St. Louis, Mo. (October 2, 2024) During Hispanic Heritage Month, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, St. Louis Language Immersion School is continuing its ongoing mission of providing a culturally responsive and transformational education with special lessons and celebrations. Going beyond spoken and written language, SLLIS is providing students with immersive experiences in the cultures and traditions of Hispanic heritage that include dancing, singing, clothing, foods and the study of different Hispanic countries.
SLLIS has teachers from four continents and 18 different countries around the world this year with multiple Hispanic heritages represented. Dr. Raul Munoz-Rodrigo came to St. Louis from Madrid, Spain, 13 years ago for an internship. Today, Dr. Munoz is the Assistant Principal at SLLIS and helps coordinate all of the school’s Spanish celebrations, including the Hispanic Heritage Month events.
“This is our opportunity to bring students into our culture,” Dr. Munoz said. “Whether it’s Colombian, Spanish, Panamanian or any other Hispanic culture, we are teaching students to be culturally responsible and immersed in our traditions. Those differences in culture teach them about the world in a bigger picture. Many of us teachers and administrators at SLLIS left things behind to come here. This is our way to show we’ve still got it in us when it comes to our culture. When I moved to St. Louis, it was the Latin American community that really helped me settle in. Even if we’re coming from different places, there is something common between us all, and we can all help each other no matter our backgrounds.”
Jaira Bennett, a kindergarten teacher from Ecuador, came to St. Louis in 2021 to continue her teaching career that began nine years ago. She said along with students learning more about Ecuador’s culture, they also have the opportunity to learn about how many different Hispanic cultures there are.
“This month is important because it gives students the chance to learn more about what Hispanic heritage means, and how that can vary in different cultures,” said Bennett. “There are a variety of traditions within Hispanic heritage from all around the world, whether it’s originated in Mexico, Spain, perhaps Ecuador or Colombia, where my own family roots tie back to. They are all so diverse whether that’s in the form of Spanish, rituals, clothing, food and social norms. It is beautiful to see how our students can learn more about a variety of Hispanic cultures and get to know where their teachers come from.”
To conclude the month of recognition, the school hosts an event on Oct. 18 where families and parents can come to the school to celebrate Hispanic cultures. Students of all grades will sing a song in Spanish and perform traditional dances, and the teachers will wear traditional clothes from their home country.
About St. Louis Language Immersion School
St. Louis Language Immersion School was founded in 2009 and is a charter school serving Pre-K through 8th grade to the City of St. Louis. The school provides students with a world-class, global, dual language immersion education in French, Spanish or Chinese, taught by native speakers. The one of a kind school was named the 2024 Best Public Charter School in Missouri and plays an essential role in the fabric of the St. Louis community. For more information, go to www.sllis.org.