Noonan Academy Celebrates National Foreign Language Month

For the past four years at Noonan Academy, students in 5th-8th grade have been invited to recite the Lord’s Prayer in a different language during March as part of National Foreign Language Month. Initiated by the academy’s Spanish and Latin teacher, Mrs. Gutirrez, four years ago during National Foreign Language Week, the cultural diversity of the students allowed the expansion to the entire month, with a different Jr. High student being highlighted each week.
“This has become something special for our Jr. High students to participate in. Something that older siblings pass down with pride to their younger siblings to carry on, “said Gutirrez. “Studying languages helps to build communication skills and strengthens mental flexibility, critical thinking, and problem-solving across all subjects. We are unique here at Noonan because we offer Spanish classes starting in kindergarten. The students build upon what they were taught the previous year to the point where we have 8th graders testing into Spanish Honors II at the high schools that they will be attending in the fall, like St. Laurence, Benet, Providence, and the Lincoln-Way schools. In 7th and 8th grades, the students are immersed in Latin where concepts of not only Mathematics and Science make more sense, but also of our Catholic faith.”
This year, Noonan had a diverse group of students who shared during National Foreign Language Month. 8th grader, Szymon Skowronski, started the month by reciting the Lord’s Prayer in Polish, followed by 8th grader Graysen Pionke in Tagalog, 8th grader Katrina Klepczarek in Spanish, 6th grader Anthony Holuj in French, 5th grader Ting Wu in Mandarin, and 8th grader Lauren Townsend finished off the month reciting the Lord’s Prayer in Latin.
Noonan Elementary Academy is an independent Catholic school in Mokena serving preschool through 8th grade. Noonan provides its students with a rigorous and innovative educational program that is academically challenging and personally supportive. Noonan is committed to developing the full potential of each student by fostering intellectual development, strong character formation, and spiritual growth. Please contact Mr. Dunn, Principal of Noonan Elementary Academy, for more information or visit their website at noonanacademy.org