Hispanic Heritage Month, recognized from September 15 to October 15, celebrates Latino and Hispanic heritage in the United States of America. Since 1969, the U.S. has celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month. The KCS Spanish Immersion staff aims to make this recognition special for Spanish Immersion students and engaging for the school community at large.
Throughout the month, there are many planned activities and discussion prompts that students participate in.
Last fall, Hispanic Heritage Month kicked off with Elementary School Spanish Immersion Chapel, where guest speaker, Victor Astete (below left), joined the students to talk about the gift of bilingualism. He focused on how students can use Spanish to steward God’s love to others, aligning with the 2025-2026 school year theme of Stewardly Living.
Also during the month, all Spanish Immersion classrooms were invited to decorate their doors to represent the countries and heritages represented in that classroom. From the Preschool to the Middle School hallway, visual representation of nations KCS teachers, staff and students are from, were displayed. The Media Center also featured Hispanic Heritage books at various reading levels for students or teachers to borrow.
KCS welcomed back Spanish Immersion alumnus and WMU student, Landon Palmer (above right), to guest speak to the Spanish Immersion Elementary and Middle School students.
Landon is a graduate of the first KCS Spanish Immersion cohort. He shared with the students about the importance of speaking Spanish, how it has helped him serve others and the many benefits it brings. He expressed what a privilege and a gift from God it is to be bilingual.
The KCS staff celebrate the month with the Hispanic Heritage lunch. Spanish Immersion teachers are invited to bring a food or drink from their heritage to share with their fellow staff.
To wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month, Elementary School Spanish Immersion classes led the Parade of Flags, a procession of students sporting their teacher’s represented country’s flag down the hallways of the 12th Street Campus. Elementary School students, Preschoolers, staff and Middle School students lined that hallways to watch the parade and cheer on their family and friends.
Finally, the students pour their efforts into Hispanic Heritage Night, this year taking place on Thursday, October 16, 2025. Each Preschool and Elementary School Spanish Immersion classroom presents a short dance, song, poem or performance that they’ve been working on. Middle School Spanish Immersion students displayed projects they’d been working on in the atrium (page 8).
This year, the Spanish Immersion staff partnered with local food trucks to give families an opportunity to gather before the event and celebrate with food and drink. La Guatemalteca, Theresa’s Kitchen, Ruby’s Fiesta and Tacos El Jefe pulled their businesses into the parking lot for this community event.
The Spanish Immersion preschoolers opened the night’s performances up, followed by ten sets performed by students from Kindergarten to Fourth Grade. Each wall of the gymnasium was adorned with projects the students had done over the month, ranging from country profiles to word translations and more.
