The Black and White

by Sophie Henner

For the past few years, Pilgrim’s language department has been developing drastically. Due to new staff, educational opportunities, and new activities, the sector has flourished into an exciting new space for the school. The Black and White team spoke with department chair, Mrs. Mather, to learn more about the advancements made.

One of the most exciting things coming to Pilgrim is the addition of the Heritage Class.  This is a class targeted towards students who are already fluent in Spanish and do not want to take a lower level language class. It aims to assist students with grammar, accents, and upper level thinking skills to help improve their Spanish speaking abilities and feel confident with the language. This class is not set up like a traditional class, meaning that you do not have to have any prerequisites to enroll, other than being fluent in Spanish. Mrs. Mather hopes to add a Heritage II Class to the department next year so that anyone who is in the class now can continue on the same path.

Pilgrim is also welcoming back old faculty member, Mrs. Farias. After leaving Pilgrim to work at Winman and Toll Gate for a few years, she is returning to help teach the new Heritage class. Mrs. Farias is a native Spanish speaker who will help students excel. While the Heritage class is a new addition to Pilgrim’s language department, the class itself has been in place in many other school districts such as Providence and Central Falls. The curriculum has been fully developed and tested with great results from other schools.

Another very exciting event in the language department is International Food Day. This is a day where students from all cultures are welcome to bring a traditional dish from their heritage for everyone to enjoy. There will be cuisine from different cultures all over the world! Unfortunately, International Food Day was set to occur in April of this year, but was deterred by other school events. However, this year it will be making its return on October 24. Anyone who is interested in participating can reach out to Mrs. Mather to learn more. This event is open to everyone.

Finally, Mrs. Mather has set up the “Culture Corner” in the language wing of Pilgrim. This is a table dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity and events in school. In the past, the Culture Corner has been used to promote school trips that are coming up the future. As of right now, the table is decorated with traditional Mexican decorations to celebrate the Day of The Dead in late October and early November. The corner will also feature a Christmas Tree near the holidays where students can put up ornaments representing their heritage. The Culture Corner is a great way to educate students about different cultures and traditions and showcase the diversity the school has.

With the help of Mrs. Mather, the language department has transitioned into a lively place to learn. There are so many new opportunities for students to not only be educated about speaking a language, but also involve themselves in the culture of that language. These programs and events help enrich the population of Pilgrim High School by broadening their views of diversity and preparing them to be fluent in the language of their choice.