"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 blanks in each sentence and then wrote a story.   ¿Quién dijo…?  (Who sa

Abintra students enjoyed a special performance from members of the Nashville Symphony. Each musician revealed that he or she had begun studying their instruments at a young age - the same age as many of our students! Early Childhood A students have been working on self-portraits inspired by their study of Picasso.  Early Childhood B students studied artist Alexander Calder. The students loved his work! They learned that he was born in the USA and was a pioneer who created sculptures and the "mobile." Some of them were tiny while others were huge. Students made their first sculpture from different kinds of materials (rocks, wires, pipe cleaners, foam, buttons, or beads). The students approached the work with their own creativity. Movement is a large part of Early Childhood Musikgarten with Kari! Students use scarves to practice rhythm and "glissandos." During their study of South America, Early Childhood B students got