We’re also multilingual.
San Diego French-American School is now truly multilingual. The school proudly has now expanded its third-language Spanish acquisition program to all grades Toddlers–8. Students develop language skills and cultural competencies in a language spoken by nearly 500 million native speakers around the world.
On Wednesday, February 1, 2023, the Instituto Cervantes in LA and SDFAS signed an agreement making us the first official branch of the Instituto Cervantes in San Diego!
SDFAS is now be accredited to hold official Spanish language exams (the DELE) for our students and our community.
Our Spanish program
| Kindergarten | Download Curriculum |
| 1st Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 2nd Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 3rd Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 4th Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 5th Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 6th Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 7th Grade | Download Curriculum |
| 8th Grade | Download Curriculum |
Meet the Spanish Team
Yuriko, Wendy, and Mayra wearing traditional Mexican hand embroidered shirts on September 15th to celebrate the first day of Hispanic heritage month.
Faculty
Mayra Vazquez
Middle School Spanish Teacher
Mayra was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico. She moved with her family to the United States when she was in the 10th grade. After graduating high school, she attended San Diego State University, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and had the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. Mayra then joined the Teacher Credentialing Program at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). Successfully credentialed and with several years of teaching experience under her belt, Mayra went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Spanish from CSULA in the Spring of 2020. For the last six years, she has taught Spanish to native, heritage and non-native speakers in both public and charter schools.
Mayra also has experience teaching Advanced Placement courses approved by the College Board and served as World Language Department Chair for four years prior to joining San Diego French-American School. During her free time Mayra enjoys spending time and traveling with family and friends.
Yuriko Patino
Elementary Spanish Teacher & Spanish Curriculum Coordinator (PK-8)
Yuriko Patino is a native from Puebla, Mexico, who has been working at our school for nineteen years. She speaks English, Spanish and French. She worked with middle school students for 19 years at our school and is now developing and running the Kindergarten to 5th grade Spanish program. She holds a B.A in Psychology and a minor as a Preschool Teacher, minor in French and is currently working on her M.A in Neuroeducation. She loves working with all ages, she is passionate about teaching with compassion, love, and challenging students in a healthy way.
Wendy Lizarraga
Pre-Elementary Spanish Teacher
Becoming part of San Diego French-American School and helping develop a strong foundation for the new Spanish Program has been an amazing experience. I look forward to seeing our future multilingual students grow! Mayra Vazquez, Middle School Spanish & Spanish Curriculum Coordinator (PK–8)
