James M. Bennett High Hosts Argentinian Singer Justo Lamas

James M. Bennett High Hosts Argentinian Singer Justo Lamas in Concert for 600 Shore Spanish Students, 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 24

James M. Bennett High School will host a concert by Argentinian singer/motivational speaker Justo Lamas, from 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 24, in the Bennett Auditorium. Some 600 students from middle and high school Spanish classes from public and private schools in Wicomico, Worcester, Dorchester and Caroline counties will attend this concert.

Justo Lamas is a motivational speaker/singer from Buenos Aires, Argentina. He will be available after the concert to "meet and greet" with the students. Find out more about Justo Lamas at http://justolamas.com/index2.php

"I saw Justo in concert at the North East Conference for Foreign Language Teachers in New York City last March. I was impressed with his energy and his message and decided to see if he was available to come here," said Sharon Birch, Spanish I/II teacher at JMB. "I felt at the time that he was someone with whom my students might be able to connect. One of my primary goals in teaching Spanish is to make it as 'real' as possible. Anything that may get them excited about studying Spanish, anything that may add to their vocabulary, anything that is positive and encouraging, is something in which I am interested."

Lamas strongly encourages prior preparation, and really wants the students to be familiar with his songs before he comes. JMB All-State Singers Leah Carpenter and Grace Cho, both Spanish III students, will join Lamas onstage to sing, while other students will also participate in the concert.

"My students have been working with these songs periodically all year. Several have learned to play one of his songs on their band instruments and several are going to sing or dance with him on stage," Birch said. "To say that we are getting excited is putting it mildly."