This week, our fifth-grade post Immersion students and their Spanish Immersion Program buddies in Jardín de Infancia (Kindergarten) celebrated La Navidad Mexicana and holiday traditions with a Tamalada (the community making of tamales).

Kindergarten teachers Sra. Damaris Torres, Sra. Melika Matlack helped with four different stations of celebrations:

1. Reading of Qué Montón de Tamales and discussion about Carmen Garza Lopez' 'Tamalada' illustration (seen right). The students discussed what this community cooking of tamales means to the Mexican/ Mexican-American community.

2. Making of tamales with their buddies. Fifth-graders helped their Kindergarten buddies spread masa (corn dough) and fill it with vegetarian or chicken fillings. They also sampled warm steamed tamales and wrote their own 'recipes.'

3. Learning about Mexican Chocolate Caliente and how cacao is harvested, toasted and ground to make this delicious drink. The students then sang the "Bate-Bate-Chocolate" song (seen below) as they whipped their Mexican hot chocolate nice and frothy with their molinillo (chocolate whisk or stirrer).

4. Commemorating time together with a Feliz Navidad Photo Booth. The students will share out these photos with families soon.

We hope you all have a lovely communal celebration time together over the winter break, with songs, warm and spicy food, cooking and celebrating the season!

¡Felices Fiestas!