Preparing hearts and minds for lives of leadership, service, and excellence.

Staff Member: Mrs. Duerst

Staff Member: Mrs. Duerst

Mrs. Duerst

Grades 5-8 - Spanish
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Email: hduerst@sgabriel.org

I first took Spanish as a summer school class in grade school. It wasn’t until high school that I was able to enroll in regular Spanish classes. After four years there and then in college, I earned a minor in Spanish Education in addition to a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Middle Education. I am pleased that I am able to help the students of St. Gabriel get a head start on their Spanish language acquisition in order to do well in high school, college, and beyond.

The students at St. Gabriel learn the Spanish language, cultures, and traditions through music, stories, conversation, and prayer. We sing, read, speak, and pray together. I teach a practical approach to Spanish. We focus on being able to get our point across and be understood by the listener, and then proper grammar and conjugation. We concentrate on the most common verbs and phrases used in conversation and literature and then branch off into a wider scope. By doing this, the students are able to begin to converse with native Spanish speakers early on in their instruction.

I feel blessed to work at such a wonderful school. I arrive in the afternoons just as lunch is finishing and am greeted enthusiastically by the students and staff. It definitely makes me want to come to school each day.