Hall's new Chestnut Mountain School and World Language Academy open

Chestnut Mountain - Hall County's first charter school and World Language Academy opened for learning Thursday on Winder Highway at the site of the former Chestnut Mountain Elementary School.

Complete dual language immersion began with Hispanic kindergarten and first grade students beginning to hear and learn English and English speaking students beginning to learn Spanish.

Second through fifth grade students began their foreign language component including Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Stephanie Chambers said it's an advantage for her daughter, Jadyn.

"I think it's going to give them a leg up when they get older and they know at least two different languages," she said. " After they learn that second language it's easier to learn a third language."

System spokesman Gordon Higgins said the Academy is an elementary school plus.

"This is a first for us, a charter school and a school of choice and what a school it is with dual immersion, a world language academy," Higgins said. "It's where students will have the opportunity to be immersed in foreign language development beginning in kindergarten all the way through fifth grade.

"We're looking for an initial enrollment of 400 students."

"It's amazing, quite overwhelming," Principal David Moody said. "We've had a smooth morning and I'm ready to visit class rooms and see the learning."

Hall County also began the school year with a new Chestnut Mountain Elementary School in south Hall County.

The huge new school, big enough for 900 students, was ready and waiting on Union Church Road.

Prinicpal Sabrina May said the only thing missing was the Media Center furniture, but it was on the way.

"The whole school is ready and our teachers are very excited," May said. "The place is absolutely transformed since we had our community open house in July. "Right now we have close to 700 students registered and we're projecting 741 this year."

Chestnut Mountain, built to meet Hall's ever expanding school population, features 48 classrooms, a media center, a gym and skylights.