Berenice Applegate is one of two Spanish teachers at BHS. 

8th grader Gobin Hill enjoys Applegate’s class.

“Applegate is nice and has a good teaching ability,” he said

“Spanish can lead to better college opportunities and different jobs and better pay in the workforce,” he said, “but rolling your R’s is very hard.”

This is Applegate’s second year at BHS, and she has said many times that she likes it here. Applegate used to work in Lawrence.

Applegate teaches Spanish 1 and Spanish 2, as well as World Languages, at BJHS, where she instructs students in various languages in a more general context.

In Spanish 1, Applegate teaches the basics of the language and some of the history and culture. Currently, as of writing this, it is Hispanic Heritage month. During Hispanic Heritage month, she teaches about current figures and historical figures that range and vary.

“One of my favorite things to teach in both my Spanish classes as well as my World Language Exploration classes is different cultures from around the world,” she said.

“There is so much out there to learn, see, and experience, and I love that we get to bring a little bit of that to Baldwin City. I have really enjoyed being able to share my culture and heritage, and bring in guest speakers to share their experiences and cultures with us in my World Languages class,” she said.

It is currently October, which includes Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), a Spanish holiday that is celebrated across many cultures. In Applegate’s class, she teaches you about the history and cultures behind the holiday. 

Applegate likes her students and encourages them to do better.

“One of the things that I love most about BHS is all of the kids,” she said. “Every student that I have met here at BHS has been so kind, and they are such great human beings, she said. It makes me so happy to be their teacher. I love that we get to learn, laugh, and connect each day.”