"We prepare students to engage in the world that is and to help bring about a world that ought to be."

Curriculum Detail

Faculty

  • Photo of Christel Johnson
    Christel Johnson
    Department Chair - World Languages
    (212) 979-5030 x4354
    University of South Carolina - MA, PhD
    University of North Carolina Asheville - BA
  • Photo of Mouna Fdilat
    Mouna Fdilat
    World Languages Teacher - K-12
    (212) 979-5030 x4347
    Ibn Tofail University - BA
    California University of Pennsylvania - MA
  • Photo of Joseph Sills
    Joseph Sills
    World Languages Teacher - K-12
    (212) 979-5030 x4398
    Middlebury College - MA
    Davidson College - BA
  • Photo of Kimberly Vargas
    Kimberly Vargas
    World Languages Teacher - Lower School

Select Department Below

World Languages: Ancient and Modern

The Lower School Language Program provides students with a vibrant and living experience of Spanish in the classroom. From kindergarten to fourth grade, Spanish classes are developed and implemented with the core curriculum of each grade level in mind. Students increase their proficiency and appreciation of the Spanish language and cultures through age-appropriate topics and activities such as student-written dialogues and role plays, as well as through learning about Spanish and Latin American holidays, traditions, and cuisines.

In the fourth grade, students take part in the Wheel Program. Twice a cycle for seven cycles within the school year, students are exposed to Arabic, French, and Mandarin. In the Wheel Program, students experience all of the modern language offerings available in the Middle School.

  • Spanish K

    This course focuses on oral competency. Students learn basic vocabulary to respond to classroom commands, function in a real-life setting and describe the world around them (self, family, pets and animals, colors, shapes, numbers, the weather and seasons). The course mirrors English instruction whenever possible and integrates music, movement and rhythm.

  • Spanish 1

    This course is rooted in Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS). Students in Grade 1 learn how to introduce themselves and build the vocabulary that they use to maintain brief conversations with their classmates. As the year progresses, students learn the Spanish alphabet, practice reading children’s books, sing Spanish folk songs, and participate in cultural units. This course reviews vocabulary from Kindergarten and introduces the topics of clothing, animals, weather, food, numbers, family, calendars and the five senses. Students are engaged in learning Spanish through music, movement, games and creative play.

  • Spanish 2

    This course develops grammatical understanding as students begin writing in Spanish. As students continue to read and speak in Spanish, they are introduced to more technical aspects of the language. Topics such as cognates, gender, parts of speech, adjective and noun agreement, and articles are taught and practiced through dialogue and games. Via collaboration with the Lower School Technology Integrator and Learning Specialists, students use the iPad application Seesaw to record both oral and written progress. This course reviews vocabulary from Grade 1 and introduces the topics of community, professions, the city and means of transportation. Students are engaged in learning Spanish through music, movement, games and creative play.

  • Spanish 3

    This course focuses on students examining the world around them to find examples of the Spanish language in their daily lives. In addition to in-class learning, Grade 3 students interact with Spanish-speaking members of the Friends Community and deepen their understanding of the many cultures of people who speak Spanish. They share what they discover in their writing and speaking. Students also begin to conjugate verbs in the present tense so that they can more easily engage in Spanish conversation. Students practice reading, writing, listening and speaking in equal measure. Students enrich their Spanish through music, movement, games and creative play.  

  • Spanish 4

    This course is delivered mainly in the target language and continues to focus on cultural connections as a starting point. Students are expected to communicate, read and write in Spanish. Topics such as gender, parts of speech, adjective and noun agreement, articles and verb conjugations are practiced and reviewed through short stories, dialogues, multimedia games, and student-written works.

  • Grade 4 Language Wheel

    In addition to the continued study of Spanish, students take part in the Wheel Program. A rotation through Arabic, French and Mandarin instruction introduces students to the other modern language offerings available in the Middle School.
Friends Seminary actively promotes diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in all its programs and operations, including admissions, financial aid, hiring, and all facets of the educational experience. To form a community which strives to reflect the world’s diversity, we do not discriminate on the basis of race or color, religion, nationality, ethnicity, economic background, physical ability, sex, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. Friends Seminary is an equal opportunity employer.
FRIENDS SEMINARY
222 East 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
P: 212-979-5030
F: 212.979.5034
Friends Seminary — the oldest continuously operated, coeducational school in NYC — serves college-bound day students in Kindergarten-Grade 12.