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The of f ic ia l newslet ter o f the Georgia chapter o f the American Associat ion of Teachers
o f Spanish and Portuguese
In January 2016, Stan Tucker assumed
the duties of the AATSP-GA president. No
newcomer to the executive board, Stan
had been involved in every aspect of our
Georgia chapter activities, had served in
several positions on the board, and had
taken on numerous responsibilities
throughout his years of service. Those of
us who had the privilege to work with Stan
on the executive board knew his gener-
ous, positive and encouraging nature,
great sense of humor, and his dedication
to AATSP-GA and his students at Westmin-
ster.
This year we are welcoming Michelle
Peace as the new president of AATSP-GA.
Stan Tucker and his wife, both wonderful,
career educators, retired at the end of the
2016 school year, and have set up their
new home in Buenos Aires! While we con-
gratulate them both on retiring from years
of dedication to Georgia’s youth, we will
surely miss them so much.
Stan sends this parting message to our
members:
While my tenure as President of AATSP-GA
was short (I assumed the position in January
but retired from teaching in May), I enjoyed
being able to serve language teachers in gen-
eral and Spanish teachers in particular. I
leave the position in the good, capable hands
of Michelle Peace, State Teacher of the Year
Finalist in 2014. Michelle brings lots of great
qualities, not the least of which are great
teaching skills, a kind heart and the ability to
get things done. I wish her success. I will miss
being part of a wonderful executive board that
represents the best in language teaching in
the state. I learned so much from them as
they talked about their own teaching and
classrooms. I will also miss participating in all
the many worthwhile opportunities that AATSP
-GA provides to students and teachers. If you
are not already taking advantage of these
opportunities, I hope you will soon.
Stan was last seen serving our awesome
lunch at fall conference this year. We will miss
you, Stan, and thank you so much for your
service to AATSP-GA and your friendship!
Volume 23, Issue 1
MU C H A S GR AC I A S T O STA N TUC K E R , WE L C O ME T O M I C H E LL E PE AC E
January 2017
Don’t forget:
• SOTY Nominations due
by February 3
• NSE registration ends
January 31
• Spanish Immersion Camp
March 17-19
• FLAG Conference March
2-4, Atlanta
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :
Executive Board Info 2
Fall Conference 2017 3
2016 Awards 4-5
Poster Contest Info 5
Travel Award Report 6
SOTY Nominations 7-9
Camp Information 10
Composition Contests 10
AL D ÍA
N A T I O N A L S PA N I S H E X A M 2 0 1 7
Jump on Board for Program Feedback and Student Awards and Recognition!
Last year 6288 Georgia students took the National Spanish Exam and participated in the
chapter contest. 148 teachers at 70 Georgia schools made that possible. 346 students re-
ceived 1st- 3rd place Cash awards (American Express gift cards) at levels 01-6; 14 received
Lázaro Herrera Immersion Camp Scholarships ($100 each); and 611 received 1st -6th place
certificates.
Get your students registered now through January 31 to get valuable program feedback and
the chance for your students to win awards and recognition for their knowledge. Go to nation-
alspanishexam.org or aatsp-ga.org for more information.
Di Johnson, Spanish teacher at Evans High School, has graciously agreed to be the new di-
rector for the Georgia Chapter contest. Feel free to contact her with any questions.
In spring, 2016, eighty college Spanish students participated in
the Composition Contest. Essays showcasing their writing skills
earned them certificates of Notable, Excellent or Superior. There
were categories for students of all levels, from beginning Spanish
through advanced levels, including native speakers. The spon-
soring teachers were from Dalton State College, Augusta Univer-
sity, Kennesaw State College and Georgia State University.
Teachers, mark your calendar for next February. A state-wide
contest will hone your students’ skills and provide assessment
data for your program.
Page 2
CO LL E G E CO M PO SI TI O N CO N TE S T 2016 RE S U LT S
Volume 23, Issue 1
A ATS P- GA E X E C U T I V E B OA R D
Michelle Bruner Peace
President
Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica
Rehobeth High School
373 Malvern Road
Dothan, AL 36301
Theresa Anderson
Vice-President
AATSP Poster Contest
Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica
Chamblee Charter High School
3688 Chamblee-Dunwoody Rd
Chamblee, GA 30341 [email protected]
Mary Meyer
Treasurer Brookwood High School 3075 Parks Run
Loganville, GA 30052 (678) 314-6582 [email protected]
Jamie Vega Ulate
Secretary
GSMST
970 McElvaney Ln NW
Lawrenceville, GA 30044 [email protected]
Sonia Puerta-Quinn
K-8 Member-at-Large Sociedad Hispánica de Amistad 2248 Walton Way
Augusta, GA 30904 (706) 733-1192 [email protected]
Norma Garza
Secondary Member-at-Large
University POTY/SOTY
Habersham Central High School
2059 Old Highway 197 S
Mt. Airy, GA 30563
Elizabeth Goulette
K-12 TOTY/SOTY
Georgia State University
1903 Summit Place Drive
Sandy Springs, GA 30350
Christy Presgrove HS Composition Contest Greenbrier High School 5114 Riverwood Parkway Evans, GA 30809 (706) 650-6040 work [email protected]
Jana Sandarg Univ Composition Contest Travel-Study Award Chair Fall Conference Chairman Dept. of English and Foreign Languages Augusta University Augusta, GA 30904 (706) 737-1500 Fax (706) 667-4770 [email protected]
DiAnne Johnson Editor, Al Día and aatsp-ga.org National Spanish Exam Evans High School 4550 Cox Road Evans, GA 30809 (706) 863-1198 [email protected]
Vicki Welch Alvis Immediate Past President Spanish Program Award Autrey Mill Middle School 4110 Old Alabama Road Johns Creek, GA 30022 (770) 521-7622 [email protected]
First Place
Sarah Pritchard
GSMST
Second Place
Madison Turner
Whitewater High School
Third Place
Antwan Strickland
Chamblee Charter High School
Cynthia Santana
Immersion Camp Director
GSMST
970 McElvaney Lane
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Al Día Page 3
AATSP-Georgia Conference
September 23, 2017 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Site to be determined.
How to Stay in the Target Language
The most important task for a language teacher is to create a climate focused on meaning-
ful communication and to surround learners with the target language 90% of the time per
the ACTFL standards. This means both students and teachers are engaged in meaningful
lessons inside the classroom, even from level 1, that engage the learner in the target
language, but this can come in a variety of modes of input and output. These sessions will
explore methods and techniques, with examples in Spanish and French from various
classrooms, on how teachers and students stay in the target language in the three modes
of communication. Additionally, sessions will address how teachers and students both
reflect on and track their performance levels on performance-based assessments.
Click here for more information: http://aatsp-ga.org/id7.html Register online at: http://goo.gl/forms/Ywbw8y4WrLoNzpkK2
Coming in 2017
Paul Jennemann
in action!
Page 4
K-12 TEACH ER OF THE YEAR 2016
K-12 STUDEN T OF THE YEAR
Volume 23, Issue 1
Dr. Terri Ann Ognibene has taught Spanish at Pope High School for 26
years. During that time, she has co-sponsored the Foreign Languages of
Pope Club, the Spanish Honor Society, the Golden Greyhounds Committee,
the Who’s Who Committee, the Student Academic Letter Committee, and
she has been a Senior Sponsor. She presently serves on the Kennesaw
State University FLED Advisory Board. She also has judged metro-Atlanta
and state foreign language contests (Metro and FLAG) as well as school
and county GHP interviews. Her favorite part of teaching so far has been
the opportunity she has had to take students to Spain because she thrives
on watching her students take what they have learned in class and apply
it in the real world. She recalls with fond memories her own senior trip to
Spain and how it changed her life. She discovered, during that trip, the
truth of St. Augustine’s words, “The world is a book, and those who don’t
travel only read one page.”
Mollie Cole, a Spanish student at the Gwinnett School of Mathematics,
Science, and Technology (GSMST), has been named 2016 Student of the Year by
the Georgia Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Por-
tuguese. The honor is given to an outstanding student who shows a strong com-
mitment to the study of the Spanish language.
Jamie Vega, a Spanish teacher who nominated Cole for the prestigious award,
described her as “one of the most exceptional students that I have had the privi-
lege of teaching.” Vega reported that she has never had such a dedicated stu-
dent. “Mollie Cole devotes a tremendous amount of time, effort, and heart into
learning the Spanish language and culture,” said Vega.
Cole has been studying Spanish for four years. She took three Spanish classes
during her senior year: AP Spanish, an accelerated Spanish IV class, as well as a
Spanish V culture class. In addition, Cole has taken the National Spanish Exam
for the past two years and in each instance, she was recognized with distinction.
Cole received the Lázaro-Herrera Scholarship from the Georgia Chapter of the
American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese in 2014 and 2015.
She was awarded the Best in Family award at Spanish Immersion Camp in 2015.
Cole has been a board member for the Spanish club at GSMST for the past two
years. In this capacity, she has been a true leader: planning meeting content and
activities. Cole also served as the co-activities coordinator for the GSMST Nation-
al Spanish Honor Society. Additionally, Cole completed two impressive internships
with a focus on connecting to the Spanish-speaking community. During her junior
year, Cole taught ESOL to 4th and 5th grade English Language Learners, primarily
from Hispanic backgrounds. During this past year, she has been interning with
NCR in Human Resources, where she regularly communicates with Spanish-
speaking people in Latin America. Despite her heavy work load, Cole manages to
find time for pleasure reading in Spanish.
Al Día Page 5
UN IV ER SI TY STU D EN T OF TH E YEAR
AATSP POSTER CON TEST 2017
Mayra Maura is the 2016 AATSP-GA University Student of the Year. Mayra
is a Spanish major at Augusta University and will graduate in August, 2016,
with a major in Spanish. Mayra has a very international background, and
speaks English, Spanish and some Italian.
She is also very artistic – she has musical talent and a flair for drama.
She co-directored and starred in a play in Spanish --El flemón, by the Argen-
tine Osvaldo Dragún. Based on this experience, she and her sister, Yelitza
Maura, gave a presentation, “From Script to Production: Osvaldo
Dragún’sHistoria de un flemón” at the 2015 Phi Kappa Phi Student Confer-
ence on March 18, 2015.
Mayra completed an internship with the Asociación Cultural His-
panoamericana (ACHA), Centro Educativo and ALAS, Inc., a local medical
organization dedicated to helping Hispanics. All three organizations provid-
ed her an opportunity to work with and help Hispanics.
Outside the classroom, Mayra is very involved in the community, assisting
with the “Gala” events sponsored by ALAS. She is also active in the Span-
ish club, Los Amigos Hispanos. In December 2014, Mayra, her mother and
her sister helped buy the toys for needy Hispanic children, wrap them, and
deliver them. She was at the church the day the toys were given to each
child.
Mayra’s academic achievements and community service demonstrate
her outstanding expertise, leadership, and social skills.
Page 6
RA Ú L FE RNÁ N DE Z TR AV E L -STU DY AWA RD
Volume 23, Issue 1
Raúl Fernández Travel-Study Award Report
Summer 2016
“Pursue opportunities that will change your life” is what I tell my students, but I am aware that these
words will only resonate in their hearts if I truly set the example and provide them with evidence from my
own journey. This summer, I completed a 50 hour teaching course designed for Spanish teachers at
Instituto Cervantes accredited language school, Don Quijote in conjunction with ENFOREX, in Madrid,
Spain.
The teacher course explored a variety of topics on dynamic teaching practices apt for all levels such as
using authentic cultural content via literary texts, cinema, as well as integrating interculturality inside the
classroom. Of course, advanced Spanish grammar was also a large part of our daily class schedule. It
was extremely interesting to me and to my other American teacher colleague to see grammar presented
using grammatical graphic organizers and/or explanations we had never either seen nor heard before
that day. When proficiency levels were discussed, reference was often made to the Common European
Framework for Languages. We had the opportunity to compare and contrast it with our ACTFL proficiency
guidelines. Additionally, we explored other topics such as gamification, and a daily one hour cultural
lesson on Spaniard cultural topics such as Spaniard press, cinema, colloquialism, museums, photog-
raphy, current events, political issues, economy and employment patterns during the last decades.
The opportunity was incredibly enriching in ways beyond initially imagined. One of the best parts of my
experience was the chance to collaborate with dedicated Spanish teachers from France, Italy, Holland,
Poland, the Island of Guadeloupe, and one more from the United States. Although we each spoke differ-
ent languages, we were united by a common goal, a desire to ameliorate our teaching practices in order
to lead our high school students to Spanish fluency. Daily, even after our classes were over, we gathered
to reflect, compare and contrast our practices, schools and support systems, technologies, and students.
The talks with these ambassadors of the Spanish language led me to become even more aware and ap-
preciative of the professional development provided by organizations such as ACTFL, AATSP, FLAG, and
SCOLT as well as the technology and administrative support I have in my school as not everyone in the
world has access to these. It reminded me of the importance to value and embrace all learning opportu-
nities and resources provided to language teachers.
While in Spain, I visited the city of three cultures, Toledo, simply breathtaking where I savored carcamu-
sas toledanas, queso manchego, and masapanes. On several occasions, I joined the Madrid a Pie tour
and during my visit to Toeldo, the Cuentame Toledo tour. These tours provided amazing learning experi-
ences as told by professional local guides resulting in more cultural knowledge and experiences to share
with my students. Finally, I cannot explain with words what it is like to stand before Picasso’s Guernica at
the Reina Sofía Museum, Velazquez’s Las Meninas at El Prado, or to closely observe the vast collection
of artifacts from the history ancient American civilizations at the Museo de las Américas…and the food.
Oh the food! There were many days when tortilla española and croquetas were part of my diet right out-
side Plaza Mayor followed by a visit to get my weekly dose of churros from San Ginés, the oldest and best
churrería in the world.
Finally, the best part of my experience was the incredible knowledge, passion, modeling of techniques,
and patience from ALL of our teachers at Don Quijote. The instructors exemplified expertise in the gram-
matical complexity of the Spanish language as they modeled admirable teaching techniques and were
prompt to lead us to AHA moments in the intricacy of the subjunctive mood just to name an example. Yet,
they still shared their culture, not just on the surface, and best practices with us. I am thankful to have
chosen this as my summer experience and even more thankful to the Georgia AATSP Chapter for contrib-
uting to my professional growth. Thank you!
Bertha Hernández Chong
Al Día Page 7
N O M I N AT I O N G U I D E L I N E S F O R E L E M E N TA RY /M I D D L E ST U D E N T O F T H E Y E A R
The student must: •be a student in elementary or middle school •be currently enrolled in a Spanish or Portuguese class •have demonstrated special aptitude and accomplishments in foreign language The nominating teacher must be an AATSP member in good standing (current year dues paid). The nomination packet consists of the following: 1. Nomination cover page with the following information: Student’s full name, grade in school, home ad-dress, telephone. 2. Personal data: please include an active e-mail contact address for the student, if available. School name, district, address, telephone, name and title of school administrator, nominating teacher’s name, telephone and e-mail contact information, along with the teacher's 6-digit AATSP ID number. 3. Description of student’s current course level in Spanish/Portuguese, as well as additional information concerning any other language courses taken, native/non-native status, and/or outside language experience. 4. Evidence of special achievement in the target language. Documentation may be selected from original drawings, writings, recordings, or other items that can be sent in a standard mailing envelope. It may consist of photo images or other visual record of activities, art work, and/or awards won in foreign language events. Photo-copies are recommended, as items submitted will not be returned. 5. A minimum of two (2) letters of endorsement. One letter must be from the student’s Spanish/Portuguese teacher; this is a narrative endorsement in which specific reasons for the nomination are cited. The other letter may be from another teacher, a principal, counselor or another person who is familiar with the stu-dent. 6. Publicity information: Please include names and addresses of local administration, newspaper contact and date of any school honors program. Please include the following statement, signed and dated by the student and parent or guardian: “The Georgia Chapter of AATSP is granted permission to include [SOTY nominee’s name and school] in press releases, in the organization’s publications and on the AATSP website.” Send three (3) copies of the completed nomination packet by postmark deadline February 3 to: Dr. Elizabeth Goulette Georgia State University Department of World Language and Cultures P.O. Box 3970 Atlanta, GA 30302-3970 or submit (1) completed, assembled nomination packet online via email to: [email protected]
Page 8
NO M I N AT I O N GU I D EL I N E S F O R H I G H SC H O O L ST U D E N T OF T H E YE A R
Volume 23, Issue 1
The student must:
• be currently enrolled in Spanish or Portuguese
• be in the second year or beyond in his/her studies
• have placed in statewide, regional or national contests, or have been nominated for the
Governor’s Honors Program
• exhibit strong commitment to foreign languages beyond the normal realm of study (tutoring,
special projects, etc.) •be nominated by a teacher through a narrative.
The nominating teacher must be an AATSP member in good standing for the current year.
The nomination packet consists of four (4) parts:
1. Nomination cover page with the following information:
Student name, home address, and e-mail address; School name, address, telephone; Name and title of school administrator; Nominating teacher’s name, telephone and email contact information; Student’s current course level of Spanish/Portuguese, native/non-native status, as well as description of any outside language experience; Stu-dent’s current year in school, GPA in Spanish/Portuguese, and overall GPA; Experience in Spanish/Portuguese (chronological list of courses, travel, work, tutoring, etc.); Special school activities and awards (including test scores). The nominating teacher must sign this cover page and include 6-digit AATSP ID No.
2. Current official transcript.
3. A minimum of two (2) letters of endorsement.
One letter must be from the student’s Spanish/Portuguese teacher (a narrative endorsement) in which specific rea-sons for the nomination are cited; the other letter(s) may be from another teacher, a principal, a guidance counse-lor, or another professional who is familiar with the student.
4. Publicity information:
Please include names and addresses of local administration, newspaper contact(s), and date of school’s honors night. The winner is to send a digital photo image for posting on the Chapter website.
Please include the following statement, signed and dated by the student and parent or guardian: “The Georgia Chapter of AATSP is granted permission to include [SOTY nominee’s name and school affiliation] in press releas-es, in the organization’s publications, and on the AATSP website.”
Send three (3) copies of the completed nomination packet by postmark deadline February 3 to:
Elizabeth Goulette
Georgia State University
Department of World Language and Cultures
P.O. Box 3970
Atlanta, GA 30302-3970
or submit (1) completed, assembled nomination packet online via email to: [email protected]
Newsletter Tit le Page 9
NOM I NATIO N GU I DE LI N E S F OR UN I V ER S I TY S T UD EN T OF T HE Y EAR
Nomination Guidelines for University Student of the Year: The student must be enrolled in Spanish or Portuguese at the college or university level, have a minimum of three (3) semesters of Spanish/Portuguese (the first three foundation courses-1001, 1002, 2001), and be enrolled in 2002 or a higher-level course. The student must demonstrate a commitment to foreign languages beyond the normal realm of study (honor pro-grams, tutoring, university and community activities that are related to foreign language and culture, etc.) The stu-dent must be nominated by a language professor through a narrative. More importantly, the nominating professor must be an AATSP member in good standing for the current year. The nomination packet consists of four (4) parts: 1. Nomination cover page with the following information: Student name, home address, and e-mail contact, digital photo to be used in our publications; School name, address, telephone; Name and title of school administrator; Nominating professor’s name, telephone and email contact information, and include 6 digit AATSP ID number; Student’s current course level of Spanish/Portuguese, native/non-native status, as well as a detailed description of any outside language experience; Student’s current semester in college, GPA in Spanish/Portuguese, and overall GPA; Experience in Spanish/Portuguese (chronological list of courses, travel, work, tutoring, etc.); Special university and community activities and awards (chronological list). The nominating professor must sign this cover page. 2. Current official transcript.
3. A minimum of two letters of endorsement.
One letter must be from the student’s Spanish/Portuguese professor (a narrative endorsement in which specific reasons for nomination are cited); the other letter(s) may be from another teacher, a principal, a guidance counse-lor, or others familiar with the student. 4. Publicity information: Please include on a separate sheet the contact information (name, address, etc.) of local newspaper(s). The fol-lowing statement, signed and dated by the student, must also be included:
“I hereby grant permission to the Georgia Chapter of AATSP to include [SOTY nominee’s name and university affiliation] in press releases, in the organization publications and on the AATSP website.”
Send three (3 ) copies of the completed nomination packet by postmark deadline, February 3, to:
Norma Garza
Habersham Central High School
2059 Old Highway 197 S
Mt. Airy, GA 30563
or submit (1) completed nomination packet online via email to: [email protected]
The official newsletter of the Georgia Chapter
of the American Association of Teachers of
Spanish and Portuguese
Al Día
Who: Secondary school students of Spanish, Level I through Advanced and Native
Speaker Levels.
When and Where: Sponsoring teachers will schedule the Contest writing sessions for completion in a proctored setting at the school campus, on a pre-selected date in March.
How: Each contestant will select a topic from the two choices available for every level, and will write an original composition in Spanish during the allotted time of one hour.
Summary of Rules and Regulations:
▪Each entry must be sponsored by the instructor of the Spanish class in which the student is enrolled. Participating teachers may sponsor only their own students.
▪Each sponsoring teacher must be a current member of AATSP, with dues paid for 2017.
▪Payment of individual contest fees of $7.00 per student must accompany the final regis-tration materials, mailed or online. Sponsoring teachers are responsible for contest ar-rangements, including proctoring services and the accurate and timely submission of all contest materials to the Director. Registration Forms for Teachers and Students at http://www.aatsp-ga.org/id15.html Online registration at https://goo.gl/forms/98aIXGsOTyWQQBzI2 Additional information, please contact Christy Presgrove at [email protected]
H I G H S C H O O L C O M P O S I T I O N C O N T E S T
¡Todos a una!
www.aatsp-ga.org
College
Composition
Contest
To obtain information
to participate in the
College/University
Composition Contest,
please contact Jana
Sandarg at
You must have paid
AATSP dues for 2017
to enter student work.
The contest will take
place on your chosen
date in March. Regis-
trations will be due on
February 15, 2017.
