Bilingual Leadership Program

Seven years ago Saint Francis Academy had a VISION: design a comprehensive high school reform project which would focus more on our young ladies future prospects through the vehicle of a Bilingual Leadership Program . Beginning with the 2000 Freshmen class, our vision has turned into a REALITY. Our Bilingual Leadership Program has become and educational experience no other secondary school has attempted.

Our bilingual leadership education program  offers students a unique and exciting opportunity to learn to read, write and communicate naturally in two main languages: English and Spanish. Within four years, students acquire bilingual proficiency by gradually introducing Spanish as follows:

• Freshmen students  start the Spanish immersion program:  a Spanish class plus two elective courses taught in both Spanish & English 

• As the students' proficiency level in Spanish develops, a "content" course ( Biology, Social Studies, etc) will be taught in  Spanish

• At their senior year, students will be taught several "content" courses in Spanish

• Spanish will be taught using a  dynamic, creative approach and technology. A "natural" approach which holds that individuals learn a new language in the same way they learned their mother tongue .