University of Wisconsin- Whitewater--Bachelor's of Science in Education, Elementary/Middle
                                                                  --Spanish Education, Elementary/Middle

iHola!
 I am Heidi Duerst, the Spanish teacher at Holy Angels.  I am originally from Fort Atkinson. After college, I spent about ten years in Reedsburg, and have now lived in Slinger since 2008. My husband and I have three children. They are in high school and college. We also have rabbits and chickens.

 I joined the staff at Holy Angels in the fall of 2016.  I teach on Tuesday and Friday mornings.  
 Starting this year, I see the kindergarten through eighth grade students twice a week and 3K and 4K once a week.

 The elementary classes have an exploratory feel to them.  e continually build on what was introduced the year before and review so that we have a basic foundation going into sixth grade.

The main goal of the Middle School Spanish classes at Holy Angels is to prepare students to be successful entering Spanish II as freshmen in high school.

To do this, sixth grade focuses on gaining vocabulary and very basic grammar.
 Seventh grade builds upon and adds more vocabulary in each unit* and more grammar.
 Eighth grade has a heavier grammar and conversation focus.

 By the time they finish at Holy Angels, the students have a 1000-word vocabulary, including more than 50 verbs in three tenses.  They are able to ask and answer basic questions and understand simple stories. They can recite the main Catholic prayers from memory. They have gained knowledge of and developed respect for the cultures of many Spanish-speaking countries.

 This is achieved through songs, associations, study aids, memory aids, conversations, stories, games, interactions, and independent practice. Remembering how we learned our first language helps us to understand how to learn a second.

*Units include: Colors, Numbers, Shapes, Calendar, Family, Animals, Feelings, Little Words, Manners, Alphabet, Weather, Clothing, Body, Time, Conversation, School, House, City, Personality, Appearance, Food, Most Common Verbs, History of Mexico, Geography of Spain, Capitals/Flags/etc of Latin America