaching English at elementary and high school levels as well as in a national university in her home province. After she received her B.A., she enrolled in a Master’s program in English Teaching. In 2015 she was awarded the Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) grant, which positioned her as a Spanish Teaching Assistant at the University of Evansville, Indiana, from August 2015 thru May 2016. Besides working and studying, she loves sports, singing, and dancing. As a teacher, Analía aims to inspire the love for learning in her students. As a Fulbrighter, she wants to share as much as possible about her language and culture, but she also wants to experience the American culture in every way possible. In the future, Analía will continue teaching English as a Foreign Language in Argentina and will complete her M.A. degree.

April 8 – USI Academic Language Bowl – Upper School students; 8 am to noon

Two EDS upper school teams will participate in the USI World Languages and Cultures competition on this day.  Our students will form two teams: Spanish and French.  Linda, Alli and I will take the students to USI, where they will compete by responding to questions on grammar and culture (plus various theme based topics).  Grammar questions will cover material through the intermediate level in each language and the culture questions will focus on Quebec, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.  For each of the languages, the selected topic will center on major historical events, landmarks, traditions, and celebrated individuals from the designated city, nation or region. 

April 13 – French and Spanish Honor Society Induction – lunch time 11:10 – 11:50

Upper School Commons

Month of April: SALSA, and more SALSA!

April 15 – P.S. Salsa Challenge – food tasting competition; 8 am – 3 pm

So, what is Salsa? For some of us it is the dance, the steps, the music and moves.  For others, it is the food – the sauce that we get to enjoy as a side dish or dipping sauce! 

Well, since salsa has a double meaning, we will experience both, here on our campus! 

So, let’s learn Salsa! During the month of April, all primary school students will learn this very popular form of social dance, which originated from Cuba.  However, the dance has strong influences from Puerto Rico and Colombia!  We can’t wait to have Ms. Silmary (from Puerto Rico) and Dr. Rodriguez (from Colombia) help us learn the steps and for us to showcase this fun activity! On the other hand, in case you are hungry for some yummy salsa, stop by the Primary School to taste and vote for your favorite salsa! On April 15th, we will get to enjoy the wonderful, Mexican sauce, called Salsa, made at EDS by 3rd and 4th grade students! 

Third and fourth graders will be learning about vegetables, and the plant life cycle in their science classes.  In Spanish, they will learn the same, however all in Spanish.  After they know their vocabulary, they will get to research yummy salsa recipes, select their top/most favorite.  Mrs. Powell will do the food shopping and then each team will have the opportunity to create their salsa during science and Spanish classes.  Finally, they will set up a food tasting competition table, where you may cast your vote for your favorite sauce! 

April 19   - Venezuela Presentation – K – 4th grade; 8 am – 3 pm

Presenter: Patricia Medina – Fulbright Foreign Language Teacher, University of Evansville

Ms. Medina will be on our campus, talking to preschool-primary school students about Venezuela.  She will introduce to our students her homeland and talk about the music, geography, customs, history and other fun cultural activities.  She will have a fun game that she will share with our students and will speak to our 3rd and 4th graders only in Spanish.

April 21 – 3rd grade field trip to Los Portales – 11:10 -12:35

After learning about food items (fruits, vegetables, recipes, table settings, kitchen items, etc.), our third graders will have the opportunity to go to the Los Portales restaurant and practice their Spanish skills.  Our rule is: they can only use Spanish once they arrive at the restaurant. This means, they have to meet/greet and place their lunch order in Spanish.  They will have to find out how much something costs, ask for the meal/drink and the bill, using Spanish.  This should be a fun experience and truly ‘test our readiness’ to be able to speak only in Spanish, when visiting a Mexican restaurant.  We will also invite third grade parents to enjoy this delightful lunch!

April 22 – ¡Feliz Día de la Tierra!– Spanish Earth Day Activities in P.S. 8 am – 3 pm

Celebrating the Earth with Spanish Earth Day activities. 

In the primary school, students will be learning Earth Day phrases in Spanish, while JPK/PK students will be taking a nature walk, using Spanish nature related words/cards as they discover the beauty of our Earth.  Primary school students will use Spanish phrases, create signs for recycling in Spanish, which will remind us of ways we can take care of the planet. 

April 29 – P.S. Colombia Presentation – K – 4th grade; 8 am – 3 pm

Presenter: Dr. Diana Rodriguez – Assistant Spanish Professor, University of Evansville

Dr. Rodriguez is originally from Colombia and received her PhD in Spanish and Latin American Literature from the University of Toronto.  She has taught a wide variety of courses that include elementary to advanced Spanish, Latin American culture and civilization, Spanish conversation, business Spanish, and Latin America literature. She will introduce to our students her homeland and talk about the music, geography, customs, history and other fun cultural activities.  She will have a fun game that she will share with our students and will speak to our 3rd and 4th graders only in Spanish.

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo celebrations – Traylor Atrium - 8 am – 3 pm – Primary School, Middle School and Upper School

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo with food, piñata creations and music from Mexico!

May 13 – Ecuador Presentation – guest speakers in Upper School

May 19 – 4th grade field trip to Los Portales – 11:10 – 12:35

After learning about food items (fruits, vegetables, recipes, table settings, kitchen items, etc), our fourth graders will have the opportunity to go to Los Portales restaurant and practice their Spanish skills.  Our rule is: they can only use Spanish once they arrive at the restaurant. This means, they have to meet/greet and place their lunch order in Spanish.  They will have to find out how much something costs, ask for the meal/drink and the bill, using Spanish.  This should be a fun experience and truly ‘test our readiness’ to be able to speak only in Spanish, when visiting a Mexican restaurant.  We will also invite fourth grade parents to enjoy this delightful lunch!