Español
Ven adelate cada día
Ven adelate cada día
Email: cioakimedes@sainthilaryschool.org
Cell Phone: (415) 577-5786
All sessions held in the Language Lab:
Wednesdays: 7:15 - 7:55 AM and 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Additional appointments available upon request.
Get individualized help with current Spanish lessons
Make up missed quizzes or assignments
Receive additional practice with challenging concepts
Para estudiantes hispanohablantes: Mejorar habilidades bilingües tanto en español como en inglés
(For Spanish-speaking students: Improve bilingual skills in both Spanish and English)
¡No dude en contactarme con cualquier pregunta!
(Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions!)
Ven adelante, cada día reminds us that learning a language is a journey of daily growth in both knowledge and faith. Just as we are called to deepen our relationship with God each day, we also advance our Spanish skills step by step, embracing the rich Catholic traditions of Hispanic cultures around the world.
Through language learning, we celebrate God's gift of diversity and prepare our hearts to serve others across all cultural boundaries.
Our 4th grade Spanish program meets twice weekly for 45-minute sessions, marking an important transition from exposure-based learning to a more structured approach. Building on the foundation established in earlier grades, students now begin formal instruction in Spanish grammar, reading comprehension, and writing skills while deepening their Catholic faith through the Spanish language.
Students engage with Spanish through:
Structured direct instruction
Engaging instructional videos
Interactive practice activities
Authentic cultural materials from Catholic Spanish-speaking countries
Guided conversation practice
Catholic prayers and religious texts in Spanish
Lives of Spanish-speaking saints and missionaries
Students will master vocabulary in these key areas:
Greetings & Farewells - Formal and informal expressions, including religious greetings
Alphabet - Pronunciation rules and spelling patterns
Numbers - Counting from 1-100 with practical applications including biblical numbers
Time Expressions - Telling time and scheduling activities, including liturgical times
Calendar - Days, weeks, months, seasons, dates, and liturgical seasons
Weather Terms - Detailed descriptions and forecasts, appreciating God's creation
Colors - Expanded vocabulary with agreement rules, including liturgical colors
Question Formation - Using interrogative words effectively in religious contexts
Spatial Concepts - Prepositions of place with the verb "estar," including church vocabulary
Action Words - Common "-ar," "-er," and "-ir" verbs, including religious actions
Descriptions - Adjectives and their proper placement, describing God's qualities
Ordinal Numbers - First through tenth and their uses, including religious significance
Students will develop understanding of:
Personal Pronouns - Subject pronouns and their uses in prayer and conversation
The Verb "Ser" - Forms and functions of "to be," including "God is..." statements
Articles - Definite (el, la, los, las) and indefinite (un, una, unos, unas)
Noun Pluralization - Rules for making nouns plural
Present Tense - "-ar" "-er" and "-ir" verb conjugations with religious vocabulary
"Ser" vs. "Estar" - Understanding the two forms of "to be" through spiritual examples
The Verb "Gustar" - Expressing likes and preferences, including love for God
Throughout the curriculum, students will:
Continue practice of Sign of the Cross and basic prayers learned in earlier grades
Introduce Padre Nuestro (Our Father) and Ave María (Hail Mary)
Basic religious vocabulary: Dios (God), iglesia (church), oración (prayer)
December: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Mexico) - Patroness of the Americas
March: San José - Foster father of Jesus
Las Posadas (Mexican Christmas tradition)
Día de los Muertos - Catholic understanding of All Saints/All Souls
Student progress is continuously monitored through:
Interactive Kahoot Quizzes - Typically administered at the end of each class
Practice Worksheets - For skill reinforcement and application
Prayer Recitation - Simple prayers in Spanish for pronunciation practice
Periodic Assessments - Measuring comprehension and production
Conversation Practice - Evaluating real-world language use
Projects - Demonstrating integrated language skills
Christmas Season: Las Posadas traditions and holiday vocabulary
Spring: San José feast day (March 19) and spring celebrations
Throughout Year: Cultural appreciation of Spanish-speaking Catholic countries
Families can support language learning by:
Reviewing vocabulary with flashcards or online tools
Encouraging practice of new phrases in daily conversations
Discussing completed worksheets and quiz results
Exploring Spanish-language media appropriate for 4th graders
Learning about the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries
Students will use their Spanish skills to:
Help younger students with simple Spanish prayers
Appreciate the rich cultural heritage of Spanish-speaking Catholic communities
We believe this structured approach provides students with the tools they need to build confidence and proficiency in Spanish while developing an appreciation for the rich Catholic heritage of Spanish-speaking countries and deepening their own faith journey.
Escucha y sigue las instrucciones la primera vez (Listen and follow instructions the first time)
Levanta la mano antes de hablar (Raise your hand before speaking)
Respeta a todos: tus compañeros, profesores, y materiales (Respect everyone: your classmates, teachers, and materials)
Sé responsable por tu trabajo y tiempo (Be responsible for your work and time)
Participa activamente y usa el español lo más posible (Participate actively and use Spanish as much as possible)
Rockalingua is our primary Spanish learning platform for elementary grades. This engaging, interactive resource uses music and multimedia to make Spanish learning fun and effective for young students!
Catchy Educational Songs that help students naturally absorb vocabulary and phrases
Colorful Animated Videos designed specifically for young language learners
Interactive Worksheets that reinforce classroom learning
Cultural Content that introduces students to Spanish-speaking traditions
Interactive Games that make vocabulary practice exciting
Illustrated Picture Dictionaries for visual vocabulary reinforcement
Engaging Short Stories to develop listening comprehension
Creative Crafts that connect language learning with hands-on activities
Printable Flashcards for additional practice
We encourage families to continue Spanish learning outside the classroom! Students can access all Rockalingua resources from home using our school account:
Website: https://rockalingua.com/
Username: SHS
Password: spanish
Review vocabulary from our current unit using the picture dictionaries
Practice with games that match our classroom topics
Listen to songs we've learned in class to reinforce pronunciation
Try the printable activities for additional reinforcement
Share what you've learned with family members to practice conversation
¡La música hace que aprender español sea divertido!
(Music makes learning Spanish fun!)
Hola - Hello
Buenos días - Good morning
Buenas tardes - Good afternoon
Buenas noches - Good evening/night
¿Cómo estás? - How are you?
Estoy bien - I am well
Estoy mal - I am not well
Más o menos - So-so
¿Cómo te llamas? - What's your name?
Me llamo... - My name is...
Mucho gusto - Nice to meet you
Adiós - Goodbye
Hasta luego - See you later
Hasta mañana - See you tomorrow
Nos vemos - See you
Chao - Bye (informal)
Por favor - Please
Gracias - Thank you
De nada - You're welcome
El alfabeto español - The Spanish alphabet (A to Z + Ñ)
Las vocales - Vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
Las consonantes - Consonants
¿Cómo se escribe? - How do you spell it?
Se escribe... - It is spelled...
Key Pronunciation Rules:
Ñ sounds like "ny" in "canyon"
H is silent
J sounds like a strong H
LL sounds like "y" in "yes"
R is slightly rolled
RR is strongly rolled
uno - 1
dos - 2
tres - 3
cuatro - 4
cinco - 5
seis - 6
siete - 7
ocho - 8
nueve - 9
diez - 10
once - 11
doce - 12
trece - 13
catorce - 14
quince - 15
dieciséis - 16
diecisiete - 17
dieciocho - 18
diecinueve - 19
veinte - 20
veintiuno - 21
veintidós - 22
treinta - 30
cuarenta - 40
cincuenta - 50
sesenta - 60
setenta - 70
ochenta - 80
noventa - 90
cien - 100
primero - first
segundo - second
tercero - third
cuarto - fourth
quinto - fifth
sexto - sixth
séptimo - seventh
octavo - eighth
noveno - ninth
décimo - tenth
¿Qué hora es? - What time is it?
Es la una - It's one o'clock
Son las dos - It's two o'clock
y media - half past (2:30 = Son las dos y media)
y cuarto - quarter past (2:15 = Son las dos y cuarto)
menos cuarto - quarter to (1:45 = Son las dos menos cuarto)
de la mañana - in the morning
de la tarde - in the afternoon
de la noche - in the evening/at night
mediodía - noon
medianoche - midnight
lunes - Monday
martes - Tuesday
miércoles - Wednesday
jueves - Thursday
viernes - Friday
sábado - Saturday
domingo - Sunday
hoy - today
mañana - tomorrow
ayer - yesterday
enero - January
febrero - February
marzo - March
abril - April
mayo - May
junio - June
julio - July
agosto - August
septiembre - September
octubre - October
noviembre - November
diciembre - December
la primavera - spring
el verano - summer
el otoño - fall/autumn
el invierno - winter
¿Qué fecha es hoy? - What's the date today?
Hoy es el (número) de (mes) - Today is the (number) of (month)
el año - the year
la semana - the week
el mes - the month
el día - the day
¿qué? - what?
¿quién?/¿quiénes? - who?
¿cuándo? - when?
¿dónde? - where?
¿por qué? - why?
¿cómo? - how?
¿cuál?/¿cuáles? - which?
¿cuánto?/¿cuánta?/¿cuántos?/¿cuántas? - how much/how many?
Definite Articles (the):
el - the (masculine singular)
la - the (feminine singular)
los - the (masculine plural)
las - the (feminine plural)
Indefinite Articles (a/an):
un - a/an (masculine singular)
una - a/an (feminine singular)
unos - some (masculine plural)
unas - some (feminine plural)
Add -s to words ending in vowel: libro → libros
Add -es to words ending in consonant: reloj → relojes
Words ending in -z change to -ces: lápiz → lápices
rojo - red
azul - blue
amarillo - yellow
verde - green
naranja - orange
morado/púrpura - purple
rosa/rosado - pink
negro - black
blanco - white
gris - gray
marrón/café - brown
claro - light (color)
oscuro - dark (color)
¿Qué tiempo hace? - What's the weather like?
Hace sol - It's sunny
Hace calor - It's hot
Hace frío - It's cold
Hace viento - It's windy
Hace buen tiempo - The weather is good
Hace mal tiempo - The weather is bad
Está lloviendo - It's raining
Está nevando - It's snowing
Está nublado - It's cloudy
La lluvia - Rain
La nieve - Snow
Las nubes - Clouds
El sol - Sun
La temperatura - Temperature
en - in/on
sobre - on top of
debajo de - under/beneath
encima de - on top of
detrás de - behind
delante de - in front of
a la derecha de - to the right of
a la izquierda de - to the left of
cerca de - near
lejos de - far from
dentro de - inside
fuera de - outside
entre - between
al lado de - next to
yo - I
tú - you (informal)
él - he
ella - she
usted - you (formal)
nosotros/nosotras - we
vosotros/vosotras - you all (informal, used in Spain)
ellos/ellas - they
ustedes - you all (formal, or informal in Latin America)
yo -o (hablo)
tú -as (hablas)
él/ella/usted -a (habla)
nosotros/nosotras -amos (hablamos)
vosotros/vosotras -áis (habláis)
ellos/ellas/ustedes -an (hablan)
hablar - to speak
cantar - to sing
bailar - to dance
estudiar - to study
escuchar - to listen
mirar - to look/watch
trabajar - to work
caminar - to walk
dibujar - to draw
nadar - to swim
tomar - to take/drink
usar - to use
comprar - to buy
buscar - to look for
ayudar - to help
desayunar - to have breakfast
cenar - to have dinner
cocinar - to cook
limpiar - to clean
yo -o (como)
tú -es (comes)
él/ella/usted -e (come)
nosotros/nosotras -emos (comemos)
vosotros/vosotras -éis (coméis)
ellos/ellas/ustedes -en (comen)
comer - to eat
beber - to drink
leer - to read
correr - to run
aprender - to learn
comprender - to understand
yo -o (vivo)
tú -es (vives)
él/ella/usted -e (vive)
nosotros/nosotras -imos (vivimos)
vosotros/vosotras -ís (vivís)
ellos/ellas/ustedes -en (viven)
vivir - to live
escribir - to write
abrir - to open
recibir - to receive
asistir - to attend
compartir - to share
decidir - to decide
describir - to describe
ser - to be (permanent)
yo soy
tú eres
él/ella/usted es
nosotros/nosotras somos
vosotros/vosotras sois
ellos/ellas/ustedes son
estar - to be (location, condition)
yo estoy
tú estás
él/ella/usted está
nosotros/nosotras estamos
vosotros/vosotras estáis
ellos/ellas/ustedes están
SER vs. ESTAR:
SER for permanent qualities, identity, origin, occupation, time
ESTAR for location, temporary conditions, emotions, ongoing actions
ir - to go
yo voy
tú vas
él/ella/usted va
nosotros/nosotras vamos
vosotros/vosotras vais
ellos/ellas/ustedes van
tener - to have
yo tengo
tú tienes
él/ella/usted tiene
nosotros/nosotras tenemos
vosotros/vosotras tenéis
ellos/ellas/ustedes tienen
hacer - to do/make
yo hago
tú haces
él/ella/usted hace
nosotros/nosotras hacemos
vosotros/vosotras hacéis
ellos/ellas/ustedes hacen
ver - to see
yo veo
tú ves
él/ella/usted ve
nosotros/nosotras vemos
vosotros/vosotras veis
ellos/ellas/ustedes ven
me gusta - I like (singular thing)
te gusta - you like (singular thing)
le gusta - he/she likes (singular thing)
nos gusta - we like (singular thing)
os gusta - you all like (singular thing)
les gusta - they like (singular thing)
me gustan - I like (plural things)
te gustan - you like (plural things)
le gustan - he/she likes (plural things)
nos gustan - we like (plural things)
os gustan - you all like (plural things)
les gustan - they like (plural things)
grande - big
pequeño - small
alto - tall
bajo - short
gordo - fat
delgado - thin
joven - young
viejo - old
bonito - pretty
feo - ugly
bueno - good
malo - bad
feliz - happy
triste - sad
interesante - interesting
aburrido - boring
difícil - difficult
fácil - easy
cansado - tired
enojado - angry
limpio - clean
sucio - dirty
nuevo - new
viejo - old (for things)
rápido - fast
lento - slow