The header image is the default header image for the site.

September 30, 2021
Did you know that every City Academy  student receives Spanish language and culture instruction, starting at age 3?

September 15 – October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the culture and history of the United States. Our Spanish curriculum already includes a heavy emphasis on cultural studies, but this month, our scholars are having even more fun while learning!

Our Spanish program begins in early childhood, when children are most receptive to language learning, and extends through 6th grade. Our two full-time faculty members, Professoras Torres and Rivera, work together to create a curriculum that engages young learners in the culture and vocabulary through songs, games and projects, and builds on those lessons through 6th grade to develop Spanish speaking, reading and writing skills. Professoras Rivera and Torres are both from Spanish-speaking countries, giving them a unique perspective and in-depth knowledge on the curriculum they are teaching.

“I’m not just teaching a language, I am teaching about my life, my traditions.”

– Professora Rivera, 3rd – 6th grade Spanish teacher

Early Childhood students are studying Celia Cruz, an Afro-Latino singer known as the Queen of Salsa. Through song, dance and other projects, our youngest scholars are immersed in the culture and language, and are also learning about connections between other cultures and their own.

Our upper school students are tying their classroom projects into the language they are learning. In 3rd grade, they are practicing food vocabulary while learning recipes from Hispanic culture. Scholars enjoyed making fruit salad with fresas (strawberries), uvas (grapes), manzanas (apples), and plátanos (bananas).

Studying the holidays, traditions, music and stories of Spanish speaking countries not only makes the Spanish curriculum more exciting for the students, but it gives them a deeper understanding of other cultures and shows them that we all have far more in common than different. Our Spanish program immerses scholars in the language and culture so they have a solid foundation for language studies in secondary school and beyond, and a stronger connection to the world around them.