East Point Academy expands global focus

West Columbia, SC (05/25/2021) -In keeping with East Point Academy’s motto, “Merging Cultures. Inspiring Minds. Expanding Horizons,” students at the Middle Campus now have the option to choose Spanish or Mandarin language courses. While East Point Academy will continue to offer a rich Mandarin language program, this move aims to provide parents and students at the middle level with choice, while making students more culturally aware, academically challenged and globally focused.

The inclusion of Spanish gives new students a language program option, and current students who are seasoned Mandarin speakers the option to add a third language to their repertoire. Leading the program is newly hired Spanish teacher Elaine Ruiz. She brings 15 years of teaching experience with her including an undergraduate from Bob Jones University, and a Master’s degree in counseling. With a goal of “Merging Cultures,” Ruiz explains “...As we learn to speak the language, we will also learn about many of the Spanish-speaking cultures in the world.”

Through the inclusion of Spanish, East Point Academy is looking towards a future that includes comprehensive global studies. “The world is becoming smaller everyday.” said Head of School, Mark Bounds. “Our students will compete against people from all over the world as adults. We will prepare them with the skills and abilities needed to be successful in school and in life.” The East Point Academy Middle Campus includes small class sizes, dedicated teachers and a variety of electives and extracurricular activities. The new Spanish track is another way East Point is responding to the needs of its students.