In the classroom
The Spanish immersion program, which launched in 2022 for grades K-3, offers core subjects taught in Spanish by native speakers who are teachers trained in immersion education.
Director of Spanish Immersion Rebecca Gómez said many of the students come from households where they speak Spanish at home, but their parents want them to become fully bilingual with Spanish and English.
Some students have one parent who speaks Spanish and want their child to learn, but others have no familial connection to the language, she said.
"Spanish being a gateway language to so many languages and ... the second most spoken language in the world, that was kind of a good choice," Gómez said.
What they're saying
Parents like Christi Chavez say they've already seen what the program provides for their kids as they are speaking advanced Spanish for their age level.
"What I've seen is ... cognitively there's a lot of benefits to the program and them being in it—it's brought a lot of cultural awareness for them as well," Chavez said. "Not only are they reading, writing [and] able to hold a conversation, with individuals who speak predominantly Spanish ... I just am so excited to see where this program is going to go and I'm rooting for them."
Looking ahead
While the program is offered for elementary school students, Gómez said school officials are discussing how it can continue in middle school and high school.
"Our desire would be to continue to offer the class periods ... once they move to a class-period style in Spanish, because we know that they still need the time and intensity in the language to keep growing the language at the same time that they're maturing as individuals and that the academic rigor is bumping up," Gómez said.
What to know
According to information from the school:
- The program currently serves grades K-3
- Students are taught completely in Spanish across core subjects
- Each class is led by a certified, native Spanish-speaking educator
- Students are three times more likely to achieve bilingual fluency by high school through immersion programs
- Immersion students perform 15-20% higher in problem-solving and critical thinking
