ISLA Los Sábados is a weekly educational heritage language immersion program for children ages 3 to 17 that aims to close the opportunity gap and open doors for Hispanic/Latino youth, their families and community.
1
A heritage language refers to the language of one's ancestry or culture and is often taught in the home by someone's family or learned in addition to a person's primary language.
2
Maintaining a heritage language is important for children and grandchildren of immigrants to connect them culturally and linguistically to their ancestors/family history.
3
Studies have shown that literacy skills gained in a student's home language are actually transferable to English and any other language a child speaks.
A TYPICAL DAY AT ISLA
CULTURAL
EDUCATION
Our goal is to foster a sense of pride and love for Hispanic/Latino culture in our free, Spanish heritage language classes. The curriculum includes strategies based on the Hispanic/Latin American educational model that incorporates the stories, traditions and geography of Spanish-speaking countries into each lesson.
INQUIRY AND EXPLORATION
We believe we all learn best when we are actively experiencing the world. ISLA's classes are inquiry-based and guided by our students' interests and curiosity. We also believe that students acquire a deeper knowledge through active exploration of real-world challenges and problems through project based learning.
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH
ISLA uses an integrated interdisciplinary approach to teach language, while supporting students’ development of their cultural identities. We work across disciplines to draw upon literacy, arts and STEM as students work through authentic, real-world learning experiences.
PRE-K (3)
Melissa Smolski Maestra
melissa@laislaschool.com
Miriam Saavedra Asistente
miriams@laislaschool.com
PRE-K (4)
Maria Jaime Ledesma Maestra
maria@laislaschool.com
Ana Aguilar Asistente
ana@laislaschool.com
Maria Antonia Pardo Asistente
antonia@laislaschool.com
KINDER
Evelyn Puertos Fernandez Maestra
evelyn@laislaschool.com
Guadalupe Franco Asistente
guadalupe@laislaschool.com
1RO
Blanca Gonzalez Maestra
blanca@laislaschool.com
Edith DeJesus Sanchez Asistente
edith@laislaschool.com
2DO
Julia Suárez Arriaga Maestra
julia@laislaschool.com
Jacqueline Salazar Asistente
jacqueline@laislaschool.com
3RO
Cristina Rodriguez Castro Maestra
cristina@laislaschool.com
Germa Sanchez Asistente
germa@laislaschool.com
4TO
Evelia Brenis Escamilla Maestra
evelia@laislaschool.com
Sonia Ramirez Asistente
sonia@laislaschool.com
5TO Y 6TO
Alexander Chavez Sabala Maestro
alex@laislaschool.com
Lisset Garcia Asistente
lisset@laislaschool.com
7MO Y 8VO
Soledad Oneto Maestra
soledad@laislaschool.com
Livia Ortiz Vázquez Asistente
livia@laislaschool.com
9NO - 12VO
Sandra López Franco Maestra
sandra@laislaschool.com
How is the sign up process for my kid?
Where are the classes held?
Once I register my child(ren), does that mean that they have been admitted to the program?
My child does not speak Spanish but does understand it. Does he/she qualify for ISLA Los Sábados?
I'm on the waitlist, what does that mean?
Is there a cost to this program?
My child is not 3 yet, but can I go ahead and put him/her on the waitlist?