​"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart."
Nelson Mandela

March 7th - 13th was National Foreign Language Week.  To kick it off, Governor Polis proclaimed February World Languages and Cultures Month. In this proclamation. Governor Polis honored our own Becky Loftus, Spanish Teacher at Three Creeks Elementary and Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers 2021 Teacher of the Year!

The purpose of this celebration is to: 

• Learn about similarities and differences among cultures.
• Promote awareness about the importance of traditions in various cultural climates.
• Foster an understanding and empathy between individuals of diverse cultural backgrounds.
• Celebrate and develop a love for foreign languages and cultures.

Today we are experiencing challenges and opportunities on a global scale.  As educators we work together with our students and communities to overcome global divisions and fear. A great way to stay engaged and connected on a global scale is through international student exchange. Through international student exchange, the youth of today can learn to meet the global challenges of tomorrow by building bridges of cross-cultural understanding. 

Did you know that Jeffco Public Schools partnered with host families from all over our district normally hosts about 75 international exchange students from all over the world?  Last year was a difficult year for international student exchange for obvious reasons but we are looking forward to a much rosier 2021!  International student exchange encourages new perspectives for students that open their hearts and minds to the world. If you or some of your students’ families are interested in hosting or in being an international exchange student, please reach out to me for more information. 

By Drew Keat, Theatre Coordinator

​Struggling with providing practical application projects for remote students in Tech Theatre courses?  Taking the time to become well-versed in Google Sketchup will pay off!  There is an online version that is free, and has most of the functionality of the installed platform. 
 
These directions and accompanying EdPuzzle videos should guide students and teachers through how to use the application.  The EdPuzzle has accompanying notes, questions and stopping points to ensure that students and teachers can easily follow along with the tutorial.  By the end of the lesson/project, a user should be able to create complex objects and 3D models.
 
Getting Started with Google Sketchup lesson instructions
EdPuzzle – Lesson 1
EdPuzzle – Lesson 2
 
 
Once you and your students feel comfortable with the application, you can build modeling assignments using the Sketchup Educational platform (edu.sketchup.com).  

By Julie Doyle, Coordinator of World languages and International Student Exchange

​Today I had the pleasure of “visiting” Conifer HS teacher Jeremy Barnett’s level 4 Spanish class as they spoke with a guest speaker from Mexico living in Argentina. This visit was arranged by the Happy World Foundation. The Happy World Foundation promotes global citizenship education and cross-cultural understanding in schools and communities worldwide by arranging international guests visits for classrooms.  This is not just for world language teachers – any teacher is welcome to participate. If you are interested in this free opportunity for your students to interact with native speakers, you can join the HWF facebook group and send a private message describing your needs to the founder Akash Patel.