The FMS Spanish immersion program is available in two primary classes (P1 and P2) and one lower elementary class (E3).  Students receive all their lessons in English first, making sure that the concepts are understood, then they are given the same lessons in Spanish. The Spanish immersion program offers our students a unique opportunity for acquiring a second language.

Doing Spanish sound sorting work.

Research has shown that learning a second language “gives your brain a good workout and the process helps make the brain stronger.”

In our classroom, Ms. Melissa and Ms. Diana trade off days for giving various circle lessons.  When Ms. Diana gives her lessons, she speaks entirely in Spanish, immersing the children in the language.  Over time, the children recognize the common directions such as “lavarse sus manos” (wash your hands) and “sientate, por favor” (please sit down).

Not only are our students acquiring the skills to communicate in a second language, the very act of learning a second language has useful benefits.  “Brain researchers who study bilingualism believe that the act of juggling two languages strengthens the brain system that helps people pay attention. That strong capacity to focus might be what leads to better academic performance in some children who grow up bilingual or attend language immersion programs.” Mind/Shift, September 2014

The executive function of the brain has to do more “every time you speak, both languages pop up and the executive control system has to sort through everything and attend to what’s relevant in the moment. Therefore the bilinguals use that system more, and it’s that regular use that makes that system more efficient.”The New York Times, May 2011.

Research has also shown the long term benefits of learning a second language at such a young age trains the brain to think with more flexibility and ease, especially when information changes and a student is required to re-evaluate and apply a new order to data.  Dual language learners are already used to juggling two completely different systems at the same time and this process helps them be more adaptable to other academic challenges.

MONTHLY COOKING PROJECT:

We followed a special family recipe for pumpkin muffins, thanks to Celeste Martin (Cora’s Mom).  With help from Laura (Skye’s Mom) and Kristina (Jonny’s Mom) all went smoothly in the kitchen.  Thanks!

REMINDERS

International Children’s Day is next Wednesday 10/25.  Your child may dress up in any costume representing a nationality, or a realistic animal.  Students will be dismissed at 11:15am.

No School on 10/26 due to teacher in-service.

No school on 10/27 in honor of Nevada Day.

Ms. Melissa leading the class in a Yoga pose called “tree.”

Parent/child night on Thursday 11/2.  If your last name starts with A-M please come at 4:15-5:00, and if your last name starts with N-Z please come at 5:00-5:45.  Your child will show you materials they are working with and give you a first hand view of their experience in the classroom.

Our first, whole class field trip is scheduled for Tuesday 11/7 to the NV State Museum (located at the Springs Preserves).  The bus will leave by 8:30 am and return to school by 11:15am.  Please remind your child to wear their orange FMS t-shirt.

THANKS:

Thanks to Noel, Sydney, and their families for supplying healthy and beautiful snacks, as well as flowers for our classroom.

At the beginning of every month, you can expect to see different cultural, art, and science materials coming home.  The materials reflect the particular theme and subject matter found in our curriculum.  For instance, we are introducing the concept of “vertebrates” and “invertebrates”  along with mammals in our science area. Jobs on the shelves reflect this curriculum and any of the work coming home is an extension of our monthly themes.

One of the areas that gets a big monthly update is called Practical Life. Currently, this area reflects the fall season and has jobs focused on fall activities such as tweezing plastic spiders out of their web.

The Practical Life area offers students a chance to develop practical skills that help them do things in life like slicing a strawberry and serving sections to a friend, or tweezing and pouring jobs designed to build the coordination and strength in the fingers to correctly grasp a pencil and learn to write comfortably.

Ever wonder what the themes are for the month?  We invite you to look carefully at the calendar your child brings home at the start of the new month.  A small art project (tied to the current theme) is made by the children and attached to the calendar.

You will notice on these calendars that we include monthly themes and also highlight important dates for you to be aware of. These themes may give you discussion topics with your child, or enrich their new found knowledge with your experience.  The year long curriculum can be found in the parent information packet we distributed earlier in September at parent orientation.  

A recent art class conducted by Ms. Angela.

Every week, Ms. Angela centers her art class around reading a book then doing a piece of art about the subject of the book.  A few weeks ago, she read “The Colors of Us” and provided our students with a template of blank faces, which they could fill in with any expression they wanted.  Then they dipped their finger into three separate spices, cumin, coco and turmeric, giving their faces a particular skin tone and color.

The scholastic book fair was a big success and we appreciate the generosity of our families who donated books to our classroom.  THANK YOU!!

We also appreciate the time, effort, and donations made to the PTO to create a wonderful Fall Festival.  It is the support and involvement of our FMS parents that makes a huge difference in the overall student experience at FMS.  We appreciate your involvement!

Kindergartner students stretching during their PE class with Coach Bob.

A big thanks to our parents who chaperoned our first, Kindergarten field trip to the fire station down the street.

REMINDERS:

The PTO Fall Festival is on Friday, 10/20 from 5:00pm-8:00pm. Come and enjoy the lovely weather, games, music, and food with the whole FMS community.  We are looking forward to seeing all of you there!

International Children’s Day is on Wednesday, 10/25.  Your child may dress in the traditional dress of any culture in the world.  They will enjoy an “excursion” through several classrooms, with each room hosting a different country or continent.  An all school parade will commence around 11:00am (parents are invited) and students will be dismissed at 11:15am.

No school on 10/26 due to teacher in-service.

No school on 10/27 in observance of Nevada Day.

THANKS:

Thanks to Alex, Jonny, and their families for supplying healthy and beautiful snacks, as well as flowers for our classroom.