By Anne Bolthrunis
Over 60 Revere High School seniors were recently recognized for their strong multilingual skills at the second annual Revere Public Schools Bilingual Awards Ceremony on May 25. The award ceremony honored recipients of four awards, including the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy.
The Seal of Biliteracy is given by the RPS Multilingual Learner and World Language Department on behalf of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in recognition of graduating seniors who have studied and attained a high level of proficiency in two or more languages. Nine different partner languages were represented among this year’s award recipients: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Modern Standard Arabic, Egyptian Arabic, Haitian Creole, Krio, and Hindi.
Awards were broken into four categories, with some students receiving awards in more than one language. Of the 63 honorees, 13 students received the highest honor: the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction for advanced proficiency. 41 students received the Massachusetts Seal of Biliteracy, 6 received the Language Opportunity Coalition award, and 10 received Revere Public Schools Awards. Students earning the Seal of Biliteracy received medals to wear at graduation and official certificates of achievement. The Seal of Biliteracy is also noted on student transcripts and many colleges and universities offer credits for students who receive the honor.
In addition to demonstrating their language skills on assessments, students were also asked to write an essay in both languages in which they discuss the impact of bilingualism on their lives. Student work was published in “Our Voices: A Multilingual Anthologyâ€
At the ceremony, several students read excerpts from their bilingual essays, sang songs in their partner languages, and shared original poetry. Other speakers included Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe, Jr., Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lourenco Garcia, RHS Principal Christopher Bowen and Deputy Principal Caitlin Reilly.
For more information about the Seal of Biliteracy and to read this year’s multilingual anthology, please visit the RPS Multilingual Learner and World Language Program website. (Scan the QR Code above for a link to the RSP Multilingual Learner and World Language
