At Virtus Academy, our doors and minds are open to embracing new languages and cultures. Although only 5.6% of our state’s population is Hispanic, Spanish is one of the top five languages used in the world, and more than 1,200 South Carolina companies have an international footprint, reinforcing the need for more skilled Spanish speakers.
Our teacher, Cesar Castro, has been teaching for 16 years. A native Colombian, Spanish is his third language. As our school grows, he hopes to implement field trips and possibly an exchange program.
Grades 2–6
Exposure to Spanish starts in elementary school, where all students learn the basics, including the alphabet, numbers, vocabulary, and general greetings. They also learn about Spanish food and music.
Classes meet five days weekly every fourth week, preparing students to continue their middle and high school Spanish studies.
Grades 7–8
Spanish is an elective in middle and high school, yet two units of the same foreign language are required to graduate.
Middle school students enrolled in Spanish I learn numbers, currencies, grammar, verb conjugation, and how to read, write, and speak. They meet five days weekly for an entire semester, and every Friday, they have conversations in Spanish using the new words and phrases they learned that week.
Grades 9–12
High school students can continue their Spanish studies by enrolling in Spanish II and III, earning them foreign language credits for college and giving them a leg up on job applications.
