List of 8 items.

• Pre-kindergarten

  Spanish
  Young children have natural abilities when learning languages. Consequently, our pre-kindergarten students participate in Spanish class once a week. Children explore the language in a story-based approach, which includes movement, songs and crafts. They build vocabulary and comprehension as they hear and repeat Spanish, as well as analyze language patterns and sounds. Study units include greetings, numbers, colors, vowels, and feelings.  

• Kindergarten

  Spanish
  

  Young children have a natural gift for acquiring languages and as a result our kindergarten students partake in Spanish class once a week. Children examine Spanish through a story-based approach, which includes crafts, movement and songs. Students build comprehension and vocabulary as they participate in class activities and execute language patterns and sounds. Study units include greetings, numbers, colors, vowels, family members, and feelings. 

• First Grade

  Spanish
  

  First grade’s thematic units let students showcase their creativity in areas such as crafts, storytelling, movement, games, and music—all of which propel the acquisition of pertinent Spanish vocabulary. Students continue to develop their phonemic and comprehension abilities by attending class twice a week. Study topics include colors, numbers, calendar details, parts of the body and house, feelings, family members, and clothing. 

• Second Grade

  Spanish
  The second grade Spanish program examines several areas within social studies and uses some subjects previously studied and develops them further. Thematic units engage students by way of games, music, craft-making, storytelling, and movement. Students continue to build their vocabulary, phonemic awareness, comprehension, and conversational abilities by attending class twice a week. Study topics include greetings, numbers, the alphabet, feelings, holidays, and animals. 

• Third Grade

  Spanish
  Third graders actively engage in meaningful and playful communicative activities that enhance their oral and listening skills. Through partner-based exercises and presentations of their work to the class, they apply their expanding vocabulary and phrases while practicing a variety of topics. Special emphasis is placed on exploring the rich cultures of Spanish-speaking countries, particularly those in Central America and Mexico. Students continue to practice counting in Spanish and explore themes such as school life around the world, weather patterns, shapes, and food. They also learn about the diverse art forms found in the Spanish-speaking world, which inspires creativity and appreciation for different artistic expressions. As third graders immerse themselves in these topics, they develop their proficiency across all four key language areas: listening, reading, speaking, and writing.  

• Fourth Grade

  Spanish
  Fourth graders continue to develop their Spanish language skills across all four areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Together, we reflect on the significance of Spanish as a global language and explore the lives of influential Spanish-speaking individuals who have contributed to their communities. Students take a closer look at South American countries, learning about their capitals and flags. Key units include Spanish as a world language, an exploration of Hispanic artists and their work, which inspires students to create their own art, the “Alebrijes” unit focused on cultural learning, and a unit on the planets. In the planets unit, students build on their prior knowledge of the solar system in English, using it as a helpful reference as they learn the same concepts in Spanish. Throughout these dynamic and interactive activities, students strengthen their language acquisition skills by practicing sentence construction and expanding their vocabulary, all while having fun and enjoying the learning process.  

• Fifth & Sixth Grade

  Beginning in fifth grade, students have the option to continue their study of Spanish or switch to French. Mandarin is an option beginning in sixth grade.
  
  

  Spanish
  
  The fifth and sixth grade Spanish program introduces students to the language and cultures of Spanish-speaking countries with the goal of developing ACTFL proficiency. Authentic resources are introduced using a communicative approach, focusing on familiar topics such as school, family, hobbies, and food, while developing basic communication skills. The curriculum supports novice-low to mid proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. Students learn the language authentically in real contexts through a progression of partner conversations. Instruction incorporates videos, structured projects, and games to reinforce language acquisition and cultural understanding.   
  
  French
  The fifth and sixth grade French program introduces students to the language and cultures of French-speaking countries. Students learn fundamental concepts in French by focusing on familiar topics such as school, family, hobbies, and food, while developing basic communication skills. The curriculum supports novice-low to mid proficiency in the three modes of communication: interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational. Instruction incorporates videos, structured projects, and games to reinforce language acquisition and cultural understanding. Students also read magazines to facilitate class discussions, cultural comparisons, and exchanges of personal information.  
  
  Mandarin
  Studying the fundamentals of Mandarin Chinese, students develop the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Through the use of communicative activities, students learn to introduce themselves, describe families, school life, and converse using typical greetings and daily expressions. Students study the structure of Chinese characters, Chinese phonetic (Pinyin) writing, speaking tones, and character strokes. Students also study culture through exposure to Chinese art, songs, and games.  

• Seventh & Eighth Grade

  Students have the option to take Latin starting in seventh grade or continue learning Spanish, French, or Mandarin.
  
  Spanish
  In seventh and eighth grade, Spanish students continue developing their proficiency in the different modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational) according to the ACTFL standards. Through thematic units, students consolidate previously learned material, expand their vocabulary, and incorporate more complex grammatical structures. At the same time, students continue to develop cultural awareness. Spanish students use both authentic and adapted resources to study products and practices from Spanish speaking countries, make comparisons, and understand perspectives. At the end of the course, students are able to communicate ideas in the present, past, and future tenses. 
  
  French
  In seventh and eighth grade, students consolidate previously studied concepts, expand their communication skills, and continue developing cultural awareness. Vocabulary and grammatical structures are reinforced and taught within thematic units of study using various authentic resources, activities, and supports. All communication modes (interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational) are developed through these topics and in accordance with ACTFL’s teaching and learning languages standards. At the end of the course, students can communicate ideas in the present, past, and future tenses.  Exploring Francophone culture through videos, presentations, readings, and discussions supports students in becoming informed global citizens.  
  
  

  Mandarin
  Seventh and eighth grade levels provide opportunities to develop communication skills in the language at an emerging level, while deepening the understanding of the people and culture of China. The target language is used almost exclusively in the classroom to work toward proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Topics include foods, clothes, body parts, sports, animals, transportation, shopping, languages, weather, and making comparisons. Class activities include short essay writing, research projects, implementation of language-related web activities, use of Kuaiban (“bamboo talk), discussion of current events, use of a variety of authentic Chinese materials, and visits to Chinese cultural centers. 
  
  

  Latin
  In seventh and eighth grade, students learn Latin through the study of language structure, vocabulary acquisition, and translation. They are encouraged to make comparisons to the grammar structure of English, which gives them great insight into their own language. Through vocabulary, students learn that many English words are derived from Latin words, and they learn to decode more complex English words by looking for the Latin roots. Students study Roman culture to put the Latin language into the context in which it was originally used. The culture studied is incorporated into the translations and story lines to make the passages more authentic. Language and culture are integrated from the outset by using as much authentic Roman subject matter as possible.