The 2025-26 school year is well underway at Juniata Valley High School, and the foreign language program is going through some significant changes after the departure of last year’s Spanish teacher, Miss Kayleigh Green. Spanish I is taught now by Mr. Felipe Rimmer, while Spanish II is offered via JV’s Virtual Learning Network (VLN) and is supervised by Mr. Bill Musser. Students can take Spanish III and IV independently through VLN as well.

Rimmer, who was born to a Spanish father and an English mother, grew up bilingual; speaking both languages fluently. Rimmer remarked of his youth, “I attended school in Spain, and I spent summers and Christmas holidays with my mother’s family in England.” He came to the United States on a basketball scholarship and lived with a family from Pennsylvania. After college, he taught Spanish for six years at a small school in Somerset County before he came to Juniata Valley in March of 2010. In December 2019, Rimmer made the switch from teaching Spanish to being the STEM teacher and Instructional Technology Specialist for the school district. Now, he has come full circle and is teaching Spanish once again, along with his other duties.

Referring to the addition of Spanish classes to his schedule this year, Rimmer noted, “It’s definitely keeping me busy! I’ve had to update my previous lesson plans to ensure I’m offering the best possible experience for students learning Spanish for the first time.” Mr. Rimmer also pointed out that he had to cut back on the multitude of STEM lessons for elementary students and sixth graders because of the adjustment to his schedule.

Lane Smith, a freshman who is taking Spanish I with Senor Rimmer declared, “I enjoy learning a new language and seeing the opportunities it opens for me.” Smith says he and his classmates have learned basic vocabulary words and phrases so far, and he is excited to learn more. He added that since Mr. Rimmer is a native Spanish speaker, he gives students “the opportunity to hear proper pronunciation and natural word flow that they might not get with a teacher whose first language is English.”

Mr. Bill Musser, who supervises students taking Spanish II during his second period, has taught Social Studies at Juniata Valley since 1998. Musser graduated from high school at Juniata Valley in 1991 and attended Bloomsburg University, where he graduated in 1996. When asked about the largest obstacle of supervising Spanish II, Musser responded, “The biggest challenge for adding Spanish to my schedule is my very basic knowledge of Spanish. I feel a little helpless from time to time when the students need assistance.” Sarah Foster, a JV student currently taking Spanish II voiced the same concerns as Musser. “Taking Spanish II online affects my ability to learn the language because there is no physical body to teach us or help us.” She continued by explaining, “We get a textbook, and online tests and questions. This can be confusing, and it makes it difficult to truly understand the language and how we speak it.” These concerns reflect a continuing trend in education. There are fewer and fewer college students going into the field of education. Thus, there are less candidates for positions.

High School Principal, Matt Franks revealed these changes were necessary because the school district was “not able to find a certified foreign language teacher.” Although foreign language classes are not a graduation requirement at JV, most colleges and universities want students to have taken two years of a foreign language,” Franks clarified.

As mentioned previously, Juniata Valley students currently have the option to take Spanish III and Spanish IV online, through VLN. Franks expressed his desire to offer those courses in the building (Of the high school)again in the near future. The school district is still searching for a “Part time Secondary Spanish teacher”. According to the JV website, the couse is still being advertised although Franks is uncertain if the position will be filled in the near future, or if a teacher will be hired next year.