Hola students and parents! Bienvenidos to a new year of Spanish here at Runkle! We are looking forward to another great year of exploring the language and cultures of the Spanish speaking world. As we start the year, we hope students feel inspired to use their Spanish as much as possible both in and out of the classroom. Students in grades K-4 will be working with Profe Paun, and 5th grade students will have Profe Breckner.
As in past years, each class will have Spanish 3 times each week. Students in grades K-2 will meet for 20 minutes per session, and students in grades 3-5 will meet for 30 minutes per session.
We would like to extend a special welcome to those of you who are new to Runkle and/or the Spanish language. If you are worried about not having prior experience with the language, our curriculum is designed to include students of all levels, from those with no prior experience to native speakers, so there is no need to worry! Since our model is based on oral communication, vocabulary and grammar are presented as tools for the purpose of communication, rather than lists to memorize. Content from previous years is always revisited so new students needn't worry. Our primary goal is to help all students develop skills as language learners that will help them with any language they choose to study in the future, whether continuing with Spanish or trying something new! Our focus is on exposure to the language, familiarizing students with the sounds of the language and building communication skills. Much of our learning involves games, songs, movement, and team work, so a positive attitude and a willingness to take risks and make mistakes are essential to success. You can also take a look at the materials on the Resources page, which includes a number of websites that can help you practice vocabulary and pronunciation.
If you have questions about the program or want to learn more about the model we use for Elementary World Language in Brookline, please check out our department website here.
We look forward to working with you this year! ¡Nos vemos pronto!
Profe Paun & Profe Breckner