Immersion
Offering a district-wide Elementary Spanish Dual Immersion program located at Otter Lake Elementary and Matoska International.
White Bear Lake Area Schools offers an Elementary Spanish Dual Immersion program at Otter Lake Elementary and Matoska International, with each school hosting up to three kindergarten and first grade immersion classrooms. Transportation is available to resident families throughout the district for students enrolled in this program.
The immersion program is designed to serve both Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking students together in a bilingual environment that values the contributions of every student and family.
Participants learn in a mix of English and Spanish, experiencing unique benefits such as:
- academic growth,
- enhanced language and cultural understanding,
- social and emotional development, and
- expanded future opportunities.
Program At a Glance
Our Vision
Our global learners will thrive in a dynamic, bilingual, and biliterate environment that nurtures curiosity, values high academic achievement, embraces cultural heritage, fosters a love for learning, and collaborates with family and community to ensure success in a diverse, interconnected world.
Nuestros estudiantes globales prosperarán en un ambiente dinámico, proficiente en ambos idiomas, escrito y oral, que fomenta la curiosidad, valora el alto rendimiento académico y la herencia cultural, fomenta el amor por el aprendizaje y colabora con las familias y la comunidad para garantizar el éxito en un mundo diverso e interconectado.
Dual language model
Our program is an 80-20 Spanish immersion model where students learn in both Spanish and English, with the goal of becoming bilingual and biliterate, academically successful, and socioculturally competent.
Language structure
In Kindergarten, 80% of the school day is taught in Spanish. English is added more each year so that by 5th grade, students learn in both languages equally. Early Spanish immersion builds a strong literacy and language foundation in the target language. Our students learn all core content (like literacy, math, and science) while also building bilingualism and biliteracy.
Locations
The WBLAS dual language program classrooms are located at Otter Lake Elementary and Matoska International.
How to Support Your Child’s Learning at Home
- Encourage language use at home - Speak, read, or sing with your child in your home language and/or Spanish and English. Children benefit from a strong foundation in any language!
- Read daily in either language
- Reading aloud fosters vocabulary, comprehension, and love of language. Ask your child questions about the story, pictures, or characters. - Celebrate your child's bilingualism - Praise your child’s efforts in both languages. Encourage them to teach you new words in Spanish or English.
- Use everyday routines to build language - Talk through your day (e.g., during meals or while driving), describing what you're doing, asking questions, and encouraging responses.
- Stay consistent and patient - Language development is a long process. Understand that your child might mix languages or go through silent periods - this is normal.
- Explore bilingual books and media - Look for bilingual books, songs, or educational apps that support Spanish and English development.
- Ask your child's teacher how to help - Teachers can recommend vocabulary, books, or activities that match what your child is learning in school.