Bienvenidos de regreso a la escuela!
(Welcome back-to-school!)
My name is Giselle Leonhardt, and I’m excited to welcome you to a new school year! I have the privilege of serving as one of the 8th-grade homeroom teachers and of teaching Spanish to students in grades 5–8 for the third consecutive year. In my role as homeroom teacher, I look forward to walking alongside your child as they experience the many special milestones of their final year at St. Joseph’s—from Confirmation to graduation.
Spanish was my first language growing up, so I feel incredibly blessed to continue sharing my love of the language and culture with your children. Over the past seven and a half years at St. Joseph’s Catholic School, I’ve held various teaching positions, and it has been a wonderful journey. I also have a strong personal connection to the school—one of my sons is a proud St. Joseph graduate, and my younger son is currently enrolled here.
In Spanish class, students will not only learn how to speak and understand the language but also explore the cultures and histories of Spanish-speaking countries. My goal is to help them feel confident using Spanish in real-world situations.
As a former Catholic school student myself, I truly value the faith-filled education St. Joseph’s provides, and I feel grateful to give my own children the same experience.
Outside the classroom, I love spending quality time with my husband, our two boys, and our three dogs—Leia, Rey, and Hans Solo. As a family, we enjoy traveling, going on walks, eating out, and watching movies. My favorite sport is volleyball, and I’ve had the pleasure of coaching:
I look forward to a wonderful and blessed year ahead, filled with growth, learning, and joy. I am honored to work with your children and be a part of their journey.
Monday 6/1/26
5th Grade: Continue watching the movie Ferdinand.
6th Grade: Continue watching the movie Encanto
7th Grade: Continue watching the recipe project videos.
Tuesday 6/2/26: Field Day
Wednesday 6/3/26: Last day of school - 10:00AM dismissal
5th Grade:
As we wrap up the school year, 5th grade students will be watching the movie Ferdinand in Spanish class. This film provides students with a fun and engaging opportunity to strengthen their Spanish listening and comprehension skills through native dialogue and familiar vocabulary.
6th Grade: As we wrap up the school year in Spanish class, students will be watching the Disney movie Encanto. Encanto is rated PG and will be shown as part of our cultural learning activities.
7th Grade: This week, 7th grade students will have the pleasure of watching their class recipe videos during Spanish class while enjoying popcorn. This is a fun end-of-the-year activity to celebrate their hard work and creativity as they share their Spanish-speaking skills through their projects.
5th Grade:
Students will learn about the verbs jugar and tocar (“to play”). They will learn the difference between talking about playing a sport versus playing an instrument and practice how to correctly use each verb in Spanish conversations and sentences. By the end of the week, students will complete a Blooket for additional practice and review of the verbs learned throughout the week.
Assignments:
6th Grade:
This week, students will be begin Capítulo 3A: desayuno o almuerzo?
Objective:
Students will listen to and read descriptions of meals and menus. They will also talk about food they like and dislike.
Assignments:
7th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 5B: Vamos a un restaurante.
Objective: Students will create a menu in Spanish and role-play as waiters and waitresses serving customers. This activity will be completed entirely in Spanish and will help students strengthen their speaking skills, build food and restaurant vocabulary, and practice real-life communication in a meaningful context.
Assignments:
8th Grade:
This week, students will wrap up their Spanish Music Presentations; Mrs. Forlenza’s class will complete presentations on Monday 5/18, and Mrs. Leonhardt’s class will complete presentations on Tuesday 5/19. Once all students have presented, grades will be uploaded to PowerSchool.
Students will also begin watching the PG-rated movie Chupa as an end-of-year activity in Spanish class.Dear 8th Grade Parents,
This is a friendly reminder that all 8th graders must wear their Class of 2026 St. Joseph sweatshirt for the Ribbon Ceremony tomorrow. The ceremony will take place after our 9:30 AM Mass.
Thank you for your support!
Kind regards,
Mrs. Leonhardt
5th Grade:
Students have already learned vocabulary for different areas of the home. This week, they will review rooms in the house such as; la cocina, el comedor, and la sala while expanding their Spanish writing skills by creating complete sentences to describe objects found in each room. Students will also practice explaining where objects are located within the home using complete Spanish sentences. Later in the week, students will learn and practice prepositions that describe the location or position of objects, such as next to, behind, above, on top of, and in front of.
Assignments:
6th Grade:
This week, students will be begin Capítulo 3A: desayuno o almuerzo?
Objective:
Students will listen to and read descriptions of meals and menus. They will also talk about food they like and dislike.
Assignments:
7th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 5B: Vamos a un restaurante.
Objective:
Students will create a menu in Spanish and role-play as waiters and waitresses serving customers. This activity will be completed entirely in Spanish and will help students strengthen their speaking skills, build food and restaurant vocabulary, and practice real-life communication in a meaningful context (Will be postponed to the week of 5/18).
Assignments:
8th Grade:
This week, students have begun Capítulo 8B: De vacaciones.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read about community service and talk about volunteering.
Assignments:
5th Grade:
This week, students will be learning about the verb estar, which means “to be.” This will help them describe how someone is feeling and where someone or something is located. At the end of the week, students will complete a Blooket for additional practice, which will be posted in Google Classroom.
Assignments:
6th Grade:
This week, students will be wrapping up on Capítulo 2B: Tu sala de clases.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read conversations and notes about school. They will speak and write about classes, classrooms, and where things are located.
Assignments:
Tuesday 5/5/26 : Blooket Review
Thursday 5/7/26: Pear Practice Review
Friday 5/8/26 : 2B Quiz
7th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 5B: Vamos a un restaurante.
Objective:
Students will create a menu in Spanish and role-play as waiters and waitresses serving customers. This activity will be completed entirely in Spanish and will help students strengthen their speaking skills, build food and restaurant vocabulary, and practice real-life communication in a meaningful context.
Assignments:
8th Grade:
This week, students are wrapping on Capítulo 8A: De vacaciones.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read descriptions of trips and vacations and exchange information while describing their best vacation.
Assignments:
5th Grade:
This week, we will be learning about adjectives that end in -o, -a, and -e. At the end of the week, we will practice everything we have learned throughout the week with a Blooket, which can also be found in Google Classroom.
Assignments:
6th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 2B: Tu sala de clases.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read conversations and notes about school. They will speak and write about classes, classrooms, and where things are located.
Assignments:
Next week, we will review for the upcoming quiz.
7th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 5B: Vamos a un restaurante.
Objective:
Students will listen to, read, and write about restaurant meals and service. They will also write about plans for a celebration. Later in the chapter, students will create a menu in Spanish and role-play as waiters and waitresses serving customers. This activity will be completed entirely in Spanish and will help students strengthen their speaking skills, build food and restaurant vocabulary, and practice real-life communication in a meaningful context.
Assignments:
Students have chosen their partners and recipes for their project. Projects are due on May 11, 2026.
8th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 8A: De vacaciones.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read descriptions of trips and vacations and exchange information while describing their best vacation.
Assignments:
Final Project of the Year: Estudiamos la música
Students have chosen their music style to research and their partner. Projects are due on May 11, 2026.
5th Grade:
This week, we will continue practicing plural nouns and reviewing ¿Qué es? items needed for school. We will also be learning about adjectives that end in -o, -a, and -e.
Assignments:
6th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 2B: Tu sala de clases.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read conversations and notes about school. They will speak and write about classes, classrooms, and where things are located.
Assignments:
7th Grade:
This week, students will continue with Capítulo 5B: Vamos a un restaurante.
Objective:
Students will listen to, read, and write about restaurant meals and service. Students will create a menu in Spanish and role-play as waiters and waitresses serving customers. This activity will be completed entirely in Spanish and will help students strengthen their speaking skills, build vocabulary related to food and restaurants, and practice real-life communication in a meaningful context.
Assignments:
8th Grade:
Students will begin Capítulo 8A: De vacaciones.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read descriptions of trips and vacations and exchange information while describing their best vacation.
Assignments:
5th Grade:
This week, students will be learning about the gender of nouns (masculine and feminine). They will also learn the definite articles (el, la, los, las) and the indefinite articles (un, una, unos, unas). Students will practice identifying and using these concepts in context to strengthen their reading and writing skills.
Assignments:
6th Grade:
This week students will begin Capitulo 2B: Tu sala de clases.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read conversations and notes about school. They will speak and write about classes, classrooms, and where things are located.
Assignments:
7th Grade: This week, students will begin Capitulo 5B: Vamos a un restaurante
Objective:
Students will listen to, read, and write information about restaurant meals and service. They will also write about plans for a celebration. Later in the chapter, students will create a menu in Spanish and role-play as waiters and waitresses serving customers. This activity will be completed entirely in Spanish and will help students strengthen their speaking skills, build vocabulary related to food and restaurants, and practice real-life communication in a meaningful setting in class.
Assignments:
**Before beginning the chapter, I will review (Prepárame la Comida) Prepare me some food on Monday. This is the students’ final Spanish project, in which they will work with a partner to prepare a recipe at home, film the process, and present it in a final presentation. A viewing party for their recipe videos will be held in the Koenig Center, where students will enjoy popcorn. This project will be completed entirely in Spanish.
Students will receive the project information on Monday, and it will be due on May 11, 2026.**
8th Grade: I will see 8th graders on Monday and Tuesday this week before they leave on their D.C. trip., They will receive their final project of the year: Estudiamos la Música.
Students will explore different music styles from the Spanish-speaking world, such as merengue, bachata, salsa, and more. They will research a selected dance and learn about its cultural significance, origins, and characteristics.
The 8th graders will then create a presentation based on their research and share their chosen music style with the class. As part of the project, they will also perform a 3–4 minute dance routine that represents their selected style. This is a fun, creative project that helps students build their understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures while developing research, communication, and presentation skills.
When students return from their D.C. trip, we will continue with Chapters 8A & 8B in the Auténtico book along with additional assignments. More information will be shared next week when they are back in the classroom.5th Grade: Next Week we will begin to prepare for the last two months of school. We will focus on key Spanish skills to help students transition smoothly into the Auténtico Level 1 curriculum for middle school. Over the next several weeks, students will learn about pronouns, AR/ER/IR verbs, the gender of nouns (masculine and feminine), plural nouns, articles (el, la, los, las), adjectives, and possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su). Each week, students will practice a new concept, building a strong foundation in Spanish while gaining confidence in reading, writing, and speaking for next year.
Assignment:
6th Grade: Next week, students will prepare for the Capítulo 2A quiz.
Objective:
Students will be able to speak and write about classes, school activities, and their likes and dislikes.
Assignments:
7th Grade: This week, students will prepare for the Capítulo 5A quiz.
Objective:
Students will be able to identify and read descriptions of family members and family relationships.
Assignments:
8th Grade: This week, students will prepare for the Capítulo 7B quiz.
Objective:
Students will listen to and read descriptions of gifts and gift stores, and exchange information while comparing gifts and prices.
Assignments:
5th Grade: This week students will read short Easter-themed passages and demonstrate understanding by identifying the main idea, supporting details, and specific information within the text.
Objective:
Assignment: Easter reading comprehension packet
6th Grade: This week, students will continue with Capítulo 2A.
Objective:
Students will be able to talk and write about classes, school activities, and their likes and dislikes.
Assignments:
7th Grade: this week, students will continue with capitulo 5A
Objective:
Students will identify and read descriptions of family members and family relationships.
Assignments:
8th Grade: This week we will continue with Capítulo 7B: ¡Qué regalo!
Objective: Students will listen to and read descriptions of gifts and gift stores. They will exchange information while comparing gifts and prices.
Assignments:
5th Grade: Last week, students did a great job learning how to form sentences and talk about activities they enjoy, such as playing basketball or volleyball after school. They also practiced describing how often they do these activities using siempre (always), a veces (sometimes), and nunca (never). Students interviewed their classmates and practiced translating their responses from English into Spanish, helping them build confidence with speaking and sentence writing.
This Week’s Objective: Students will be able to read a passage in Spanish about St. Patrick’s Day, answer comprehension questions, and use reading strategies such as identifying the author’s purpose, using context clues, and recognizing cause and effect to better understand the text.
This week, we will work on a Spanish reading comprehension packet about St. Patrick’s Day. Students will read about its history and practice skills like understanding the author’s purpose, using context clues, and identifying cause and effect.
Assignment: San Patricio (St. Patrick) packet.
6th Grade: This week, students will continue with Capítulo 2A.
Objective:
Students will be able to talk and write about classes, school activities, and their likes and dislikes.
Assignments & Activities:
7th Grade: this week, students will continue with capitulo 5A
Objective:
Students will identify and read descriptions of family members and family relationships.
Assignments & Activities:
8th Grade:
This week we will continue with Capítulo 7B: ¡Qué regalo!
Objective: Students will listen to and read descriptions of gifts and gift stores. They will exchange information while comparing gifts and prices.
Assignments:
Reminder: 8th Grade Washington D.C sweatshirt order forms are due March 13, 2026.
5th Grade:
Last week, the students did a great job beginning to learn how to talk about their families, including how to list family members and describe them in Spanish. This was new to them, but they practiced using the question “¿Cómo es?” and applied descriptive vocabulary related to La Familia. They did a wonderful job presenting their work and will continue to build confidence in speaking and writing in Spanish.
Objective: this week students will engage in interpersonal communication by asking and answering questions about (tiempo libre) free time activities, and will demonstrate understanding through a short written presentation using practiced sentence starters.
Students will learn to ask and answer the following questions:
¿Bailas?
¿Qué te gusta hacer?
¿Con qué frecuencia?
¿Cuándo?
¿Con quién?
¿Dónde?
6th Grade: This week, students will continue with Capítulo 2A -Tu dia en la escuela.
Objective:
Students will be able to talk and write about classes, school activities, and their likes and dislikes.
Assignments & Activities:
7th Grade: this week, students will continue with capitulo 5A - Una fiesta de cumpleanos.
Objective:
Students will identify and read descriptions of family members and family relationships.
Assignments & Activities:
8th Grade:
Last week, students took the quiz on the Ave Maria prayer. I will continue completing prayer assessments this week with 8 Leonhardt on Tuesday 3/10/26 and 8 Forlenza on Wednesday 3/11/26.
This week we will continue with Capítulo 7B: ¡Qué regalo!
Objective: Students will listen to and read descriptions of gifts and gift stores. They will exchange information while comparing gifts and prices.
Assignments:
Reminder: 8th Grade Washington D.C sweatshirt order forms are due March 13, 2026.
5th Grade: Last week, our 5th graders did a fabulous job presenting “Mi Casa” (My House) in Spanish! They spoke confidently and did an excellent job designing and presenting their slides. I am so proud of their effort and creativity.
This week, we will continue strengthening our speaking and writing skills. Students will begin learning how to talk about their families, including how to list family members and describe them in Spanish. We will focus on the question “¿Cómo es?” and practice using descriptive vocabulary related to La Familia.
Students will be working with a well-designed chat mat to support their conversations. It includes family vocabulary and helps them answer questions such as:
In addition, students will complete a presentational writing activity using the same sentence starters from the chat mat to reinforce their learning.
6th Grade: Students wrapped up the second trimester by completing the 1B Quiz. This week, we are beginning Capítulo 2A.
In this chapter, students will identify and read descriptions of school subjects and class schedules.
Objective:
Students will be able to talk and write about classes, school activities, and their likes and dislikes.
Assignments & Activities:
7th Grade: Students finished the second trimester by completing the 4B Quiz. This week, we are beginning Capítulo 5A.
In this chapter, students will identify and read descriptions of family members and family relationships.
Objective:
Students will be able to talk and write about family, friends, and celebrations.
Assignments & Activities:
8th Grade: Last week, students finished strong with their small project for Trimester 2. They also did a wonderful job on their “¿Dónde está?” project, writing about downtown Libertyville and presenting confidently while practicing directions using vocabulary such as una zapatería, una tienda de regalos, and una tienda de electrodomésticos.
This week, students will be taking the Ave María Prayer Quiz. The prayer has been handed out, and we will review it in every Spanish class. The quiz will take place on Wednesday, March 4th, and Thursday, March 5th, 2026.
