Extra Credit

Fort Worth students put language studies to use at Kimbell Art Museum's gallery night

Fort Worth school district students who are taking foreign languages will put their knowledge to use at Global Gallery Night at the Kimbell Art Museum on Friday.

The teens, who have taken at least three years of language studies, will serve as docents or tour guides, sharing their insights about the artwork in the permanent collection at the museum. The event is sponsored by the museum and the Fort Worth school district's world languages department. Students have taken part for eight years, according to a news release. 

Students had a mandatory orientation at the Kimbell.

The school district offers instruction in several languages, including French, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, German, Latin, Chinese and American Sign Language.

Global Gallery Night:

• Kimbell Art Museum, 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth
• Friday, April 19, 6 to 8 p.m.

Jessamy Brown 

Pro cyclists teach lesson on health to students in Fort Worth

FORT WORTH -- Schoolchildren competing in an eight-week program to eat better and exercise more gave their four-week progress report to a trio of super fit athletes on Thursday.

Fifth-graders at M.L. Phillips Elementary School told the racing cyclists on the RadioShack Nissan Trek Team that they are eating more fruits and vegetables and have added two hours a week to their physical activity. 
The cyclists, who train up to 30 hours a week on their bikes, encouraged the children to continue to eat nutritious food, get a bit of exercise and always wear a helmet when bicycling. Photo gallery here.

"You don't have to eat little carrots like Bugs Bunny. Replace a piece of chocolate with an orange or a banana. It has more vitamins," said cyclist Jens Voigt, 41, of Berlin, who was on the nine-man team that raced in the Tour de France this summer. "Eating healthy makes you smarter and stronger. "

The visit by Voigt, Markel Irizar and Tiago Machado was part of the citywide Fit Worth campaign aimed at encouraging residents to improve their health through increased physical activity and healthy eating.

Read more here from today's Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

And here are some more facts about Jens Voigt: He has six kids and often spends free time maintaining their bikes. He got started into cycling at age 10 and won his first race. He likes fishing and recently bought a bow.

Asked if he'd ever met Lance Armstrong, Voigt told a student that the two men's birthdays are a day apart and they'd raced in the Tour de France together.

Here's another video that shows the pro athletes playing a noisy physical education game together.  

Jessamy Brown

High school language students compete at Chinese speech contest at TCU

Students who are taking Chinese language classes are slated to compete in a speech contest and talent show today at TCU.

The lineup includes students performing speeches and poetry, singing songs and performing skits.

Students taking Mandarin at Southlake Carroll High last week held their own Chinese New Year variety show with 50 students showcasing their language skills in speeches, martial arts performances, skits, musicals, tongue twisters, singers and a lion dance. Carroll offers Mandarin Chinese 1, 2 and 3 classes and is adding a level 4 class next year.

In addition to Carroll High School, other schools scheduled to compete at the TCU event are Southwest Christian High School, and Richland and Birdville High Schools.

Jessamy Brown

 

 

 

Arlington gets $300,000 for foreign language instruction

Arlington schools’ languages department recently got a big boost from the U.S. Department of Education.
The federal agency recently awarded the district a $300,000 grant for the current school year, the first installment in a three-year grant of $900,000, administrators said.

The award is pending approval from the district’s trustees on Oct. 8. If approved it will benefit French, German and Spanish instruction, said Sharon Deering, a district instructional specialist for languages other than English.

Teacher training, curriculum improvements and activities that will involve native language speakers from the community are all part of the plan.

Deering hopes the grant will help students see foreign language classes as “really an opportunity to learn to speak, not just to get two credits to graduate.”

- Traci Shurley