Spanish
The Spanish program at St. Louise School, taught by Mrs. Maria Velasco, B.A., is dedicated to equipping students with foundational Spanish language skills while fostering a deep appreciation for Hispanic cultures. Through interactive lessons and immersive experiences, students build confidence in their language abilities and grow into more globally aware individuals.
Spanish Class Overview: Students in grades 4 through 8 participate in Spanish classes two to three times weekly. The program offers both basic and advanced levels with tailored instruction to support a range of skill levels. Cultural celebrations and field experiences make learning fun and meaningful. Eighth graders may also take the AVANT Stamp4 test, which can lead to high school credit at schools accepting competency credits.
Curriculum Overview:
- Basic Spanish: Introduction to vocabulary and grammar, including greetings, simple sentence structures, and common expressions.
- Intermediate Spanish: Focus on conversational skills, grammar development, writing, and reading comprehension.
- Advanced Spanish: Emphasis on complex sentence structure, verb conjugation, and advanced vocabulary. Enriched through cultural studies and interactive projects.
Philosophy & Mission: The mission of the Spanish program is to cultivate linguistic skills and cultural competence. We believe learning a second language fosters understanding, respect, and empathy, and prepares students to thrive in an interconnected world.
Essential Learnings:
- Develop a foundational understanding of Spanish grammar and vocabulary.
- Build conversational skills for real-life communication.
- Explore Hispanic cultures through traditions, celebrations, and history.
- Apply language skills in practical settings to improve fluency.
- Achieve proficiency that may qualify students for high school credit.