Spanish
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 |
Faculty
Gisela Moncada
Elementary & Middle School Spanish Teacher
Gisela Moncada joined SDFAS in August 2025. Gisela holds a doctorate in Mexican History from the Instituto Mora in Mexico City and brings nine years of teaching experience, spanning Tk through 8th grade as well as undergraduate and graduate students.
Gisela (or Profesora Moncada as she prefers to be called) has a passion to teach not only the language but also her Mexican culture, drawing inspiration from her background in Mexican History to engage students and help them embrace the language in a fun and meaningful way.
Outside the classroom, Gisela enjoys swimming, running and cooking, also drinking coffee.
Profesora Moncada is proud to be a member of the San Diego French-American School community and looks forward to inspiring her students every day.
Yuriko Patino
Preschool 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 L
Preschool Associate 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)