High School

The mission of the Winchester Public Schools Foreign Language Department is to provide all students with opportunities to develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing modern and classical languages. We offer French, Italian, Latin, Mandarin and Spanish. We strive to

• Serve the community by offering languages in which there is an interest and demand.
• Prepare all students to become linguistically and culturally equipped for the global community and able to connect with other cultures.
• Encourage students to study a foreign language to the highest level possible in order to fulfill entrance requirements for state schools and selective colleges.
• Promote scholarly and pedagogical activities of teachers.
• Provide classroom and outside experiences in the target language.
• Help students become life long learners and critical thinkers who use their knowledge of foreign languages and cultures in their personal, professional and academic lives.

________________

Prerequisites and Requirements for sequential courses:

• A minimum end of year average of C- is required for advancement to the next level in all Foreign Language courses. Teacher approval is also a prerequisite.
• All first and second year courses are C1 level.
• In the third and fourth years of the language, students will choose whether to take Honors or C1. This choice will be made in the spring when they sign up for courses. In order to enroll in 3 Honors, a student must have a solid B average in the second year and be recommended by his or her teacher.
• In order to matriculate in a fourth year honors course, a student must have a B+ average in the third year honors or an A in the third year C1 course. The same standard is held for the fifth year honors and C1.
• Italian I, Italian II, Spanish I and Spanish II are also offered at the C2 level.

Advanced Placement courses

are available in French, Spanish, and Italian language and Latin (Vergil).

The minimum requirement for recommendation is

In addition to teacher recommendation writing and speaking sample may be required and final approval must be given by the director of the department.

Exchange Programs

There are exchange programs in French and Spanish, usually made available to students in the upper levels of the language. In addition, other travel opportunities are available on a regular basis to Italy. Each year, seniors studying Italian have the opportunity to take an educational trip to Italy during a school vacation.

Department Director: Anna Tirone

atirone@winchesterps.org

781-721-7020 ext.4031