It's hard to believe that October is already here! It finally feels like otoño has arrived with the cooler weather, shorter days, and changing of foliage. 

Students in K-4 are busy learning their numbers and how to read the calendar in Spanish. By the end of the month, they will be able to count and recite days of the week, discuss the date and weather, and speak simple sentences: "Hoy es..." (Today is...), "Ayer fue..." (Yesterday was...), and "Manana será..." (Tomorrow will be...).

Middle school students are currently taking their first assessments in Spanish grammar and vocabulary. To help with practice at home, encourage your student to utilize their Conjuguemos account that they have access to via their Holy Child email. SpanishDict is also a great resource with free lessons (!) for families to use to better understand the Spanish language and practice together at home.

Onto several exciting announcements:

1. First, Mrs. Goyer, Mr. Purnell, and I are thrilled to announce that we will be featuring a schoolwide ofrenda in the main lobby from Oct. 17-Nov. 2. We would like to ask you, our community of families, to share photos of a loved one whom you wish to see honored and remembered for the month of October. Please submit your photo via Google Forms by Friday, Oct. 14.

   
   The ofrenda, a word originally meaning “offering” in Spanish, is essential to Mexican celebrations of Día de los Muertos. During this holiday, families construct altars to honor and commemorate loved ones who have passed; it is a joyful celebration rather than a period of mourning.
   
   Día de los Muertos derives its traditions in part from the Catholic celebration of All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd). An ofrenda can serve as a visual reminder for families to pray for loved ones that have passed, and to ask the Saints to pray for us.
   
   The celebration also blends in elements of ancient cultural practices, demonstrating how Catholic practices can vary all around the world, granting students a deeper appreciation for the diversity within our faith.
   
   If you would like to learn more about the tradition of ofrendas, click here.

2. To wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month (which is technically observed until Oct. 15 in the United States), I would like to welcome our families into a contest that has been featured in the middle school this month. If you think you know the title and artist of the featured piece, please email Mrs. DeLuca (mdeluca@holychildacademy.com) to win a prize! 

3. Thank you to all of our students and families who partook in the September Horizons Book Challenge on Hispanic Heritage. The new October Horizons Book Challenge for All Abilities Month is now available from Mrs. Myers!

As always, mil gracias a ustedes for all that you do to keep your children engaged, inquisitive, and excited in the language process!