• San Tan student learning Spanish  
     
    The 2016-17 school year kicked off with us making our goal of 50 kindergarten learners for our Spanish Immersion Program at San Tan Elementary.

    Program Structure
    Learners are split into two classrooms during the day. One group is with the English teacher and the other group is with the Spanish teacher.  Mid-day each group switches classrooms. Our model is similar to a 50/50 model. The 2017-2018 school year will have K-1 classrooms. First grade will have a waiting list and  Kindergarten will be on a first come, first serve basis until we reach our goal of 50 learners. Our Spanish teacher is highly qualified to teach Kindergarten and has her bilingual certification.

    Quotes from Mr. Mercado
    “It is important for children to learn a second language early in their education because research shows that bilingualism supports higher academic achievement, greater self-efficacy, increased linguistic awareness, higher scores on SAT and ACT, and improved cognitive development and problem solving abilities,” Mr. Mercado said.

    “If your child can speak Spanish fluently, he or she will be more marketable in the future. According to Salary.com, bilingual pay differentials range between 5 percent and 20 percent per hour more than the position’s base rate,” Mr. Mercado said.
      
    Additional Information
    Mr. Mercado will host Spanish Immersion Informational Meetings on the following dates for parents interested in more information and to register for the 2017-2018 school year (Parents only need to attend 1 informational meeting):
     
    Evening meetings - Thursday, December 8th at 6:00 p.m. and Thursday, January 26th at 6:00 p.m.
     
    Morning meetings @ 9:00 a.m.- December 1st, December 15th, January 19th, February 2nd, February 16th, March 2nd. 
     
    San Tan Elementary School is a “Leader in Me School”, where students utilize “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Students in the Spanish Immersion Program will also take part in those lessons, such as what it means to "put first things first" or to "be proactive." Learn more about the Leader in Me School in a video posted on the district’s Vimeo site.