The New York State Seal of Biliteracy is a recognition granted to students who have demonstrated a high level of proficiency in English and another World Language. To earn this award, students must present a research project to a panel of evaluators and be interviewed—entirely in their target language. It typically takes years of language study for students to get to this point. Our seniors have spent the last year diligently researching a chosen topic, meeting regularly with their mentor, and preparing for a test in which an intermediate high level score is needed to pass.

Spanish teacher Rebecca Joslin, French teacher Christi Nelsen-Epstein, and Seal of Biliteracy Coordinator Valerie Stewart are extremely proud of their students.

“Our students worked diligently all year researching, planning, and preparing their oral presentations,” Ms. Stewart remarked. “This year we had our first triple biliterate achievement from Cocoro Asada, who received the Seal in three languages: English, French, and Japanese!

 “Watching the development of biliteracy in each one of these students has been incredibly rewarding. All understand the impact of language and culture in our society and now have an accomplishment they can be proud of as they continue their academic journey post secondary school,” she concluded.

Congratulations to the eight students who successfully presented in Spanish: 

Griffin VanDreason - “Pupusas”; Juan Martinez - “Impacto Social de los Artistas Latinos”; Gavin Rice - “Energía Nuclear de España”; Melanie Milla - “La Geografía de Perú”; Alexia Melendez - “Arroz”; Sarah Caloro - “La Arquitectura de Español”; Denise Gordon - “Artistas Latinos”; and Elias Sheldon - “Augusto Pinochet.”

Congratulations to the three students who successfully presented in French:

Sara Metawee - “Macarons et Macarons Congolais”; Lily Pizer - “La Nouvelle Vague”; and Cocoro (Coco) Asada - “Les Pâtisseries Françaises du Japon.” 

During the presentations, Coco Asada delighted classmates by serving them Japanese Matcha Madeleines, a tasty example of French influence on Japanese baking. Continuing her baking-themed project from last year—when she presented French pastries to earn the Seal of Biliteracy in French—Coco once again combined her culinary skills and cultural research to create a delicious and meaningful presentation.

For his project, Gavin Rice researched nuclear energy in Spain, and dressed the part by wearing a Hazmat suit! Gavin explained to his classmates that the country is actively phasing out nuclear power in favor of renewable energy sources. Gavin chose the topic due to his strong interest in engineering, though he shared that he recently decided to pursue biomedical engineering in college. 

Denise Gordon focused her project on several Latino/a artists, including Martine Gutierrez, a Latin American visual and performing artist, and Feliciano Centurión, a Paraguayan/Argentinian artist known for his use of fabric. As an artist herself, Denise was drawn to Gutierrez’s exploration of pop culture and identity, and Centurión’s unique textile-based work.

Congratulations to our bilingual students!