MommyMaestra Mid-Summer Update

I just wanted to pop in and give you all an update to let you know that I'll be taking a break for the next week as I prepare for my annual Back-to-School Fiesta, which starts in August.

If you are an education company or business owner, and would be interested in participating in this year's fiesta, feel free to reach out to me via email or my contact form.

In the meantime, you'll still be able to find me over in the Facebook group Hispanic & Bilingual Homeschoolers.

Thanks for your patience. And come back in August for some fabulous giveaways to help families get started with school at home!

What It Means to Be a Teacher

Teachers. 

Right now, teachers from public, private, and charter schools are having a real time of it. So many of them are feeling the pressure to get back into the classroom in the middle of a pandemic and put their lives at risk. They are being asked to seriously consider what it means to be a teacher.

Our teachers are community heroes. And as they navigate these difficult times and make difficult decisions, we need to support them. 

I spotted this book in the pile next to my desk. After opening it and reading the entries, I knew I wanted to share it with you. 

What It Means to Be a Teacher (aff) is a small book dedicated to celebrating teachers. Inside are 150 entries that are meant to uplift or encourage teachers when they're having a rough day. 

This book is a vibrant and amusing way of recognizing the many hats that teachers wear as nurses, counselors, coaches, PR specialists, librarians, technology experts, writers and SO much more.

All the entries are presented so creatively that you could literally tear the pages of this book out and frame them to give as gifts. But the real gift is the book itself which is page after page of quotes that will make teachers laugh and smile. 

If you are looking for a way to tell your child's teacher(s) how much you appreciate them, then this is a lovely heartfelt gift that you can mail to them. 

Free Bilingual Homeschool Planner

With so much uncertainty surrounding the coming school year, a lot of parents are looking seriously at homeschooling their children. We've been busy on our new Facebook group for Hispanic & Bilingual Homeschoolers. A lot of our members are thinking about homeschooling this coming school year and are asking questions. We're there to encourage and support you!

Between the launch of the new group and the sudden realization that the MommyMaestra FB page has hit a milestone - more than 10K followers! - I wanted to celebrate by offering something of value to my followers. So I've taken my Bilingual Homeschool Planner and am offering it via my newsletter. And, yes, it has both English and Spanish pages.

If you'd like your copy, sign up! This month only, new subscribers to my monthly newsletter will immediately get to download their copy. If you are already a subscriber to the newsletter, keep an eye on your email this weekend. I'll send out the download then.

This free download is for the black-and-white, printer-friendly versions of the planner. If you want the full-color version, you can find it here in my online shop.

Thanks to everyone for supporting MommyMaestra and the resources we share!

Free Download: El Parque y Colores

Are you able to get out of the house where you live? I have a lot of friends who are making trips to their local parks with their kids (and masks!) to get out of the house. But I do have other friends who are really missing their park trips because they've been closed.

If either of these two situations sounds like you, make sure you check out this month's free download from MommyMaestra sponsor, Spanish for You! 

This month's freebie is all about learning the colors... and trips to the park! The four-page file includes an instruction page and vocabulary list, picture and color cards, a speaking activity page, and a Speak, Listen, Do activity (with a discount code for any Spanish for You! purchases!). There's also an audio file to help with pronunciation.

Click here to download this file

Remember! Spanish for You!'s program is geared for middle schoolers and is the perfect choice for homeschoolers and afterschoolers alike because their concepts are carefully divided up into manageable bundles that are available for immediate download from their website.

If this is your first time here, you can find other free samples from Spanish for You! here. There are some fantastic downloads of games and activities for you and your family to enjoy. If you enjoy this activity, be sure to visit the Spanish for You! website where you'll find tons of additional resources for you to help your young Spanish learner!

Hispanic & Bilingual Homeschoolers

For a couple of years, now, I've been dragging my feet. It's been apparent to me for a while that Hispanic and bilingual homeschoolers need one national group where we can ask questions and get support from each other. I'm talking about answers to questions not normally found in other homeschooling groups, such as where to find bilingual materials, how to incorporate culture into our lessons, where to find co-ops with other Hispanic or Latino families, and how to find basic homeschool information.

With this crazy pandemic, the need for this group finally overwhelmed me. So I have finally gotten my act together and asked a few other Latina homeschooling moms to help me get this group off the ground.

I'm happy to announce that today, we are launching the Hispanic & Bilingual Homeschoolers group on Facebook. Are you looking for answers, curricula, or simple support? Come and join us!

Our mission statement:

Hispanic & Bilingual Homeschoolers is a supportive community which brings together homeschooling families from across the United States and the world. We work to provide information and support among homeschoolers in our community and oppose any kind of discrimination. Our mission is to inspire and support homeschooling parents, caregivers, and educators raising the next generation of global citizens. We do this by creating educational and parenting content which celebrates Hispanic and Latinx cultures, languages, and belief systems and by promoting diversity in all its forms while recognizing our common concerns and dreams for our children.

We aren't there to criticize members in the group or others outside of it. We're here to help each other succeed in our journeys to homeschool our children, whatever the reason may be. 

If you are a Hispanic or bilingual homeschooler - newbie or veteran - we would love for you to join us and ask questions or share advice. We even have a few giveaways to celebrate our launch!

Abrazo!

Monica

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