SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) – Dreamer’s Academy will kick off its first school year on Thursday.

The dual-language charter school will serve students from kindergarten through fourth grade whose parents want them to get an education in English and Spanish.

“Very excited, we have actually had the chance to meet some of our families during open house,” said Jessica Perez Maqueda, Dreamer’s Academy teacher.

Kindergartners arrived at the new school on Wednesday to tour the building and meet with their teachers. Nearly 440 students are enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year.

Students will have a teacher in English and one in Spanish.

“Basically, we have an A/B schedule, a 50/50 model, and it’s a language allocation,” said Catherine Rodriguez, Dreamer’s Academy school leader.

“Our students are in their class with their peers and their English teacher, she teaches all content areas, and then they do the flip, so the next day, they’ll be with their Spanish teacher,” Rodriguez added.

Those teachers follow the same lesson plan. Michelle Bernhardt, an English teacher at Dreamer’s Academy, says it’s all about collaboration.

“We found the main idea in English, today we’re going to find the details in Spanish, so it progresses within the curriculum, progresses with the skills,” Bernhardt explained.

School leaders believe there was a need for a dual-language school in Sarasota County.

“Our Spanish families have grown in the area and our students get to maintain their native tongue; they get to connect with their families,” Rodriguez said.

Applications for the school can be found online.