Belmont University Department of Theatre and Dance 's Repertory Company visited Abintra and performed "The Frogville Skits" for our  Early Childhood, Lower Elementary, and Middle Elementary . Abintra parent Matt and his two daughters serenaded the  Early Childhood B  students with cello music! The students loved hearing about how the cello works and listening to the beautiful music it creates. Lower Elementary's  observation of tadpoles in their classroom provided the inspiration for multi-media art illustrating the first signs of Spring with tadpoles and daffodils. Lower Elementary  music class is full of sound! Group singing and activities to teach, inspire and motivate have been the focal point in music class. Instruments from all over the world are used to captivate the imagination while memory is used to identify the unique sounds they produce. Hands-on activities with unique instruments such as the mbira, cabasa, kokiriko, and agog...

This year is flying by and I am continually impressed with the students’ comprehension, reading, and wri ting skills. Cultural activities are an important part of learning another language. Students from Lower Elementary through Middle School enjoy playing games to help them absorb the language. Lower Elementary practices listening comprehension. As I tell a new story to the class, the students draw it. After we make sure that everyone understands the story, the students retell the story to a classmate. Lower Elementary students are integrating Spanish into the classroom curriculum through various activities.  The students have been writing their own stories. This one is about a boy who lives in Egypt: They colored and labeled flowers and parts of the plants. Student had a chance to talk about their favorite animals, and afterwards they wrote some facts about that animal. The students performed a play about the animals. ...

"Abintra's learning environment helped nurture my independence and leadership skills, which have helped me run my own business and better serve my community." -- Eric, Farm Manager Eric Wooldridge, Abintra class of 1999, has been a farm manager at Bells Bend Farms in Nashville since the farm's creation in 2009. During his interview Eric spoke fondly about Abintra and passionately about his work on the farm. Read his answers below, and to learn more about Bells Bend Farms and opportunities to get involved, click here. Abintra: What is your favorite part about working at Bells Bend Farms? Eric: Many aspects of my work are good, from creating local jobs to helping keep this rural community agricultural. At the core of this, however, is simply enjoying good food. I'm honored to be able to feed myself, my family, my neighbors, and even those I don't know nutritious, local, sustainably-grown food. All the stress and hard work is put in perspectiv...

When they write a story, students practice using vocabulary,   listening ,  translating ,  understanding ,  answering  questions, adding  details , using personalization, following sequences ,  writing ,  reading , and  acting out  the play. Listening Comprehension Lower Elementary practice TPR commands in which I might say, " La clase se levanta, canta, se rie y aplaude, ” and the class stands up, sings, laughs, and applauds. The commands are getting longer and longer and the students enjoy creating their own commands.  Lower Elementary  students summarize their stories through telling, drawing, and writing their adaptations to share with their friends. Middle Elementary  students have been learning the names of clothing they wear in cold weather. They wrote sentences to practice clothing vocabulary and the verb  llevar  (to wear). The students filled in the bla...