Upcoming events                                                                                                        
You can access further details of upcoming events in our event calendar tab.
To support navigation and selection of events the activity list in our calendar is highlighted in colours: Term 3  Term 4
You can add the following Term 3 events in your diary.
 
VCE preparation for Year 10-12 students 

We are bringing forward the VCE Spanish Oral exam preparation session to Friday, September 6th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm

This will be a hybrid session: Online for registrants who are in regional areas and face to face for students from metropolitan located schools. From 5:00pm to 8:00pm, a delegation of teachers will prepare a set of topic based-sample questions for Part 1 and Part 2 of the oral exam. .Analysis of the oral exam format and key language elements ∙Detailed study presentation ∙ Practical interaction with other VCE students and teachers. Year 11 (and 10) students will be put in a different group from Year 12 students to customised practice for the external exam

WANTED: Volunteeer teachers to contribute with practice.

Language immersion opportunities for F-10 students: Hablemos español Immersion day on Saturday, September 14th from 9am to 12pm 

Multi-age language immersion session: fete-like event hosted by a local School where students can apply four macro language skills. VATS will contribute with the curriculum-based activities and rotational set of age appropriate workshops delivered in Spanish by qualified Spanish language teachers.

Cultures into the classroom  on Saturday, October 7th 2024.

Participants will analyse the reflection, role of language and language variation and change sub-strands through cultural activities with a multinational perspective . This aims at informing teachers to be multicultural ambassadors in their classroom and apply this global knowledge and understanding to create and select resources that can be used to implement a Spanish language program through integrated content.

 

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Developing and embedding literacy strategies in the languages classroom on Demand August 17th

The content of this hybrid session will be available on Demand from the stated date for 3.5 hours

Theoretical component: Connections between conventions (Grammar, spelling/Phonological awareness and punctuation), text structure and organisation, creating texts substrands of the English and the systems of language substrand from Spanish will be established to identify and link literacy-driven components of both curriculum

'Casa Abierta' at Froebel Carlton, 13 April, 10am
Open Day (Casa Abierta) at Froebel Carlton
At this event, they will show interested families around at their centre, explain their educational program for children aged 6 months to 5 years and how the Spanish language is embedded in their daily routines at our Early Learning Centre.
Please find attached a flyer, the link to book in is: https://events.humanitix.com/froebel-carlton-casa-abierta-open-house-april. Please feel free to share this through your network.
There is also an event on their Facebook page - if you had a chance to share this that would be amazing: https://fb.me/e/4SK22XVGO
Please just let Lucie Maucher <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> know if you have any questions about this event or their early learning centre offering Spanish language immersion.
 
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Language immersion/maintenance opportunities:
Language variation and intercultural knowledge: Hispanic day for teachers.

Accommodation subsidy available for regional school teachers.

Subsidy available - Applications close on Sun 26.03.2023

7-10 April - Easter holiday

*There are music, dance and cooking workshops run by the event organisers. 

*A lot of interactions are programmed by organisers on the day.

*Families, partners, children and pets are welcome. 

*Each participant will need to organise their own camping facility, food and extras.

*Please ensure you keep on track with the teaching meetings while enjoying the activities organised by Abancay camp.

*Entry fee will be subsidised for all teachers and their families.

****Teachers from regions areas can apply for further subsidy by email on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Please state your school name.

Distance from your school to Melbourne CBD (notice the camping site has a different location) for reference of regional requirement.

List what extra support you required.

Teaching component of the event

While enjoying yourself together with your family to the maximum, please be aware that your attendance and subsidy is conditional to attending the teaching component of this cultural immersion event. Please, separate the teaching meeting times around your general program to be provided by the Abancay camp organisers.

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“Hablamos espanol”.
Language and cultural immersion for F-10 Multi-age Spanish language students on Saturday 30.10.21 from 9:00 – 12:30
Registration link  Individual student registration including grade level is essential.
 
7-10 language development and application sets Cultural mentor texts on Thursday, 18 November from 16:00 to 18:00 followed by
 
CLP cultural mentor texts showcase for teachers from 18:00 to 19:00. Registration to be emailed out in week 5.
 
Support resources                                                                                                        

Big kudos to Evelyn Soto, Andrea Gomez, Ana Manonellas, Grace Salinas, Carlos Franco and Paola Pinzone who have been making a mammoth effort to release support resources. As we did all around the many versions of online learning, we are currently working on easy-to adapt specific unit and lesson  planners. In the meantime, accessible at this LINK are some unit samples including:

  • A unit sample for foundation focusing on the AS-related theme "My house and my school" for foundation students who may have already done my house in Term 3. This 0-F Unit planner Term 4 2021  is still under construction to be updated/released on Wednesday.

  • An entire unit of work aligned with the 3-4 AS with detailed lessons.

And in order to support colleagues looking for a plan to be followed straightforward at multiple levels and easy to adapt from foundational to secondary school levels: 

  • A multi-grade F-6 unit planner with rubrics

  • An additional multi-grade F-6 unit planner with suggested activities for the learning intentions covering the first 7/10 lessons

  • Slides samples to deliver on the spot and/or to use as templates to format your own online lessons

 
If you wish to create infallible learning sequences within your units of work on your own, you are welcome to revise the following  Professional Learning resources put together by the CoLP mentors led by Magister Grace Salinas.

Before diving into the process we need to familiarise ourselves with Depth of Knowledge Wheel (picture. Get familiar with DOK levels and the verbs)

 

”Language variation and intercultural knowledge"

The ”Language variation and intercultural knowledge" session aims at unpacking the curriculum components required to be implemented within your language program. In alignment with the reflection, language variation and change and role of language and culture sub-strands of the Victorian Curriculum, this event also provides participants with an opportunity to explore cultural elements from various countries where Spanish is spoken. We will examine linguistic components through the identification of themes and topics connected with cultural artefacts and multinational manifestations of the Arts, music, dance, cooking and traditions to guarantee a viable curriculum that incorporates artefacts and intercultural knowledge and understanding.

Registrations will open by the end of week 2 Term 3

*There is a possibility of running an additional language immersion activity for teachers as an extension of the 'language variation and intercultural knowledge' category event. A co-designed program may have a  combined focus slightly different for the customary VATS language maintenance and immersion activity.  Stay tune for further details.

 

"Comprehensible mentor texts"

Based on cognitive development and the teaching comprehensible input approach, there is a series of resources on the make to be release during our annual congress on October 16 & 17. If you are interested in taking part of this initiative and wish to trial the resources, send us an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

You can find a sample here 'Partes de la cara' Grade 2 for the F-2 band.

 

VATS-LAP - Language Assistantship and mentoring program

New and experienced teachers can benefit of the LAP by hosting and showing eagerness to share expertise with a trainee teacher or VIT applicant. A number of dedicated and hungry to learn colleagues has been rolling their sleeves supporting teachers and learning from the implementation of their high performing programs. First round has been done by invitation, Stay tune for round 2.

*Notice that this initiative is slightly different in lengths and commitments from the DET language assistantship program.

*VATS-LAP is a volunteer like program whereas the DET language assistantship is a contract-based program.

*DET is supporting schools in 2021 and 2022 to recruit their own language assistants. It is a great opportunity for teachers and students to benefit from the presence and collaboration of assistants from as many as possible Spanish speaking countries.

 

"Language immersion day for students: iHablamos español!"

The "Language immersion day for students" will be as usual held in Term 4. Let us know should you have any amazing activities you would like to deliver on the day.

 

VCE Preparation sessions

VCE Spanish Oral E.O.Y. Exams Preparation session. Friday, 10 September 5pm to 8pm. Registrations here.

VCE Spanish Written E.O.Y. Exam preparation session. Friday, 15 October from 5pm to 8pm. Registrations here.