Heritage Language

above: first graders at a meeting of the Heritage Language program

Gordon’s Heritage Language program, now in its eighth year, is for children in Preschool to fourth grade from families that identify as Latinx and speak Spanish at home.

For the school year that starts September 2023, Heritage Language will meet during the school day. It will be led by Aleida Benitez.

Heritage Language is a space where children whose families have a connection to Latin American culture can come together with Gordon classmates and celebrate their uniqueness and similarities. Students make cross-grade connections through telling stories, sharing traditions, and cultural histories. They play games, speak English and Spanish, and most of all celebrate who they are as a Latinx Gordon community.

In 2018, two programs began for Middle School students who speak Spanish at home. Spanish Language Arts meets four days a week during class time, and Latinos Unidos is an informal affinity group that meets during the school day.