HOLLISTER
A class full of students at Sunnyslope are spending their afterschool hours learning to say more in Spanish than “gracias” and “adios.”
Sunnyslope School received $5,000 in one-time technology funds last year. With this money, the school decided to purchase the Rosetta Stone computer program that teaches students Spanish.
The afterschool Spanish class started in November, and 25 students have enrolled with nearly 40 on a waiting list.
Cindy Lubke, who helped to organize the class at the elementary school, said the idea came because the school offers the Rosetta Stone program in English for English language learner students and their parents. Staff decided it would be a good idea to teach Spanish to those students coming from English-only homes.
“I could have picked any language, but obviously here in California, Spanish would be the choice,” she said.
The class, which allows students to learn on their own through the computer program, has been popular among students, Lubke said.
“We offer a lot of afterschool interventions, so we wanted to offer some afterschool enrichment for students who are doing well,” she said.
The class meets three times a week for 45 minutes and is offered for second- through fifth-graders.
The program focuses on reading and writing comprehension. Lubke, who doesn’t speak any Spanish herself, said she has picked up on bits from helping the students in the class.
Next year, Lubke said, she is hoping to get a teacher who speaks Spanish who can help the students with the speaking part.
If nothing else, the students will have a good base of understanding for the future, Lubke said.
“By the time they get to junior high or high school, they’ll be one step ahead,” she said.
