photo credit: Shelby Geragotelis ’26

Lately, it's been all fun and games in Natalia Aragon’s Spanish III class. Or as her students would say: diversión y juegos.

To help students practice words and phrases related to navigating a city — giving directions and identifying places like the bank and post office — Aragon challenged her class to move beyond traditional study methods. Working in small groups, students created board games that brought their vocabulary to life through play.

Each group designed colorful boards filled with engaging drawings, thoughtfully tailored for younger learners. “I was excited to have a project that was extremely creative. It was a fun process to create the board game,” said Fiona Roustan ’28, whose parents both work in artistic fields, including her mother, a graphic designer at Mattel. Classmate Zach Morrissey ’27 added, “I really enjoyed putting my own spin on a classic board game, Monopoly.”

Once the games were complete, students took their learning beyond the classroom. The Spanish III students visited fourth graders at Rectory School, where they shared their creations during Spanish class. Speaking exclusively in Spanish, they explained the rules, modeled vocabulary, and guided gameplay. “The Rectory students were so excited to play the games, earn money, and win,” said Park McCoy ’28. “The experience helped me become more comfortable speaking Spanish.”

That confidence will serve them well when the class travels to Mérida, Yucatán, for an intensive language immersion experience during Project: Pomfret. “The visit to Rectory taught me how to communicate with people I don't usually interact with and adapt how I speak so they can understand me,” Zach said.

The vocabulary practiced through play — words for places, directions, and daily interactions — will soon be put to use as students navigate the streets of Mérida, transforming classroom learning into real-world connections.

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