This Hispanic Heritage Month, the International School of San Antonio had the opportunity to shine a light on its Spanish program. From Pre-K3 through 5th grade, ISSA’s Spanish classes immerse children in their target language while meeting rigorous academic standards. One unique feature of our Spanish immersion program is that it is continuous from Preschool through 5th grade. You will not have to move schools or worry about joining a waitlist for an elementary program once enrolled at ISSA. This allows for stability and connection throughout a student’s learning journey. Additionally, our Spanish classes have the opportunity to learn alongside French and Chinese language students. They play at recess, have English class together, participate in the same extracurricular activities, etc. Students learn about each language’s cultures, participate in school performances together, and even learn each other’s languages through our third language class. This instills cultural understanding and acceptance at a young age that they will carry with them throughout their lives.
Another unique aspect of ISSA’s language program is the background of our native-speaking Spanish teachers. Chile, Spain, Colombia, and Guatemala are just some of the Spanish countries represented in our school. This is an invaluable opportunity for our students for a variety of reasons. Just like all languages, Spanish vocabulary and accents can change slightly based on the region. This means that a student who has a teacher from Mexico one year and a teacher from Spain the following year will have a wider vocabulary and a deeper understanding of the language. Furthermore, students get to learn about cultures across the Spanish world. For ISSA’s Hispanic Heritage Event, our teacher from Colombia read a story about an alpaca who travels between Spanish-speaking countries. Our teacher from Puerto Rico created an activity focused on the popular coquí frogs from Puerto Rico. At ISSA, Hispanic Heritage Month is a school-wide event, meaning students from all language tracks get to learn and participate. This means that all students gain from the benefits of our talented, multi-cultural teachers.
The International School of San Antonio’s Spanish program is one of the few to offer full immersion and Core Knowledge Curriculum in Early Learning. The Primary School has a Cognia accredited curriculum aligned with Texas Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). As a secular school, ISSA’s mission is to meet and exceed state academic guidelines. While in our immersion program, a student will achieve this in Spanish just as in English.
Additionally, the International School of San Antonio is the only school to offer Spanish immersion preschool classes at The DoSeum. Our Morning Program currently offers half-day preschool classes twice a week. With the museum as their classroom, students are immersed in their target language through hands-on exploration and play. This is separate from our Main Location Campus, which offers half-day and full-day options for preschoolers through our Early Learning Program.
For more information about our Spanish program, please contact admissions@issatx.org.
