The Spanish classes at St. John Vianney have a piñata full of activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 through October 15. The students will focus on the contributions of Hispanics and Hispanic Americans with varied grade-based activities. Junior High students will research, prepare and present multi-sensory reports on famous Hispanic Americans. A Hispanic "Country of the Month" will be featured throughout the school year, with classes learning about each country's unique culture. Food, games and other cultural presentations will be shared with classmates. Learning about other cultures is one way our school promotes ethnic literacy, and prepares our students to respect and appreciate our diverse society. Spanish is taught to all students in First through Eighth grade. The program is led by SJV Spanish teacher Ms. Carmen Elger.
Ms. Elger began teaching Spanish at SJV in 2004. She attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, where she received her B.A. with a double major in Spanish and 
Sociology. During her studies at UW-O, Ms. Elger spent three weeks studying in Costa Rica and Peru. After her graduation, she worked as a substitute teacher for a number of school districts around the Milwaukee area. She enjoys traveling, camping, fishing, and most other outdoor activities.
If you want to learn more, you can visit National Hispanic Heritage Month. Another fun website is Famous First Hispanic Americans.
School Parent Lisa Greco contributed to this article.
Want to know more about St. John Vianney School and Parish ? Did you know that there are still openings -- in the 5K, 2nd, 6th, 7th and 8th grades? Interested in visiting the school? Contact principal Jayme Hartmann at jaymeh@stjohnv.org or call 262/796-3940.
