Ms. Lourdes Batista, who has led the Spanish Spelling Contest (Olimpiadas de Ortografía) has given us an interview with some insight to this event that has been taking place in school with the participation of students from from 1st to 6th grade.
Its objective is to preserve the correct writing of the words, respecting the rules of spelling and accentuation. The department is committed to ensuring that students are able to write Spanish (the first language for the vast majority) correctly, placing great emphasis on the rules of accentuation. It is important to know the great results and enthusiasm that we have achieved for our students, they see this as a great challenge, increasing their interest in paying attention to the spelling rules.
When a child stands in front of the jury, they must be clear about the rules of the contest, which means that they must have: self-control, confidence and the great challenge of accepting that they can win or lose, which also challenges us to prepare them emotionally. It has been a great experience to watch the camaraderie and empathy among them, supporting others when they fail, affirming the bonds of friendship.
This year we had the opportunity to see foreign students participate and even win second place in the contest. We are very grateful for the results obtained in the academic and socio-emotional components of this activity.
Interview to Ms. Porchik, Department Head of English Language Arts following the celebration of the Secondary School Literacy Contest in conjunction with the Spanish Department headed by Ms. Peralta.
Could you please share the objective of the event and how would you assess it?
The objective of the Literary Contest is to incentivize and encourage creative writing. The idea came from Ms. Dorca and initially it was performed within her Spanish class and over time has extended to ELA and Spanish departments. The works are assessed by each teacher according to their standards and what kind of writing they decide to work on with their group.
Have you seen more interest in a certain genre?
Students tend to get more engrossed in writing when it is creative (typically narratives and poems).
Were there any novelties to this year’s contest?
This year I noticed how proud students felt to be present at the ceremony .Those also were so positive toward each other and celebrated each other’s achievements in writing. I really loved the feedback aspect of this Literary Contest because the students really glowed when they received meaningful positive feedback from the community.
Something caught your attention in the works presented this year?
The level of expression that was shown in the groups that chose to do poems really impressed me.
How would you describe Ashton readers and writers?
Ashton readers and writers are expressive. They love to be creative and be given opportunities to develop their creativity.
Anything in particular you may want to share that would reinforce the importance of hosting this type of activity?
Being able to recognize and honor student work as a school is a very powerful way of reinforcing all of the hard work and effort students put into the classroom.
How can parents encourage participation? Or should it be left to self motivation?
Parents can ask to read their students’ work at home and give them positive feedback. Recognition of our students’ hard work is a great way to motivate.
7th Grade
1st place- Juan Diego Cortina, “Los video-zombis” 2nd place- Juan Diego Lexama, “Roberto el detective” 3rd place – Lourdes bravo, “7 horas de sobrevivencia” 4th place – Amalia Florentino, “Nunca te rindas” 5th place – Rodrigo Camejo, “Deseos de nadador”
8th Grade
1st Place: “Water Water” by Michel Abreu Cerda 2nd Place: “The Beauty of Nature” by Ana Isabel Reynoso. 3rd Place: “Fear” by Gabriel Burgos Silfa 4th Place: A Life Scar by Jorge Amado Méndez Velóz 5th Place: The After Life by Marianna López Sánchez
9th Grade
1st Place: *Cambiaste mi vida* por Amelia de Dios 2nd Place *Te amo* por Sofía Díaz 3rd Place.*Querida* por Samuel de Jesús 4th Place.*Admirándote* por Sebastian Maco 5th Place. *Mi amor* por Isabella D’Alessandro
10th Grade
1st. “Fake Smiles of Politicians” by Esteban Castillo 2nd. “Green” by Nelson Bello 3rd. “For My Deceased Darling” by Mia Valentina Garcia 4th. “The Final Embrace” by Andrew Nutter 5th. “Nothing But Blood Inside It’s Walls” by Manuel Jose Pena
11th Grade
1st place, Ana Bendek, La Silla de ruedas 2nd place, Daniella Rosario, La Hacienda de la Casa Villalobos 3rd place, Sofía Ureña, Aventuras a través de la pantalla 4th place, Pedro Olavarrieta, El Dorado 5th place, María Fernanda Caraballo, A Ciegas
