Reading of “¿Dónde está Venezuela? by Nacho Palacios“, learning traditional Venezuelan Song: Los chichimitos and learning a craft: maracas – from HudsonWay teacher Merian Salazar, a native of Venezuela

This month students involved in the Spanish track at HWIS showcased their knowledge of the culture and language in projects that involved research, creativity, and presentational skills. In the 5th and 6th grade class, each student researched one notable person of Hispanic background such as Frida Kahlo, Roberto Clemente, Sandra Sotomayor, Selena Quintanilla among others. Each student presented the biography in Spanish, while dressed in costume.

Students in the 3rd and 4th grade classes each selected a Spanish speaking country and presented a persuasive powerpoint report on the weather, landmarks, food, and fauna of each country.

“Our goal is to develop students' understanding of other cultures and be able to compare it to their own” says Irene Gallardo, Assistant Director. “In doing these projects we connect multiple content areas such as the arts, social studies, and science and while enabling students to express themselves in written and verbal Spanish language at a high level. Our teachers are always looking to maximize the learning from each project.”

HudsonWay Immersion School (HWIS) is a full immersion Spanish and Mandarin school serving children aged 2 through grade 8. The school is located on two campuses – Stirling, NJ and Midtown West, NYC.   Children learn all of their subjects in two languages, becoming fully bilingual and biliterate. For information related to admissions, contact Tracie Xiong at 908-598-8088, or visit www.hwis.org. The next information session will be held on Thursday, November 12 at 10-11am.