La Fin à French - The End of French By Erika Capella '27, Emmie Huynh '27, and Dy'lea Muhummad '28. Produced by Emmie Huynh '27.

After the French Department’s phasing out was announced in December by an email sent out from the Upper School (US) Office, there has been confusion as to why the school decided to end the French Program and criticism for not sharing those reasons with the community.

According to administrators, the change was driven by a historical decline (both at MFS and nationwide) in enrollment rates in French classes and was not due to the financial status of the school, as many members of the community have speculated.

Meredith Godley, the Associate Head of School and Academic Dean, expressed that “there have been conversations for a number of years tracking enrollment in the three languages [provided at MFS], and particularly in French … [it had been] a conversation that has come up periodically over the last 10 to 12 years.”

Godley explained that discussions about ending the French program have been occurring since the summer before the 2024-2025 school year.

“It was a board-level decision.” — Meredith Godley

Godley said, “The Board of Trustees made the ultimate decision … They essentially govern the school. But in terms of looking at our programs and sunsetting programs, the main people who focused on that were division directors, the Associate Head of School, the Head of School, and the administrative council.”

French teacher Jobi Dan’Sy shared that she “didn’t have any involvement” in this decision whatsoever and was only notified a few days prior to the schoolwide email.

“It was very disappointing, because when I asked about how the decision was made, it became clear that people that are involved in the program on a daily basis didn't have a voice in any of the process of making decisions.” — Jobi Dan’Sy

Lack of student enrollment in French classes was identified as the foremost reason for this curriculum change by multiple administrators.

“I think we’re responding to the choices students are making, and how we can best respond to student choice with the resources that we have and student interest,” said US Director Noah Rachlin.

He brought up how AP Chemistry and AP Physics C are offered in alternating years to provide classes of student interest, and how fluctuations in section numbers for AP Psychology have resulted in programmatic changes in those courses as well.

Terminating courses is not a new phenomenon for MFS; classes like AP Music Theory have been eliminated in years prior due to low enrollment.

“There is a difference between sunsetting a course and a program. So I would say usually the board isn't involved in something like a course that no longer has enough enrollment, but when it's an entire program and a trend pointing toward not enough kids in the actual language program, then the board weighs in,” Godley said.

“The number one driver is the trend, both at MFS and nationally, toward fewer people taking French,” added Godley.

MFS administration has faced student criticism for not discussing the ending of the French program during any recent US Assemblies on the changes. In December, when US curriculum changes were announced to the student body, the French program’s removal was not mentioned. However, Rachlin clarified that the December assembly discussing US curriculum changes was organized to present information that pertains to the entire community.

“Our thinking, maybe incorrectly, was that the best way to communicate [about this issue] was to speak directly with the small number of students and families who are impacted by the decision." — Noah Rachlin

"The overwhelming majority of the student body [are already studying another language] … so the decision to sunset the [French] program and what opportunities students would have to continue studying French wasn’t relevant … It wasn’t necessarily that we ran out of time [to present the changes to the French curriculum],” he said.

Godley gave a similar response, saying that “[they] didn't want to diffuse [their] efforts and focus on anyone other than the people who are taking French right now and directly affected.”

Head of School Julia de la Torre refuted any thoughts of a sudden lack of funding being the reason for the department’s end, as “the budget of the school supports all the [school’s] programs.”

“Whether you are supporting a class of two kids or eighteen kids, the cost is the same … Any healthy school that’s been around for a long time is always going to want to use its resources in the best way possible," she said.

"It’s not about funding going away. Instead, it’s about what we are investing in the resources that we’ve been given in programs that students are wanting to take.” — Julia de la Torre

Although MFS does not plan on replacing French with another language (such as Latin, which is offered at other competitive schools in the area, such as The Lawrenceville School and George School), de la Torre is introducing a new Global Certificate program that would continue to lean into the school’s strategic priorities of global engagement.

“We're looking in the next year to add a global certificate program in the high school, which would be a really amazing application-based program, that if kids would like to specialize in a track related to global studies, they could do that and receive a special designation upon their diploma when they graduate from the school,” she explained.

The program requirements are still being developed, but taking four years of language, going on an international Intensive Learning trip, and creating a portfolio that features work from different classes that have prompted students to think through a global lens are all facets of this upcoming program for students in the coming years.

“We [will] continue to have Spanish and Chinese as robust options for kids, and adding the One Schoolhouse partnership [for French students to continue taking classes online] gives kids more choice in picking things that interest them if they have a particular interest in Global Studies. We're very committed to it. In fact, we want to grow the global work that the school is doing in the coming years. That means having richer Intensive Learning options for kids, which I'm sure you've noticed that those have really strengthened in recent years. That's all part of that strategic direction around global engagement,” said de la Torre.

With MFS’s decision to cut the French program, Upper School French teacher Céline Bonnemaiso will be teaching her final months at MFS this Spring of 2025. Bonnemaiso has been an integral part of the program since 2022, serving as the sole Upper School French teacher for over 30 students across four different grade levels. She led the French Immersion Intensive Learning program in 2024, MFS’s first trip to France since the pandemic. Now, stepping into her last few weeks as a French teacher at MFS, Bonnemaiso spoke with MFS WordsWorth on her emotions, concerns, passion, and heartbreak regarding the French program’s removal.

WordsWorth: When did you first hear about the French program being removed?

Céline Bonnemaiso: It was two weeks before Christmas when Ms. de La Torre and Ms. Godley told [me and Jobi Dan’Sy] about it. We got the notice of the program getting removed three days before the rest of the school got the official email about the program getting removed.

WW: What was that conversation with Headmaster Julia de la Torre and Associate Head of School Meredith Godley like?

CB: We got an email in the morning that we had a meeting [with them,] and then they told us that our numbers were too low, so the program was phasing out because we didn’t have enough students. This is also very strange, because we had 17 [new] students join the program in the seventh grade. It was very strange and also news that we never heard of before. Suddenly, they told us that the program was leaving, pretty much at the same time as when the rest of the community found out.

WW: Were you given any opportunities to try to defend the program’s existence?

CB: We tried. Ms. Dan’Sy wrote an email. We tried to defend the program, but they told us that the decision was made. We also wanted to let our students who are sophomores and juniors finish their years in the course to the [maximum level] of study, but they told us [the program] was going online and we didn’t have any opportunities to fix it. So, I was let go, and Ms. Dan’Sy [will] be phased out after 3 years when the [current seventh graders] [finish] the necessary graduation language requirements.

WW: What was the reasoning that they gave you for removing the French Program?

CB: It was because we do not have enough enrollment in the French program. Nothing was mentioned about financing [issues]. There is a lower enrollment [in the school overall], but I don’t see why French would be the only program impacted by [this]; all the classes at MFS should be impacted [by lower enrollment]. If it’s everywhere, it’s not just a French problem. But from what they [told us,] it was mostly [because] we didn’t have enough enrollment in our class; that’s why it’s getting phased out.

WW: When did you tell your students, and what was that conversation like?

CB: We couldn’t talk [to them] until Friday, after they received the email [on Thursday night]. Ms. Dan’Sy and I learned [about their decision] on Monday. Talking to my students on [that] Friday was terrible. It was the worst feeling. I’m French and American, but I’m foremost French. To have this feeling, [it was] like I let [my students] down because I would not be able to fully finish with them.

"French is more than the language for me; it’s who I am. I’m French and American, but I’m foremost French. To have this feeling, [it was] like I let [my students] down because I would not be able to fully finish with them." — Céline Bonnemaiso

I’m really attached to my students. The sophomores, I have been with them for three years, my seniors, I [have taught for] two years, and my juniors, I have been with [for] two years as well. As a teacher, you are attached to your students. We create great connections [with] them. We couldn’t tell them [about the removal of the program] before because we as well didn’t know before. So the conversation [that day] was very, very sad, a lot of quiet.

WW: Do you feel like this decision to take out the French program was well made?

CB: I don’t know. I think French was an easy target, because when Ms. Dan’Sy and I arrived in the program, the program had been exposed to declining numbers before, but we had been fighting very hard to build the program up. We have 17 students in the seventh grade in the program; we were really happy [with the progress]. We knew [the program] was growing back. For me, maybe we could have at least talked through [the program’s removal,] or at least finished out the program with the juniors and sophomores in-person.

WW: What is the difference between teaching students French through an online program like Schoolhouse, versus in person learning with a teacher?

CB: It’s online. When class is online, [you are] behind a computer and you have a large number of students behind the screen. In a classroom, even when you have larger classes, we can interact with our students.

"Behind a screen, it’s very hard to assess everybody and to talk with everybody and to even learn the way you would like to; you don’t have the same freedom. [Learning] is not as fun [online] either; it’s behind a computer." — Céline Bonnemaiso

WW: What has the response from other faculty members been like?

CB: People were really sad. Mr. Rachlin and other colleagues came to [talk to me]. It was very much a shock because nobody knew; Ms. Dan’Sy and I didn’t know [before,] so nobody asked [us about it.] But, it was not something we tried to hide or didn’t [want to] talk about. It was very very sad, just a very strange feeling, even [for me], to find the motivation to finish the year after [learning] the program would be removed. Everybody was very nice and in shock, of course.

WW: When did they tell other faculty about the removal of the program?

CB: It was in the Meeting House during [a faculty] meeting. I was lucky enough to be exempt from the meeting, like I didn’t have to go while they announced it in the Meeting House. I didn’t want to be there, Ms. Dan’Sy didn’t want to be there either. We didn’t want to be in the room when they told [everyone]. After that, I got some texts when [other faculty] realized, but we were able to not be there, which I was very happy about because I didn’t want to be in the room when that happened.

WW: Do you think other programs will face similar issues to the French program in the future?

CB: “I don’t know. For me, it’s sad to cut a language and not replace it. I [wouldn’t] have any problem if they cut the French program and wanted to replace it with something else.

"Especially when [MFS] wants to be a global school, it’s important to learn language and culture. When you learn a language, you learn so many things, a [new] way of life. [It] exposes you to so many great things." — Céline Bonnemaiso

If it was replaced by something else, I probably would be less upset about it. But, for me, to remove a full program and not replace it, even if it’s online, it’s not the same. I think it’s sad. It’s a sad thing to do.

WW: What is your new role in the admissions office, and how did you get that position?

CB: I went to ask the admissions office [about the role.] I thought, oh maybe I can still be around and be with the students, a tiny bit [in this role.] So next year I will work in the admissions office, but I will still be an advisor, which I am super happy about. I’m also going to be [working] with the student ambassadors, so I’m very excited about that part of the job, and also to be able to see some of my students graduate. That’s what I am really happy about, that I still had something. Otherwise, I would be gone; I would not [have been able to come] back.

Late Breaking Update as of June 2, 2025: Céline Bonnemaiso will not be working at the admissions office at MFS and will teach French at Germantown Friends School next school year.

WW: What does this school and your French program mean to you?

“I love the school, I am really happy, and I have really enjoyed it. My colleagues and students are creative and I have created strong bonds with my students." — Céline Bonnemaiso

CB: Even with students who are not in French I connect with and I love that. The French program is a part of me that is dying. To watch it fall apart and know that [the removal] is real, [that] it has begun, is very sad.

Disclaimer: The contents of the following section are the sole opinions of each author and are not affiliated with WordsWorth.

Following the announcement of the discontinuation of the MFS French Program, WordsWorth asked Upper School French students this question: What does the removal of the French program mean to you?

Olivia Arzu '27

Removing the French program is greatly disappointing; it takes away important opportunities for students to have meaningful and productive conversations that aid in the overall development of our French education. It also simultaneously decreases the diversity of the education we receive here at MFS. What’s extremely upsetting is how it’s being removed: the students who committed to learning the language are now disadvantaged by not having the vital, in-person interactions necessary to fully immerse themselves in language learning. This, paired with the lack of communication and forewarning regarding this decision, is deeply frustrating. I, along with many others who chose to study French in seventh grade, was looking forward to building relationships with my teachers and going on field trips where I could use and develop my French skills. In the classroom, we not only learn French, but also about important traditions, food, and celebrations within numerous Francophone countries. Losing this program not only feels like I’m losing a key part of my education, but also one of the best teachers this school has offered me.

Madame B has been an amazing teacher who is always passionate, supportive, and playful. Her teaching has made French more than just a subject: she made it a class I look forward to every day — a space that boosts everyone’s confidence and curiosity from College Prep to AP-level learners. Madame B and Madame Dan’Sy created an interconnected French appreciation community within the school by hosting different unique French activities, from crepe-making to having us participate in a French music bracket competition. The removal of the program doesn’t just impact those who love language learning — it diminishes the diversity of the education at MFS, especially considering the French program is not being replaced with another language program. The removal is simply taking away an opportunity that has helped so many students grow.

Maya Sevrin ’27

French wasn’t just a class: it was a community. In seventh grade, there were six people in my French class. In this year's seventh-grade French class, there are now 16 people. Being a shy kid, I always did better in a class where I was comfortable with my peers and teacher, and French provided me with that environment. The bond in our class was so natural; there was no pressure to be a perfect speaker, but we learned together and improved as a group. This is an experience I've only been able to gain in the small group setting of MFS’s French classes. I didn’t necessarily take French because I wanted to learn the language; French was a way I could be closer to my grandma, who used to try and teach me little French phrases when I was younger. Now, I’ll occasionally call my grandma and surprise her by beginning our conversation in French. On Grandparents’ Day, my grandma begged me to let her speak to my French teacher, Ms. B. Two years later, my grandma still laughs about how they had matching bags and how she wants to come to school and talk to Ms. B again. Now that French is getting removed as a language taught as an in-person course at MFS, she will never be able to. The French program is so much more than a class: it has helped me connect to my family and become more confident as a student.

Sanaa Rodwell-Simon ’28

I remember the moment I found out that the French program was being cancelled quite vividly. One of my friends told me, and I didn’t believe her at first. I distinctly remember laughing it off and thinking it was a joke, until she showed me her phone with the email detailing the “sunsetting” of the program. All of this goes to say that I was pretty upset about the cancellation. I still am, since there are a number of things that went into it that don’t sit right with me. It was a decision made without any regard to Quaker values and the Quaker process. I understand that many things at MFS can’t be done in perfect alignment with Quaker values, but I feel like the way the school went about cancelling the program was not only unaligned with Quaker values but also completely went against them. None of the French teachers or students were involved in the conversation leading up to the cancellation; we were all kind of blindsided by it. It just feels to me that not including people who will be affected by this change in the decision-making process strays so far from our school’s belief in the importance of community.

On a more personal note, another reason why I was disappointed by this cancellation was that I was really looking forward to where French would take me throughout the rest of high school and beyond. I’ve never been taught French by Madame Bonnemaiso, but I had a study hall with her in the first semester of this school year, and those periods got me so excited for when she would eventually teach me. She has such a genuine and sunny personality that she maintains while also simply being a great teacher; I remember one study hall when I told her I was struggling with a specific type of conjugation, and she spent 20 minutes explaining it to me in a way that made everything seem so clear. She’s the type of teacher who pushes you to do your best, but not in a way that stresses you out. So, of course, I was disappointed to hear that not only would I not be able to take French in person after sophomore year, but I wouldn’t be able to be taught by her. Also, I was considering joining the National French Honor Society as an upperclassman and possibly studying the language in college, and now that the program is gone, I feel like I can’t do either of those things.

Although it was made out to be an easy, impalpable switch in the email sent out to French students, I know that being taught French online will be an incredibly big change that I’m not planning on taking. Anybody who remembers online school during quarantine knows how taxing, boring, and completely different it is from learning in person. I know that if I take French online, it will take away my love for the language—not that I have that much left anymore. In the first semester, before the cancellation was announced, I felt so much genuine passion for French, and to put it simply, most of that passion has slipped away from me because I don’t have a future with the language here at MFS anymore.

Lorelei Short ’27

When I was asked the question of what the removal of the French program meant to me, I had to really think about it. I’ve been taking this class for years, and when I was told I would no longer be able to take the same class with the teacher I’ve loved since I first had her, I was devastated. I first had Madame Bonnemaiso in 8th grade, and I knew she was the kind of teacher who cared about her students immensely. Throughout the years of her being my teacher, she has shared parts of her personal culture, told us stories, shared food, and created an irreplaceable environment for my peers and me.

When I read the email saying that the class and teacher who have become a huge part of my life and education were being removed, I was heartbroken. I realized that the following year I wouldn’t be met with the same big smile and the happy “bonjour!” Madame built an environment that felt safe to ask questions, make jokes, and mess up in. I had to accept that I wasn’t just losing a class on a report card, but I was losing a group of people and a teacher who meant a vast amount to me. Removing this program affects my life in so many ways. Besides losing a classroom I care about, I now have to learn a language from a computer screen. I will lose any sense of interpersonal relationship with my language professor and be in a similar situation to about 18 other kids. I no longer have access to flowing personal conversation or connections. Although they came up with a replacement for the removal of our program, it’s lazy, subpar, and unaligned with the true educational values of our school. I am grateful for a semblance of a replacement, but I am highly disappointed and displeased with the caliber of replacement they chose. Removing this in-person program will affect the future and mindset of most students participating.

Aforementioned, when I was asked what removing this program meant, it caused a great deal of reflection about my experience with the French teachers. Madame Bonnemaiso is a teacher loved by many and most. She is the kind of teacher who takes months to get to know her students personally. When I first met her back in eighth grade, I had no idea how much I would come to love the language. I took an immediate liking to French and never looked back. I tried my hardest in everything, took all of the trips, did all of the experiences, and tried everything I could. She became my favorite teacher. Now that I’m in my sophomore year of high school, I have gained a better understanding of the language and can speak it better. I’m able to carry on personal conversations with Madame in French, and we share a relationship that most students and teachers strive to have. She has encouraged every crazy idea I’ve had for taking summer courses and even helped me search for them. She listened to gossip, other classes, struggles, jokes, stories, and just about anything and everything we could talk about. She laughed with us, taught us everything she could, told us her own stories, and finally cried with us when we heard the news about our program. It may sound dramatic, stupid, or even weird, but she has taught me so much beyond being a student. She has had a significant influence on my life beyond contributing to my education. Some people may find it weird that I get so emotional over a teacher and a course, but they never got to experience the wonder, joy, and excitement that Madame brings to every room she is in.

Alex Bienstock ’28

My experience in the French Language program at MFS has been nothing short of incredible from the moment I stepped foot into Madame Dan’Sy’s classroom. I transferred from my previous school to MFS halfway through seventh grade. At the time, I had to choose a language, and I gravitated towards French, even though I had no prior knowledge of speaking or understanding the language. Madame Dan’Sy was incredibly welcoming to me (despite how clueless I was), and after meeting with two tutors, I was nearly caught up with the other students by the end of the year.

Since then, I’ve been expanding my knowledge of the language through lessons, games, activities, and so much more. Not only has the class helped me in terms of being able to read, speak, or just overall understand French, but the course also helped me to improve other skills that would not have been as easy for me to learn without the program. As a new student, taking French encouraged me to come out of my shell, participate in class, and engage in conversations with peers without feeling self-conscious. It also provided me with meaningful leadership opportunities during multiple grade events that I will forever be grateful for having.

I could go on about all the amazing things about French class, so, as you can imagine, I was devastated to hear that MFS had decided to cease offering the course as an option. Between all the positive experiences I had in the course and all of the meaningful connections I developed with my peers and Madame Dan’Sy, hearing that the program was being cut made me incredibly disappointed as a student for numerous reasons. I feel that the voices of students are not being heard and were not at all included in the choice; this, furthermore, fuels my disappointment, especially as the Quaker values that MFS follows include Community and Equality. Future students who may have been excited about taking the language will no longer have the option to.

While I can somewhat understand the reasoning behind this, I am unsettled at the decision based on the reasons that were outwardly given to the community. In response to the reasoning behind a decline in class sizes, I feel that a big aspect of MFS that I was incredibly drawn to as a new student was the promise of smaller class sizes, which is also mentioned on the MFS website. Cutting the French program because of the decrease in students per class seems contradictory to this.

Overall, I know my response may not sway the school’s decision; however, getting my voice and opinions heard is important to me, and I feel very strongly about this situation. As a student at Moorestown Friends School, I am immensely disheartened and disappointed at this change in the curriculum, and hope that in the future, major decisions like this will be considered through the eyes of the students, and not just of the adults in charge.

Chloe Marshall ’26

I learned the words to “Les Champs-Élysées,” a song about the famous Champs-Élysées street in Paris, in seventh-grade French with Madame Dan’Sy. Because my sister had learned the song in the same classroom four years prior, it was easy for me to learn as well. That was during the pandemic, at a time when it was very difficult to feel connected with my peers.

Last year, when I visited France for Intensive Learning, I blasted the song in my headphones while driving down the Champs-Élysées. My smile was so big that my face hurt once the song was over. I was able to share that moment with my French teachers — Madame Dan’Sy and Madame Bonnemaiso — who were two people whose kindness and encouragement have always stretched far beyond their classrooms.

After five years of studying French language and culture, I felt like everything had led up to my time in France. I recognized paintings in La Musée d’Orsay, could read plaques on the sides of Parisian buildings, and communicated with my host family enough to learn that Léa (my host sister) likes the same books that I do.

Over the years, I’ve presented to younger French students about why they should continue with the program. Ironically, I find that trying to explain how much I love French is almost as difficult as explaining how the dissolution of it makes me feel.

The language barrier was not fully broken during my trip to France, compelling me to work harder in and outside of class. I decided that I wanted to take AP French in twelfth grade and maybe even minor in the language in college. More than anything, I wanted to continue learning French in Madame Bonnemaiso’s class. She has always challenged me, brought excitement and laughter into the room, and encouraged my growing interest in French culture. That was my plan until December, when we got the news that the French program would be phased out.

Now, it’s like I’m back in seventh grade during the pandemic, when I couldn’t properly see or hear my peers, but I’m instead expected to take my AP French class online. This program has taught me from day one how essential immersion is for language students, so I see this online alternative as a slap in the face. I had only a few months' notice for a change that alters a plan I’ve had since I was 12. I’ve taken French since sixth grade, and with one year left, I feel abandoned.

Malgré cela, je lutterai pour ne pas perdre l’amour que mes professeurs ont cultivé en moi pour la langue et la culture française. [Despite this, I will fight to not lose the love my teachers have cultivated in me for the French language and culture.]

MFS has decided to replace its current in-person French classes beyond level 3 with One Schoolhouse starting in the fall of 2025.

MFS has worked with One Schoolhouse, an online program that allows students to take courses not offered at school, for numerous years. This change means that any current French students wishing to continue taking the language past level 3 will have to enroll in this program.

Upper School Director Noah Rachlin explained, “[One Schoolhouse] is a consortium of independent schools who sign on, and the courses are taught by independent teachers … We have used One Schoolhouse in recent years, most immediately for students who entered MFS and were not at the same language level as their classmates.”

“We’ve used One Schoolhouse as a way to say to a student that you still are a part of this community. You’re still enrolled in all these other classes, and this is the way that you can continue to study world language.” — Noah Rachlin

Rachlin said that there is not yet a concrete plan for students wishing to continue higher-level French classes next year in terms of classrooms and supervisors, as administration is waiting to see the number of students interested through the course selection forms. However, if students choose to continue the French program into higher levels of the language, One Schoolhouse will be the provided learning platform.

Being a former US teacher himself, Rachlin did not view this online program as detrimental to the quality of learning that French students will be receiving next year.

“I think that there are benefits to in-person instruction that you might not get in a virtual setting. I think there are benefits to virtual instruction, especially virtual instruction that has asynchronous components, that you might not get in an in-person setting,” said Rachlin. He added, “I think it’s less about a one-to-one comparison of the two experiences versus thinking about the quality of the experiences, and if the quality meets our expectations of the type of educational experience that students should be receiving.”

Although students’ awareness of this program has heightened due to the recent developments in the World Language Department, One Schoolhouse has been used for a variety of other courses.

As a new student to MFS this year, Lyla Malik ’27 is currently enrolled in Spanish 2 on One Schoolhouse. She explained that due to her level of Spanish education prior to coming to MFS, she will fulfill her language requirement by spending another year learning Spanish on this online program.

When describing her typical world language class period, Malik said, “I just have to go to the Upper School Office, and everything is online. I’m not actively [working] with a teacher; it’s a website where I can complete all of the assignments on my own time.”

Although she was only required to meet with a teacher via Zoom once per quarter, Malik said that she would have conferences almost weekly for extra assistance.

When describing her thoughts on this program, Malik said, “I don’t know if it’s that effective. First of all, I feel like a lot of the stuff that they’re teaching me are things that I kind of learned last year. I expected to learn a little bit more, but the work is pretty easy. It’s also a little ineffective that they don’t take points off for [assignments] being late, because in in-person classes, they do. And so that almost gets you used to that. It’s not something that you want to get used to.”

“It’s manageable, definitely. So it allows me to put in more time [for] my other classes, which is good,” Malik continued.

“But, I don’t think that I would be able to [proceed in higher-level Spanish classes at MFS]. I looked at the [textbook] for what we would be learning next year, and I don’t know most of the stuff.” — Lyla Malik ’27

An experienced Spanish learner, Olivia Martin ’27 took the equivalent of Spanish 4 (pre-AP) on One Schoolhouse last year.

Martin said that her schedule usually consisted of about seven assignments per week. Although individual assignments weren’t very time-consuming, she noted that she found herself spending three to four hours on the program if she was completing multiple assignments at once.

“You can honestly pick [when to complete your assignments] whenever you want to, because it’s asynchronous.” — Olivia Martin ’27

Martin explained that she did not have to take any quizzes or tests in the course, but she was assigned a multitude of projects that were graded by a teacher-designed rubric. She had weekly one-on-one check-ins and watched explainer videos by her teacher as part of the curriculum.

“I think it did the best that it could for an online course, but I think the fact that it was asynchronous also hurt me a little bit, because I got almost no speaking exposure, and I feel like that’s one of the most important parts of learning the language. So in that sense, it didn’t prepare me for this year,” she concluded.