Mesa Española (Spanish Table) is Back in Middle School

Eighth-graders are participating in a new extracurricular language club, Mesa Española. Angeles Casanova, Middle School Spanish Teacher, serves as the club’s advisor. “The purpose of this club is to promote the oral communication aspect of a second language by providing educational opportunities outside of regular school day classroom instruction,” Casanova shared. “This club is designed for students interested in developing and enhancing their vision and knowledge of the Spanish language and culture.”

The club met for the first time on November 17, with 22 students attending! The guest speaker was FWCD parent Marisol Proctor (mother of Mia ’26). A native of Jalisco, Mexico, Marisol shared her story with the students – entirely in Spanish (the club’s ultimate goal). She shared her Mexican traditions and taught the students the meaning of some images of the traditional Lotería Mexicana.

At the club’s meetings, Mesa Española members are encouraged to participate in authentic cultural exchanges or celebrations, and they have the opportunity to meet guest speakers from both the FWCD and Fort Worth community who will share their cultural experiences. Casanova hopes to host about two meetings a month for students.  

Members of Mesa Española also will have the opportunity to meet and enjoy game days, tertulias (coordinator-guided informal conversations), movie nights, Baile Latino (Latin Dance), fiestas and book discussions. All activities will take place in Spanish to help students enhance their listening comprehension skills and hone their speaking skills. Activities like Mesa Española allow students to have an immersion-type experience in a classroom setting.