First graders have Spanish class once each week for 25 minutes with the Marisa McAuliffe. Prior to the Spanish lesson the children view a short video with their homeroom teachers to prepare for the next lesson. The overall goal of the foreign language program is to make the students aware of how people communicate in another language and to expose the children to hearing a different language. They learn basic conversational use of vocabulary through stories, games, videos, and the computer. Although the teaching of Spanish begins to be a bit more rigorous, the playful and interactive approach of the program is maintained.

Spanish lessons are integrated into some of the first grade themes which include animals, friendship, helping others, and families. Other topics include colors, greetings, farewells and introductions, the study of people and objects, expressions of feeling, positive commands, days of the week, numbers from 1 to 30, and parts of the body.

Mexico is the main cultural subject in first grade. Throughout the year the children listen to traditional Mexican stories and celebrate holidays such as "El Dia de los Muertos" (November 1st and 2nd), "El Dia de Nuestra Senora de Guadelupe" (December 12th), "Las Posadas y La Navidad," (December 16th-25th) and "El Cinco de Mayo" (May 5th). The children study cultural symbols like the Mexican flag, the map, as well as geographic formations such as volcanoes and sites such as pyramids. They learn about Mexico's people, costumes, music and arts, games, currency, food, Pre-Columbian Mexico, and cultural heroes.