Road Trip!

Alex and I the night he returned from Afghanistan.

My brothers are currently driving across the United States.  Alex has finished his time with the Marines and it is time to go back to Michigan.  I could not be more happy for him!  Congratulations Brother!  My other brother, Mackenzie flew out to California to hang out with Alex and now is "helping" (I use this term loosely) his brother drive across the country.  They are making a stop in Florida to visit some friends and family before finally heading back up to Michigan where I will get to see them both when I fly home June 14!

Here are a few pictures of their apparently very exciting road trip...

That is a very nice double chin you have going on there Mackenzie!  Don't worry...Alex has everything under control!  No need to wake up...

As you can see, the baby brother is a big "help."  Good thing Alex is good at driving for long hours! ;)

Safe travels to my brothers and I can't wait to see you both! 

Don't get into too much shenanigans! ;)

Well they've made it safely to Florida and this is how I got to spend my Thursday morning... :)

What would I do without you both?!?!

What a great way to start my Thursday!

5 de mayo

In Spanish class, we got to learn about and celebrate 5 de mayo!

What is 5 de mayo you might ask?  It is NOT Mexico's Independence Day, which is a common misconception!  Many of my students told me that they had to set their parents straight and inform them all about the true reasons behind celebrating 5 de mayo!

Cinco de mayo is Spanish for the fifth of May. The fifth of May is a significant day for Mexicans because it is the anniversary of the Battle of Puebla.  The Battle of Puebla was fought between Mexican and French forces and it has become symbolic of the Mexican spirit and determination to thwart foreign aggression.

The Mexican army was outnumbered, ill-equipped, and poorly armed, yet, they won this particular battle against incredible odds. It was a battle won through courage and spirit!

Some U.S. states celebrate the day also, especially in the Southwestern states and areas with a large Hispanic population. In particular Goliad, Texas holds a major celebration of cinco de mayo, as it is the birthplace of General Ingnacio Zaragoza.  General Zaragoza led the Mexican army against the French forces.

I was so impressed by how well they listened and retained the information that was given to them.  I received some great feedback about the information my students were sharing with others about 5 de mayo!  After our small presentation on the history of 5 de mayo, we played Pin the Tail on the Burro!  It was a big hit with all the grades!

5th graders enjoying the game!

More 5th grade action!

They also had the option of completing a word search about 5 de mayo.

2nd graders rocking it out at Pin the Tail on the Donkey!

This guy might need some help.  He passed the donkey a long time ago...

Some great 3rd grade smiles!

4th graders getting their turn to play!

1st graders attempting to pin the tail...

I loved how they had to get so close to the person who was trying to pin the tail...

Did he get it ?

I just love their smiling faces...

A picture says a thousand words...

¡Bienvenida Mahe Maria!

So finally to round off the month of April...

I would like to congratulate my Spanish counterpart here at ASD, Nelis Green.  On April 19, 2011, she gave birth to her first child, a baby girl!  Welcome to this world Mahe Maria.  She was born at 10:36 PM and was 2.8kg/6 lbs. 3 oz.  A tiny bundle of joy!

I've had the pleasure of visiting Nelis and Mahe twice.  I finally got to hold her the second time around because she was sleeping so soundly the first time I visited! 

She truly is a beautiful little girl and as her dad states she has had quite the start:  half British, half Cuban, made in the Seychelles, born in Qatar, and delivered by an Iraqi.

Mahe and Tia Katie!

Mahe with her mom and some of our foreign language colleagues and their children!

Supporting ASD Softball

Like I was saying, there is always a GREAT deal going on at ASD.  We have a very nice campus and this allows the school to be able to host some of the sports tournaments that go on throughout the year.  This year, ASD hosted the softball tournament.  It is slow pitch and there are both boys and girls teams!

In Spanish, we decided it would be a good idea to take some time to head out and enjoy the nice weather and support our ASD Dragons at the same time!

Third graders squinting in the sun, but enjoying the game!

Looks like a good hit to me!

Batter up!

My first grades enjoying the game and the cheering crowd!

Aren't they cute?!?!

Zoo Trip

We are nearing the end of the school year and I have been on a blogging hiatus lately.  Some days it seems like there is just not enough time in the day!  I am getting very anxious to spend the summer in Michigan with my family.  I am also very excited to be able to see all the GREEN!

However, before we get to summer, let me back track to the middle of April.  There are some really amazing things that go on here at ASD and I try to capture most of them!  On April 18, I had the pleasure of being able to go on a field trip with the fourth graders to the Doha Zoo.  I had not been before and I jumped at the opportunity.  The fourth graders were finishing up their unit on ecosystems and with the help of some high school students, they were able to participate in a variety of different activities related to the animals and their habitats!

Here is a quick glimpse of my stellar group of fourth graders and our morning at the zoo!  Almost all of them are my Spanish students!  Thanks for a great day! 

My group for the day!

Working together to lift the box of dirt...

Learning about camouflage and playing a new version of tag.

Me encantan las jirafas...

Keeping busy at the elephant station.

Learning more about decomposition at the elephant station.

Learning about migration through a fun game!

We had some spectators at this station...

Las cebras and the Aspire Tower.

Me encantan las cebras...

Being great listeners at the zebra station.

Watch your fingers!  Eeks!

Getting one more group shot with the oryx before we head back to school.

Points of View

Another short story by Eduardo Galeano...

Voices of Time:  A Life in Stories

By:  Eduardo Galeano

Points of View

Somewhere in time, beyond time, the world was gray.  Thanks to the Ishir Indians, who stole color from the gods, the world today is resplendent with colors that dazzle eyes of all who look at them.

Ticio Escobar lent a hand to a film crew that came to the Chaco to shoot scenes of daily life among the Ishir.

An Indian girl pursued the director, a silent shadow glued to his side, staring into his face as if she wanted to jump into his strange blue eyes.

The director turned to Ticio, who knew the girl and understood her language.  Through him, she confessed, "I want to know what colors you see."

The director smiled.  "The same as you."

"And how do you know what colors I see?"

A not so verbose two cents...

Last night while I was reading before falling asleep, this short story or lesson seemed to find its way to me...

I think it was what I needed to read in light of all that is happening in our world.

Voices of Time:  A Life in Stories

By:  Eduardo Galeano

First Lessons

From moles we learned to make tunnels.
From beavers we learned to make dams.
From birds we learned to build homes.
From spiders we learned to weave.
From tree trunks rolling downhill we learned about wheels.
From tree trunks floating and adrift we learned about boats.
From wind we learned about sails.
How did we learn our evil ways?  From whom did we learn to
torment our neighbors and subdue the earth?

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world go blind."
-Mahatma Gandhi