Water

This week we will be learning all about water, as well as all the vocabulary that comes along with it. So you can ask you child to tell you (in chinese) what water looks, tastes, smells, and feels like, as well as what we use it for, where it's found on the earth, and what forms it can take.

My friend from Taiwan is coming to visit and is excited to make a trip to visit my classroom and hear american children speaking chinese. I must say, it is still simply incredible to me how well they are doing with the language and how much they enjoy functioning in "Chinese mode". They are not afraid to try and make mistakes, and their amazing minds pick up and absorb so much every day that they then immediately put to use. Put simply, I am proud of and amazed by your children. Thank you for letting me teach them.

Spring is here (almost)

And we are excited to be able to play outside. We are learning how to say the names of sports.

In Chinese, to play with a ball, the verb "hit" 打（da） is used in any sport in which the hands are used to play. For example, to say "play tennis" you say "hit net ball", or 打网球( da wang qiu)。The word for ball is 球 qiu.

The exception is soccer, where instead you kick, or ti 踢。

Characters __Pinyin ________English_____ literal translation:

打棒球 _____da bang qiu _______play baseball ______hit stick ball

打网球 _____da wang qiu _______play tennis _______hit net ball

打乒乓球 ___da ping pang qiu _____play ping pong___ hit ping pong ball

打冰球_____ da bing qiu ________play hockey ______hit ice ball

打篮球 _____da lan qiu_________ play basketball ____hit basket ball

提足球 _____ti zu qiu ___________play soccer______kick foot ball

打美式足球 __da mei shi zu qiu _____play football ___hit american style soccer

Great expectations

Last week I was privileged to attend a summit on Chinese literacy hosetd by Utah Cinese Immersion. Principals, teachers, and program directors of mandarin immersion schools from accross the country were in attendance. A small group, numbering about 30, we were able to dicuss, share, and compare the most effective practice as well as challenges faced by these programs. It was an energetic, knowledgable, and passionate group, and much was learned. Your children will derectly benefit from the many things I learned and saw.

I have also been attending weekly iSchool trainings along with two other teachers at our school to learn how to best use our new cart of iPod touches. We three will be sharing the cart, which houses enough iPods for each student to have their own to use in class. I have been exploring many chinese apps, and am really excited about all the things we will be able to do with this great new technology.

As the students continue to try their best to speak only Chinese in the classroom, I am seeing much progress and excitement about the language.

We will be sending home information about SEP conferences with Mrs. Cretsinger's Monday homework folder, so be watching for that.