About the Spanish Immersion Program
The Forest Hills Public Schools Spanish Immersion Program is the largest and most veteran K-12 Spanish language immersion program in our state. The program’s pioneer class celebrated 13 years of Spanish Immersion upon graduation in the spring of 2012. Today, we continue to celebrate the 1,000+ students enrolled!
Learners in grades K-6 experience an Early-Total One-Way Spanish Immersion Model. Upon entrance to middle school, the program shifts to a Secondary Continuing Dual Language Immersion Model. At the secondary level, two classes are taught in the target language as we build upon the K-6 experience and further enhance oral speaking, listening, reading, and writing capacity in Spanish.
Transportation
Transportation is provided utilizing regional bus stops for all Spanish immersion students in grades K-12. Questions regarding transportation should be directed to the FHPS Transportation Department.
Why Spanish?
- In the United States, 1 in 7 persons is Hispanic.
- By 2020, Hispanics are expected to account for half of the growth in the United States’ labor force.
- Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in the world.
- Spanish is a “gateway” language that will train the brain, thus making it easier to learn other languages.
Partnerships
As the Forest Hills Public Schools Spanish Immersion continues to grow and evolve in its 15+ year existence, research continues to articulate the importance of a consistent balance between core content instruction and language instruction. Our current partnerships reflect a commitment to this balance.
Language Testing International
Language Testing International has helped us here in Forest Hills to establish the district as an official ACTFL OPI and ProFluent+ testing site. Through this partnership, interested high school juniors who are ready to take a Spanish Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI), may sign up to do so. FHPS is equipped to import OPI and ProFluent+ scores to the high school transcript in order for colleges and universities to be aware of our immersion students’ unique educational experience and linguistic capacity.
Local Colleges & Universities
Presently, some of our high school students appreciate and take advantage of the opportunity for dual enrollment at local colleges and universities. For information on our current college and university partnerships available for dual enrollment for Spanish Immersion learners, please contact the Northern High School office.
West Michigan Alliance of Immersion Educators (WMAIE)
An organization that began in a grass-roots fashion with the very first gathering held at Ada Vista Elementary nearly a decade ago, WMAIE has recently become a local nonprofit organization. All Forest Hills Dual Language Immersion teachers are members of WMAIE and are able to benefit from professional learning opportunities and networking with our region’s immersion educators.
Partnering With Families
As a district, we value partnerships with the families in our communities. In the Spanish Immersion Program, our parents and community members work to support the students and staff in their drive to uphold the goals of the immersion education experience.
The Ada Vista PTO partners with the principal, classroom teachers, and support staff to contribute to the academic, linguistic, and cultural experiences that students have in the Spanish Immersion program. Read an article about Ada Vista covered by School News Network.
Spanish Road Map
View the Spanish immersion road map showing the path of instruction for students
Assessment
FHPS is privileged to have a partnership with Language Testing International (LTI), the organization certified to administer language assessments from the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).
Spanish Immersion students who are current Juniors/11th graders have the option to take the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview (ACTFL-OPI) for a certified ACTFL proficiency rating to be placed on the high school transcript. For detailed information about the OPI, consider reading the ACTFL OPI Familiarization Manual.
If you have further questions, please call our office at (616) 493-8800.
Testimonials
Spanish Immersion Staff Perspectives
A través de enseñar en un programa de inmersión, mis estudiantes aprenden que el mundo es grande. Me encanta que estamos dándoles las herramientas que hacen que el mundo sea menos grande y más accesible.
In teaching in the Immersion setting, my students learn that the world is big. I love that we are equipping them with the tools that make that world just a little smaller and more accessible.
-Sra. Boersma, Spanish Immersion Third Grade Teacher
Para mi enseñar inmersión es abrir dos puertas al mundo a mis estudiantes. Como nativa hablante en español puedo darles a mis estudiantes la oportunidad de expandir su vocabulario. Es realmente fascinante poder ver que una mente tan pequeña pueda crecer tanto en la segunda lengua en tan poco tiempo. Los estudiantes crecen amando el español y otras culturas y con la posibilidad de aprender una tercera lengua.
Teaching Spanish immersion is to open two doors to the world to my students. As a native speaker of Spanish I can give my students the opportunity to expand their vocabulary. It’s really fascinating to see that a mind so young can grow so much in the second language in so little time. The students grow up loving Spanish and other cultures with the possibility of learning a third language.”
-Sra. Rico, Spanish Immersion First Grade Teacher
Spanish Immersion Parent Perspectives
This year marks our family’s 9th year in the FHPS Spanish Immersion Program. Our four boys are currently spread among three buildings. We have had a child qualify for and utilize services to provide him with a greater academic challenge, and another qualify for and receive intervention to keep him from falling behind. In all our different experiences within this system, we have been consistently pleased with the education our boys have received. As parents possessing a passion for travel and mission work ourselves, but lacking the ability to speak Spanish, we are excited for the endless possibilities open to our bilingual sons as they continue into high school, college and the real world. Go Huskies!
-FHPS Spanish Immersion Parent
