Get to Know Ellen Weirich in Any Language!

Celebrating 20 years of teaching, Ellen Weirich has a passion for language that began long before she dedicated her career to sharing it with others.

With a mother who taught French and a father in the field of social work, Ms. Weirich was surrounded by diverse perspectives and a deep appreciation for language and culture from a young age. 

“Through my family’s travels and our involvement with friends in the community, I grew up experiencing the beauty of other languages,” Ms. Weirich said.

Now a teacher of Spanish and French in our Middle and Upper School, Ms. Weirich enjoys watching her students discover the same love for languages and cultures from around the world.

“In Middle School, students are so full of excitement and enthusiasm for learning,” Ms. Weirich said. “But, at the same time, they are becoming more independent and developing critical thinking skills.” 

This unique stage of growth and discovery determines Ms. Weirich’s classroom and curriculum design that blends immersion, academics, and fun. With a colorful classroom adorned with posters from international destinations, each class transports students. One moment, students might imagine themselves speaking French in Tahiti or visiting Seville, Spain, all while working through their homework or practicing dialogue with classmates. This environment gives girls the chance to learn vibrantly, nurturing natural excitement for all ages.

Along with structured academics, Ms. Weirich designs dynamic lessons that provide real-world practice. You might see Middle Schoolers enjoying a Spanish-themed feast or staging a café experience to practice common conversation in a language. These interactions often extend beyond the classroom, leading to meaningful memories both for Ms. Weirich and her students.

“One year, one of my Spanish classes had been sending letters in the mail to their Chilean pen pals for months. During that year, a group of Chilean miners became trapped underground, and our Spanish students at St. Mary's, along with their Chilean pen pals, prayed and waited anxiously to see if the miners could be rescued. Once we learned that efforts were underway to save the miners, we then streamed the live rescue into our classroom, and we rejoiced as each miner was rescued,” Ms. Weirich said. “Later, in January, several of those same St. Mary's students went to Graceland to meet Mr. Edison Peña, one of the miners who had been rescued and whose dream it had been to see Graceland. Seeing the joy in my students' faces as they welcomed Mr. Peña to Memphis made me realize just how special it is to be a world language teacher. Learning other languages and being citizens of the world propel us beyond ourselves and unite us in our common humanity.”

For Ms. Weirich, this is the true joy of teaching – encouraging students to build meaningful connections across cultures. 

"Teaching is a calling. It is both an art and a passion. It is not about seeking perfection in one's field of study; it is how your love of learning, joie de vivre, and true spirit of encuentro spark curiosity in others.”

Ms. Weirich’s passion for her work extends far beyond the classroom as she guides students to embrace the world with empathy, curiosity, and a deeper understanding of one another. 

As Ms. Weirich puts it, “It is when our kindness, compassion, and patience encourage those sparks to grow that we then inspire future generations.”