A Spanish immersion program is a unique educational option that teaches native English-speaking children all their academic subjects in Spanish from preschool through fifth grade. By hiring teachers fluent in the language and familiar with the Hispanic culture, children in the program will have a deep knowledge of not only Spanish but also of the cultures that speak it.

By educating children in the Spanish language and the various cultures it encompasses, Mr. De Jong, Principal at Pella Christian Grade School hopes to better fulfill the school’s mission to challenge students to develop their individual God given gifts for a life of service in God's Kingdom. Learning another language and culture not only challenges children intellectually, but also prepares them to become “bridge builders” in our community, equipped to cross linguistic and cultural boundaries in order to obey Jesus’ command to “love our neighbor.”

Besides language learning being a way to connect cultures within our own communities, it is also a means through which to prepare our students to live in the 21st century world of global connectedness. According to the organization with whom Pella Christian Grade School is working to implement the program, add.a.lingua, students who are well educated in both their native English and a second language not only experience educational benefits such as higher scores on standardized tests in reading, math, and science, but also experience social benefits. Most graduates of immersion programs become Americans who are linguistically and culturally aware with an inherent understanding of the world beyond their own communities. These same graduates become adults with expanded career opportunities in our increasingly shrinking and diverse world market.

Pella Christian Grade School believes that implementing a Spanish immersion program will help create an environment of cooperative learning and understanding between cultures both within the school, the community, and potentially the world.

If you are interested in learning more about Pella Christian Grade’s Spanish immersion program please contact the school office at: 641-628-2414 and ask for Jodi Pierce.