Our DCS Spanish 1 students were very busy last week and this week. They have been working in groups to research various aspects of the celebration of Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Each group created a presentation board and speaking notes (either on cards or rehearsed from the information on their boards) to teach their younger peers at DCS about this celebration that occurs on Nov. 1 and 2. Students were graded on the amount of effort they put into creating their presentation board, whether they included all the required content, interpersonal communication, and their presentational communication skills. They were also graded on how engaged they kept their audience. The Spanish students started out very nervous about speaking in front of so many other students and teachers; however, they were so impressive when it was show time and became more and more comfortable each time they presented. The younger students learned a lot about this cultural celebration of life as well as some vocabulary terms associated with the Day of the Dead. They even tasted Mexican hot chocolate and Mexican cheesecake. After all, learning anything new requires trying new things to see if we like it or not. There were many smiles, and it was truly wonderful to see these important interactions happening post-pandemic. Muchas gracias go out to all the teachers and students who came to visit our classroom, hear our presentations, see the altar, and help our students become more and more comfortable making presentations!