Shadow Hills Elementary is beautifully nestled in the mountains of Alpine, CA. Practical application of these subjects remains in Spanish.
Shadow Hills Elementary School is a public school located in Alpine in San Diego County. This unique school offers an education where progress at all levels establish high standards and provide individualized support to each student in meeting them. The mission of the school is to provide students with a world-class inclusive collaboration program based in research, teaching, and service. Shadow H
ills offers an immersion program such that students can speak, read, and write in multiple languages: to prepare them for an ever-developing world of technology, cultivate an awareness and respect for other cultures, and empower them as future leaders of a global society. This mission is based on the following beliefs: 1) The understanding of multiple languages and cultures promotes the development of multiculturalism and a harmonious world, 2) All students should have an opportunity to receive the best possible education and to see themselves as global students who understand the value and potential of their skills. Shadow Hills Dual Language Program uses a fifty-fifty model, in which students spend half of their school day in Spanish and the other half-day in English. Students are taught with two teachers, one who instructs exclusively in Spanish for half of the day and a second who teaches in English for the remainder of the day. From first grade through third grade, the Spanish curriculum includes literacy study and the majority of the content subjects (math, science, and social studies). The English curriculum focuses on English language arts and some collaborative reinforcement of the content. The curriculum shifts in the fourth and fifth grades, as most conceptual instruction in math and social science is taught in English. All language instruction begins in kindergarten and progresses through the fifth grade. Students continue their language studies at Joan MacQueen Middle School. Students learning in these two languages will/are:
1. achieve high proficiency in the Spanish language.
2. perform as well as or better than non-immersion students on standardized tests in English.
3. develop greater cognitive flexibility, demonstrating increased attention control, better memory, and superior problem-solving skills as well as an enhanced understanding of their primary language.
4. more aware of and generally show more positive attitudes towards other cultures and an appreciation of other people.
5. better prepared for the global community and job markets where 21st century skills are an asset. The school-wide PBIS teaches character education. Students take responsibility through leadership for their learning and school. Through careful planning and integration of content, language, and 21st-century skills, Shadow Hills staff, students, and families have created an exceptional educational program preparing students to be future global leaders.