In the midst of Hispanic Heritage Month, students and faculty at Alice Boucher Elementary School are reminding the community they celebrate year-round.
Alice Boucher Elementary is known for its Spanish immersion curriculum for students in Pre-K through fifth grade.
Spanish Immersion Teacher Monica Arnaud said she teaches first-grade students and enjoys watching their growth over time.
"Some of them enter and they don't know a single word," Arnaud said. "They come in, they're shy, they barely talk and they know mochila, which means backpack and that's all they know, or lunch—almuerzo."
Arnaud said she starts off by demonstrating a lot of words and activities so students can grasp the Spanish language and towards the end of the school year, they're speaking Spanish fluently.
Chantell Dugas said her son Fermin and her daughter, Malani attend Alice Boucher Elementary School.
Dugas said she's thankful her children are able to connect with their grandmother whose from Veracruz, Mexico.
"My son is fluent," Dugas said. "I try to encourage him to do more in public, but he's a little shy and my daughter is starting to understand more and more each year."
Luisa Blanco said she's from Venezuela and is passionate about exposing students in Acadiana to Spanish-speaking countries.
"We share everything about of background, our culture, our traditions, everything that we have with us," Blanco said.
