Hispanic and Latino students make up more than a quarter of Coronado High School's enrollment. The campus is marking Hispanic Heritage Month with food, music and classroom projects.

The month runs from Tuesday, Sept. 15 through Thursday, Oct. 15 and brings a slate of cultural programming to CHS. Events include a Mexican Independence Day celebration organized by the Coronado High School PTO, a Biliteracy Award ceremony and a Cultural Fair, according to the Islander Times, the school's student newspaper.

The Independence Day celebration takes place during lunch in the quad and is open to all students. Senior Alejandra Castellanos told the Islander Times that the event features food, music and a mariachi performance.

"It felt like a piece of home because mariachi originated from where I'm from," Castellanos said.

Hispanic or Latino students accounted for 27% of CHS enrollment in the 2022-23 school year, the most recent data available, according to the school's accountability report. Total enrollment that year was 1,045.

Freshman Mariel Quiroz, who identifies as Mexican-American, told the student newspaper that her father is from Mexico City and her mother, also Mexican, was born in San Diego. Quiroz described distinct social patterns on campus, noting that students from Mexico tend to form their own groups while Mexican-American students mix more broadly.

In the classroom, world language teacher Maylen Sullivan weaves Hispanic culture into every level of the Spanish curriculum. Sullivan told the Islander Times that her Spanish 1 students research a city in the Spanish-speaking world and compare its landmarks and character to Coronado.

Sullivan also serves as the Coronado Unified School District's World Language Teacher on Special Assignment. She said Spanish class enrollment at CHS has fluctuated in recent years and that she wants to hear from students about what would motivate them to enroll in greater numbers.

The district has recognized language skills before. In June 2022, CHS presented 42 graduates with the California State Seal of Biliteracy, which honors students who demonstrate high proficiency in English and at least one other language, according to a district press release.

Specific dates for the Cultural Fair and Biliteracy Award ceremony have not been announced publicly.