The Spanish culture is very rich.  In both Spanish 1-2 and Spanish 3-4, taught by Ms. Prietto and Ms. Juergens, respectively, Spanish culture is emphasized in a way that combines the talents of the students with the music and drama of the world language.  Both classes put on plays for their parents and classmates this spring.

Ms. Prietto’s Spanish 1-2 class performed El Emperador Y Su Ropa Nueva, or The Emperor’s New Clothes on March 4, 2010.  By performing the familiar fairytale, it was possible for the audience to follow the plot-line even if they didn’t understand the language.  Students in the production memorized lines and learned to dance, but all in Spanish.  Songs such as "The Hustle" and "Achy-Breaky Heart" were danced to and made audiences enthusiastic about the play.  The actors and actresses wore authentic Mexican hats and dresses, and the plays exposed students at Standley, who aren’t involved in Spanish, to the culture.

Ms. Juergens’ Spanish 3-4 play was a recreation of Saturday Night Fever, a disco phenomenon from the 1970’s which was exhibited on March 3, 2010.  Titled Febre de Sabado Noche, the story is comprised of love conflicts and dramatic scenes with overlapping relationships.  All lines were spoken in complete Spanish, which demonstrated the more in-depth knowledge of the language the 3-4 class possesses.  This was the perfect way to get middle school students even more nervous about dancing with the opposite gender.  However, the 3-4 students put hormones aside and dressed up in sparkly dresses and shirts to put on an unforgettable performance. Terrifically prepared dance numbers combined with catchy music were the key to a successful performance, which the students accomplished.

Both plays were a great way for students in Spanish to show off their knowledge of the culture and expose non-Spanish takers to the highlights of Spanish customs.