K - 5th Grade
MEET YOUR ART TEACHER
Hi! I am Allison Chang Jones, and I have been a lover of the art world for my entire life. As a young child I was inspired by art teachers to create and engage in the big world of art. I dreamed of visiting Monet’s garden and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel because of the love and curiosity that came from learning about the art world at a young age. I have had the privilege of experiencing art first hand through international travel in addition to receiving some formal art education college, and professional development as an educator. Seeing art is inspiring, and I am excited to share the joy that I have experienced from places such as Western Europe, the Balkans, Australia, South and Central America with students. I am passionate about providing high quality standards based instruction to students. In the art classroom students will express themselves through the artistic processes of creating, presenting, responding and connecting. This year we will be exploring art from around the world by using the Global Art Passport curriculum from Deep Space Sparkle. Each week in class students will have the opportunity to collect stamps in their “passport” by exploring the unique artwork and cultures from different regions around the globe. I am very excited to journey through the art world with the students of Nord Country School this year.
In addition to teaching art at Nord, I also have the joy of teaching K-5 Spanish. When I first began teaching at NCS in 2010 I began the art program on campus, taught ELD, and also spent five years teaching third grade at Nord. My family loves Nord Country School! My kids Abby and Tanner are students at Nord, and my husband Brian loves being part of the Nord family. When I am not at school, I love adventuring outside, cooking, swimming, spending time at the soccer field with Tanner, and in the theater watching Abby dance ballet.
About Maestra Chang
I obtained my B.A. in Spanish from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. During that time I also studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain. After college, I returned to my hometown of Chico, and received my Multiple Subject BCLAD (Bilingual, Crosscultural, and Language Development) teaching credential from CSU, Chico. After receiving my teaching credential at Chico State, I also received my M.A. in Education as well.
I began my teaching career in Sonoma County, where I taught fourth grade in a Spanish Dual Immersion Program. When my husband and I relocated to Chico, I began teaching English Language Development (ELD) and art at Nord Country School. This was followed by five wonderful years of teaching third grade at NCS. After my children were born, I transitioned to teaching in the Spanish classroom in 2018. It has been a joy to teach Spanish to students from kindergarten through fifth grade. I believe that learning Spanish happens best in settings that are fun and engaging. In my classroom I implement Comprehensible Input Strategies, which focus on teaching language for communication in real world contexts. I love being able to share my love of Spanish language, and the many cultures around the world where Spanish is spoken.
In addition to teaching, I am also a mom to Abby and Tanner, and I enjoy spending time with them and my husband Brian. Some of my favorite things to do include traveling (especially to countries where Spanish is spoken), cooking, swimming, and spending time outdoors.
K-5 Spanish Enrichment Program
The goal of the Spanish Language Program at Nord Country School is to provide language enrichment through songs, games, literature, film and cultural experiences. Students who participate in the K-5 Spanish Program will learn basic conversation skills and vocabulary through a comprehension based language program. Students attend Spanish class twice a week. Additionally, we believe that learning Spanish should be fun and interactive! Nord Country School seeks to help students develop a global perspective and learning Spanish is one of the ways that students are encouraged to become citizens who are able to think more globally.
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Research shows that when students are exposed to a second language at an early age, they are more likely to reach native levels of fluency in a second language and be able to learn a second language. Additionally, learning about cultures where the Spanish language is spoken provides students with rich opportunities to explore social studies in elementary school. Furthermore, research has also shown that participating in a language enrichment program also supports students in developing greater literacy in English language arts and mathematics.
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Each year students are introduced to new vocabulary, grammar, and conversational phrases through literature, games and cultural celebrations. Below is a brief description of what you can expect your child to learn about according to their grade level.
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This year students will begin using a comprehension based curriculum called Había Una Vez from the Storyteller’s Corner. Through the use of stories, music and games, students will engage in authentic conversation in Spanish. Some of the vocabulary that your students will learn during their beginning years at elementary school are vocabulary words to describe colors, numbers, family members, animals and parts of the body.
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Beginning in third grade, students will be studying Spanish language and culture through traditional and contemporary music from a variety of Spanish speaking countries. Additionally, students will learn language through Movie Talk, music video, and Reader’s Theater units. Through music, stories and videos from Spanish speaking countries, students in the upper elementary grades get to explore language and culture through authentic resources. Some examples of skills that students will learn in upper elementary grades are emotion words, family members, parts of the house, geographic features, common verbs, prepositions, and sequencing events in Spanish.