Curriculum at Seattle Amistad School

At Seattle Amistad School, we provide an enriching academic and cultural experience that nurtures bilingualism and biliteracy for all students—whether they are native Spanish speakers, English speakers, or already bilingual.

For native Spanish speakers, our program ensures they continue developing their Spanish skills while gradually building English literacy in a supportive and natural way. We celebrate their home culture and language as the foundation for academic and personal success, helping them become fully bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural.

For native English speakers, we offer the unique opportunity to achieve fluency and literacy in Spanish through a structured, immersive approach. This not only strengthens their academic performance but also empowers them with valuable linguistic and cultural skills.

Our two-way immersion model is research-based and proven to close academic gaps while ensuring outstanding outcomes for all students.

Students at Seattle Amistad School engage in a rigorous and dynamic curriculum that includes language arts, math, science, social studies, health, and capoeira, alongside a rich arts program featuring music, dance, and visual arts. Lessons are tailored to incorporate students’ lives and experiences, creating culturally responsive, relevant, and meaningful learning.

Through bilingual education and critical thinking, our students are prepared to lead with compassion and understanding. At Amistad, we build bridges between cultures, empowering children to become advocates for justice and positive change in the world.

Literacy

At Seattle Amistad School, we use the Readers and Writers Workshop model from Columbia University’s Teachers College, a leader in literacy education. Our approach integrates language development, vocabulary building, and oral fluency into all aspects of learning.

Rooted in students’ experiences, literacy becomes a tool for understanding and shaping the world, empowering young readers and writers to think critically and create meaningful change.

Math

Our math program, Investigations, is designed to help children develop a deep understanding of math concepts through games, manipulatives, and problem-solving activities. It aligns with Common Core and Washington State Math Standards, emphasizing reasoning, communication, and critical thinking. This approach complements our focus on language development by encouraging students to express and discuss their math ideas clearly.

Bilingual Approach:
Starting in 2nd grade, students learn math in English and science in Spanish. Each year, we alternate languages for these subjects, ensuring students develop strong skills and vocabulary in both languages.

Sciences

We use the FOSS (Full Option Science System) program, developed by UC Berkeley, which prioritizes hands-on exploration and scientific thinking. Students build knowledge through observation, experimentation, and analysis while expanding their vocabulary and language skills.

Health

Seattle Amistad School uses the Rights, Respect, Responsibility curriculum, developed by Advocates for Youth, to teach health and sexuality in a developmentally appropriate and child-friendly way.

From PreK to 7th grade, themes include families, relationships, gender, the life cycle, sexuality, and personal safety. Lessons provide factual information while encouraging students to reflect on their values and family beliefs in a supportive and respectful environment.

This approach ensures that children learn essential life skills while fostering self-awareness and respect for others.

Social Studies

At Seattle Amistad School, our teachers and staff have developed a social studies curriculum that reflects our community values, educational philosophy, and OSPI State Standards. Each grade level explores an essential question, aligned with state standards, through the lenses of geography, civics, history, economics, demographics, and social movements.

The curriculum includes:

Personal Identity: Students reflect on their own identities and experiences.
Cultural Exploration: Artistic expressions and cultural traditions related to the content are studied.
Connection to Context: Students examine how the material relates to their own lives.
Active Engagement: Learning culminates in a community project, action, or creative response driven by students’ exploration of the material.

This approach encourages critical thinking, cultural awareness, and active participation, empowering students to connect with the world around them in meaningful ways.

ARTS

We believe music, dance, visual, and performing arts are essential tools for learning language, building community, and understanding culture. The arts are not treated as a separate subject but as a core part of our learning experience, enriching every area of education and life.

We actively connect with Seattle’s vibrant artistic and cultural community, bringing the arts into our school and encouraging students to engage as full participants in the community. Through the arts, our students gain a deeper appreciation of culture and a powerful means of self-expression.