Spanish

 
Eight years ago, Sra. Nancy Anderson came to Grace charged with the task of 
launching a school-wide Spanish program from four-year-olds through the 
eighth grade.  Sra. Anderson stressed the magic of learning another language 
through singing upbeat songs and playing interactive games at all levels, 
with a large focus on the colorful culture itself and the electrifying 
experience of speaking this fun language and the confidence borne of that 
accomplishment. 
 
Meeting once a week with PK-4 students through third-graders, Sra. introduced greetings, numbers, colors,  and  vocabulary ranging from family to home and school.  Grace students in grades four and five enjoyed two Spanish sessions per week with Sra., and also explored the ability of making conversation about the weather, telling time, and other common, everyday situations.  Watching cartoons and popular movies of the day in Spanish were tools Sra. used to promote an ability to listen to the language in its native tongue. Always with her as she visited each class was her talking parrot, "Perico," who repeated anything the children said in Spanish.  It wasn't long before, "Hola, amigos!" could be heard all around the school at every level, and that was BEFORE "Dora" made her indelible impact on even the youngest of television viewers.
 
Sixth and seventh grade students, taking Spanish every day,  delved much 
deeper into all areas of conversation, learned "mucho" vocabulary, and
studied more of the Spanish culture itself.  Middle school students at these levels were tested on a regular basis, as Middle School Spanish was a core curriculum course from the beginning.  When Sra. wrote the curriculum for the Grace Spanish Program four years ago, she gave special attention to the major projects for each Middle School grade level.  For the sixth grade, it is "Los Dias del Los Muertos," or "Days of the Dead."  Every fall, sixth-graders learn the history of this meaningful custom as well as participate in a research project about a lost loved one of their own, one whom they may not have even known before, but about whom, after this project is completed, they come to know rather well.  Seventh grade Spanish students participate in the Spanish Christmas Project during the month of December, at which time they learn many songs and hymns in Spanish and design and create their own Christmas sombreros and panchos.  Dressed in their Spanish best and filled with all of that music, they are ready for the annual field trip which finds them entertaining residents and patients at many nursing homes and hospitals of the area with an incomparable Grace flair!
 
From the outset of this program, eighth grade students have been enrolled in Spanish I, a fully high-school accredited course.  Sra.'s classroom provides a place in which students feel truly connected to the culture itself.  As former Head of School Chris Proctor once commented, "You need a passport to get into Sra.'s room!"  Students who take Sra.'s course go straight to Spanish II at any area high school, and some have excelled in Spanish as far away as institutions like Episcopal High School in Virginia.  In addition, many graduating students gain college credit at ULM as they are able to "clep out" of Spanish 101 and 102 upon earning the Spanish I credit Sra. has made possible here at Grace.  Spanish I students eagerly await their major project each year, Carnival de la Primavera (Spanish Spring Festival), a two-day event, during which time they entertain all students, faculty, and staff of Grace Episcopal School at ten memorable erformances.  Students are charged with researching different cities or countries where the Spanish culture thrives.  They must report on the locale itself, offer for tasting some interesting foods of the area, and involve guest students in games or activities indicative of their assigned country or city.   In addition, they present a musical show in which they dance and sing in Spanish, much to the enjoyment of their guests.
 
Today, the Grace Spanish Program thrives under the leadership of  Sra. Anderson and is one of the hallmarks of Grace Episcopal School.  This program, started in the year 2001 still serves all students attending Grace in 2009, and for the last five years, has even reached down into the PK-3 classroom.   So, as we say at Grace, "Viva el espanol!"  Come on over and you will see for yourself!