During a recent visit from the Embassy of Spain’s Regional Representative, Sra. Mariola Sanchez Cascon, Desert Willow School student ambassadors toured groups of educators through the Spanish Immersion Program that spans from Preschool through 6th Grade. In order to maintain the Cave Creek school’s accreditation from Spain as an International Spanish Academy (ISA), an embassy representative must visit annually to ensure the quality of the program.
Desert Willow Elementary School (DWES) is in its 17th year of implementing the Spanish Immersion program and has generated quite a following with a lottery system for entry and ensuring waiting lists. In addition to hosting the Embassy of Spain that day, other educators from AZ Department of Education and neighboring school districts attended in attempts to see a fully implemented program in action.
Students in the Spanish Immersion program spend 50% of their day learning in Spanish with a Spanish teacher and 50% in English with an English teacher. The result? A bilingual and biliterate student that exemplifies multicultural understanding and has a deeper sense of who they are in the world.
If you missed the Lottery meeting at DWES for the August 2020 Kindergarten class on January 30 from 5:00-6:00, there are other newer language immersion schools in Cave Creek School District. There is a French Immersion program at Desert Sun Academy with its Lottery meeting on February 5 and a Chinese Immersion Lottery meeting at Horseshoe Trails Elementary School on February 6, both from 5:00-6:00. Or call 480-575-2000 for more information.
