SPANISH

All students at The Philadelphia School study Spanish. Our choice of Spanish recognizes its position as the second most widely spoken language in the United States and its historical relevance in North America.

Spanish is taught once a week in preschool, twice weekly in grades kindergarten through fourth, and three times a week in fifth grade. Middle School (grades 6-8) students attend Spanish class four times a week. The curriculum focuses on speaking, reading and listening comprehension, writing, and Latin American history and culture.

The Spanish progam seeks authentic connections with the all-school theme or unit themes as a source of vocabulary or as an impetus for class discussions. This interdisciplinary approach enhances the students' understanding of the theme, often by providing the perspective of Spanish-speaking populations.

In addition to the school's three full-time Spanish teachers, several classroom teachers are fluent in Spanish.

Most of our students who continue Spanish in high school enroll in Spanish II or III in ninth grade.

TPS sponsors an annual Spanish trip for eighth graders. Destinations have included Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, and Spain. This year's trip will be to Spain. Read about the 2006 trip to the Yucatán.