The 2022-2023 school year marks the 15th year of the district's Spanish Immersion program. The program at Encinal includes two classes of Spanish immersion in all grades except for 4th (one class). Students who go on to Hillview Middle School can choose to continue in the Spanish for Spanish Speakers elective program.

The goal of the Spanish Immersion Program is to create bilingual and biliterate students by the end of fifth grade. Children enter the program with many different levels of Spanish fluency. Some children are native Spanish speakers, others have had exposure to Spanish in preschool or with a parent or nanny, and many have had very little or no exposure to Spanish when they begin the program. The native Spanish speakers benefit from learning to read and write in Spanish, deepening their Spanish speaking skills and being class leaders as they help their fellow classmates learn Spanish. The non-native Spanish speakers benefit from becoming fluent in Spanish at the same time as receiving all of the standard curriculum of Encinal School. In fact, by the end of fifth grade, the goal is that immersion students will be performing at grade level in both languages.

World Language

The goal of the K-5 Spanish Specialist Program is to create a globally minded climate throughout the whole school, increase multicultural experiences, strengthen bonds with our Spanish-speaking students, and lay a foundation for future language learning.

At Encinal, all K-5 Students participating in the Spanish Specialist program receive between 45-60 minutes a week of Spanish instruction from a Spanish specialist teacher.

The Middle School World Language Program begins in the 6th grade and offers both Spanish and French as an elective.  Hillview students have several language options. Some are able to complete up to Spanish 2 or French 2 over the course of their three years or they can choose to participate in an advanced "Spanish for Spanish Speakers" elective (also starting in 6th grade).

This elective class, although available to native or advanced Spanish speakers, was designed to meet the demand created by the K-5 Spanish Immersion classes matriculating to the Middle School.