mamás Happy : Mother's Day

mamás Happy Mother's Day in a special way

MUSKEGON, MI – Moms were the topic of conversation in Mary Yack-Vasquez's kindergarten class on Friday.

Well, not just moms, but madres and mamás. The youngsters in Yack-Vasquez's class are in a two-way English-Spanish immersion program at Muskegon Public Schools' Marquette Elementary.

And they wrote their Mother's Day cards for their moms in Spanish, showing off what they've learned in less than one school year.

The children cut out their cards in the shape of a teapot and inside they pasted a special Mother's Day poem. This is the English translation: "Here's a gift for Mother's Day, I'll try my best in every way. But when you're mad at me, relax and have a cup of tea."

And to make the pot even sweeter, they included coupons their moms could redeem for vacuuming, help washing dishes, a car wash and more.

But that's not all, according to some of the kindergartners.

"I'm going to give her a heart and a flower," said Na'Asia Hector.

Not to be outdone, Seth Simmons, said "I'm going to give my mom a 100 hearts and 100 flowers."

And Jesús Sosa-Ortiz was in the mood to spread the love.

"I'm going to buy something for my mom and my dad and my little brother," he said.

But as far as Yack-Vasquez was concerned, the day was all about mothers. On Friday, she had the children sing songs – in Spanish, of course – about moms. Sitting on the floor in a circle, she had her class of 25 take turns completing the sentence "Mi madre es..."

"Alta" one girl said. "Bonita" another said.

The two-way immersion program lasts through sixth grade. When they begin in kindergarten, the children receive all their classroom instruction in Spanish, with only specials – art, music and gym – taught in English, Yack-Vasquez said. Just eight of her 25 students are native Spanish speakers, she said.

By November of that first year of schooling, "I'm amazed at the amount of fluency and comprehension they're getting," she said.

In first grade, 80 percent of lessons are in Spanish and 20 percent in English. By the end of third grade, it's 50-50, Yack-Vasquez said.

"Mi mamá es amorosa," the children chanted in sing-song. "Mi mamá es bonita."

Happy Mother's Day, all you moms out there.

And for las mamás: Feliz Dia de la Madre.

Cr.Mlive