The Houston Independent School District's magnet program offers students choices from among a number of specialized educational programs across Houston. Each HISD magnet school provides both a core academic curriculum and specialty enrichment. School specialties are varied throughout the district to meet the diverse needs, interests, and talents of Houstonians.
The Kolter School's magnet program provides an education in foreign languages and cultures for all students. Emphasis is placed on the values and ideals of global understanding and responsible citizenship. While children at Kolter learn new languages as a key means of communicating and problem solving, they also learn about the people and cultures of the world. It is through this understanding that we nuture critical and compassionate thinkers who will become informed participants in our local communities and leaders in our world markets.
The foreign languages and cultures program at Kolter is based upon the structure of the FLES program (Foreign Language in Elementary School). The program begins at Kindergarten where students have the opportunity to explore each of the four languages offered at Kolter: Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish. Upon entering first grade, students have the opportunity to select one primary area of focus although students are continually educated about all cultures through links within the core academic curriculum.
From Kindergarten through fifth grade, language mastery and cultural awareness is developed through an integrated, experiential learning approach where great emphasis is placed on listening skills, speaking skills, and cultural context. Students spend 45 minutes each day participating in language and cultural development activities. They visit our language lab, which includes a high-tech audio/visual system, enabling teachers to develop students' foreign language skills in fun and
interactive ways. Students may choose to take part in an active dance program specific to the culture under study. They learn about culturally relevant art history and the replication of techniques used by famous Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish artists and craftsmen. In addition, students work in the Kolter computer lab, which offers every student his or her own computer and foreign language software application in order to develop skills vital in today's world and tomorrow's marketplace.
The Houston Independent School District's magnet program offers students choices from among a number of specialized educational programs across Houston. Each HISD magnet school provides both a core academic curriculum and specialty enrichment. School specialties are varied throughout the district to meet the diverse needs, interests, and talents of Houstonians.