At the Lower School, fifth-grade and kindergarten students participate in many combined activities over the years as part of a "kindergarten and fifth-grade friends program." 

It is a way to model and mentor students within our own Lower School community, a time to learn, a time to smile, and a time to grow.  For the first time this year, the Spanish Immersion and post-Spanish Immersion students were able to get together and experience the same kinds of activities as in years past in this special buddy program, only this time, ¡en español!

Our kindergarten immersion students enjoyed the benefit of working with our post-immersion students in Spanish, learning from older students who were willing to share their expertise and wisdom, bringing lessons and activities to life in a second language.  

Children in fifth grade and kindergarten gathered together in the Ella Jane Kunkle Learning Center in the deSchweinitz building to measure objects in the room using bats as a unit of measurement.  Students counted, estimated and measured together in Spanish. They exchanged vocabulary words and worked on spelling and grammar.  It was a special moment to see these two programs cross paths and find things in common. 

The activity concluded with a Developmental Designs circle in Spanish that included reflections on the first meeting the students had together this year.  Reflections included statements like "I like the way we worked together and used our Spanish" or "I think next time we should use even more Spanish when we're together," and "maybe we can play games and the kindergarteners can come visit us in the Main Building." 

We are thankful for these opportunities to exchange and learn from one another.