The study of Spanish language and cultures: JK through 12th

THOMASVILLE - Cultural exploration at Brookwood School begins with four-year-olds and culminates in proficiency in written and spoken Spanish language by senior year. 

Under the leadership of 20-year veteran teacher Amanda Cuevas, M.Ed., Ed.S., Brookwood Lower School will launch the Global Studies program March 2022 in Junior Kindergarten through fifth grades. Focused on global exploration, the primary goal of the program is for each Lower School student to develop a greater understanding of world cultures through the study of different countries throughout Lower School.

“This program will take students on world-wide travels through learning; their minds will be opened to different cultures helping them to become global citizens,” Cuevas shared. Global studies will focus on world geography, culture, history, and language development as each grade level will study specific countries each year.  “By the time a Junior Kindergarten student graduates from fifth grade, their Global Studies passport will be full.”

Lower School Director Andrea Bentley saw an opportunity to broaden the depth of the Lower School curriculum with the addition of the Global Studies program. “Looking at the direction of our Middle and Upper School Spanish program, we wanted to set our Lower School students on a path of global exploration in preparation for their foreign language studies,” said Bentley.

“We are very excited to begin this new and innovative program” stated Headmaster Dr. Randy Watts. “As students progress through the Lower School, they will be able to develop an increasingly deeper understanding of the world around them… and have a lot of fun while they are at it!”

 Students will study countries on six continents as they learn about each country's customs, traditions, music, art, and more. Cuevas, a native of Whigham, Ga., has family in South America and has always been passionate about expanding her students’ horizons.    

Cuevas continued, “So many things about this opportunity and program excite me, but what excites me the most is the fact that I’ll be teaching every child in the Lower School. Fostering their curiosity, making learning fun, and giving them experiences to transform them into lifelong learners is what I strive to do.”

Having recently completed a school-wide curriculum mapping project, the continuation of study of Spanish language and cultures from Junior Kindergarten through twelfth grade is an example of vertical alignment across divisions. The Lower School’s Global Studies will provide a strong foundation for students as they enter Middle School. The Middle School program will prepare students to enter one of two pathways of Spanish study in the Upper School. Students who want an accelerated Spanish program in the Upper School and have demonstrated proficiency may begin with Spanish 2 in the ninth grade. This will lead to AP Spanish in their Senior year. A goal for the school is to implement AP Spanish Language and Culture by 2024.

“Overall, our goals are to deepen the language and cultural  learning experiences for our students and to create different pathways for exploration,” stated Watts.

“I am very excited about the curricular changes and course additions in the upper school world language program. Students will have even more opportunities to develop and use communication strategies and critical thinking skills through a cultural lens in order to communicate in real-world situations and improve language proficiency,” said Spanish Department Chair Kandra Williams. 

Though students may be on summer vacation during June and July, cultural exploration doesn’t stop. From summer camps taking virtual trips to foreign countries for Lower School students to the biennial Spain trips for upperclassmen, Brookwood School encourages students to stretch their horizons.

The summer trip abroad is led by Dr. Jeremy Kasten, Director of College Counseling and Spanish teacher. After earning his doctorate in Spanish Cultural Studies from Florida State University, Kasten was even more passionate about providing an opportunity for Brookwood students to experience Spanish culture first-hand. While a trip to Spain is certainly an opportunity for fun and sight-seeing, the Brookwood pupils also focus on building their knowledge and skills during their travels.

This July 2022, students and chaperones will visit cities such as Madrid, Granada and Barcelona during the course of their 10-day tip.