World Language Awards Celebration - May 23, 2025

Wilmington, MA - On Friday, May 23,2025 the Wilmington World Language Department proudly hosted its third annual World Language Awards Celebration, a vibrant event dedicated to recognizing the extraordinary accomplishments of our students. From graduating seniors to impressive underclassmen, the room was filled with young scholars ready to embark on global adventures.

Carlos-Luis Brown, the Curriculum Team Leader for World Languages, kicked off the celebration by thanking everyone for attending and highlighting the department's immense pride in these "young, worldly scholars." The event honored two distinct groups: our graduating Class of 2025 seniors earning the prestigious Biliteracy Awards, and students who achieved high marks on the National Italian Exam, Le Grand Concours (National French Exam), and the National Spanish Exam. These national and international exams celebrate students' exceptional ability to understand and use their second language skills.

The celebration was enriched by a special video message from our middle school world language team, congratulating their former students. Attendees also enjoyed a look back at the year's adventures, from field trips to Boston's MFA to Latin Dance and Flamenco lessons, and even the first exchange trip to France and an exploration of the Galapagos Islands.

A highlight of the morning was the keynote address by Dr. Marc Beaudin, a Pediatric Neurology Resident at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Beaudin shared insights into the critical importance of being multilingual in his profession and the profound impact of language learning on the brain.

Honoring Biliteracy: A Mark of Global Citizenship

Wilmington holds a special place in the history of the Seal of Biliteracy, having been one of the first six districts in the state to pilot the program. This award signifies a high level of proficiency in two or more languages, demonstrating a student's readiness to engage with diverse cultures and communities.

Students were recognized across three tiers of Biliteracy Awards:

• LOC Biliteracy Attainment Award: Gillian Kane, Emma McClymer, Evander Ragsdale, Spencer Bagtaz, Dean Ciampa, Nicholas DiGiovanni, Alyssa Mahoney, Brady McLaughlin, William Restuccia, Ashvin Baker, Jillian Collins, Sydney Crane, Emily Estrada, Tyler Florencio, Domenic Guisti, Katherine Hao, Kaylee Heffernan, Benjamin Jamieson, Veronika Loshak, Sebastian Marchena, Justin Memory, Kurtis Powers, Ethan Schoenholtz, Marisol Shapiro, Derek Sun, Sophia Tassinari, Zachary Tran, Brennan Walsh

• LOC Biliteracy Achievement Award: Ellen Corradi, Tiphanny Da Silva, Terry Ding, Gabriella Fitzgibbons, Rebecca Hughes, Cameron Jenks, Jackson McDonald, Shivam Purohit

• Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy: Kyra Turner, Emily Barry, Sabrina Gray, Chloe Harbert-Serafino, Eduarda Jakob, Ricardo Jakob, Gabriel Montenegro Argueta, Jonathan Morales, Ian Pedraza, Alexander Perez, Valerya Pinemont, Isabella Serafim

National Language Exam Prowess

Wilmington High School boasts an impressive record, with students earning 470 national language award recognitions in French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin since 2013! This year, our students continued this tradition of excellence, standing out among over 140,000 students tested nationally and internationally.

Congratulations to our National Language Exam medalists and honorable mentions:

• National French Exam:

  • Honorable Mention: Adania Desnica, Purnima Thapa, Kevin Pruslin, Emily Hall

• National Italian Exam:

  • Honorable Mention: Jenna Giammarco
  • Bronze Medal: Olivia Saragosa, Charlotte Forcina, Parker Canevari, Vivian Ragsdale, Emma Tarin
  • Gold Medal: Timothy Casol

• National Spanish Exam:

  • Honorable Mention: Paulo Pereira, Annika Held, Jake Cronin, Kaitlyn Shackelford, Paola Rodrigues, Adam El Fassi, Celina Vo, Angelina Vo, Daniel D'Augusta, Vincent Anastasia, Elizabeth FitzPatrick, Caroline Donovan, Chloe Stryhalaleck, Declan Mulcahy, Diya Aneesh, Ciara O'Shea, Hannah Oliveira
  • Bronze Medal: Pravya Ramesh, Annette Fitzgibbons, Joshua Langley
  • Silver Medal: Allison Hall, Kyle Tibbetts, Jay Karani

The celebration concluded with a video message from Kristina Klebe, an American actress, director, producer, and writer, who shared her personal journey as a multilingual individual and the impact of language learning on her life.

Mr. Brown concluded the ceremony by reminding students of the powerful words of Robert Frost and encouraging them to continue on the "road less traveled" of multilingualism. He emphasized that these awards are not just certificates and medals, but "small steps in a lifetime of adventure," opening doors to unexpected possibilities.

In a memorable moment, Mr. Brown addressed the "Biliteracy Legends" in the language of the next generation, Gen Alpha, recognizing their "main character energy" and "linguistic rizz." Bet. 

Congratulations to all our world language award winners! Your hard work and dedication are truly inspiring, and we cannot wait to see the incredible paths you will forge as global citizens.

WHS Students - Register to test for the Seal of Biliteracy in YOUR Home Heritage Language

Wilmington Public Schools Awarded $11,814 Grant for World Language Program Enhancement

Join our World Language Advisory Committee!

World Language Advisory Team - Description and Timeline 

Estimated Timeline: March 25 - May 30, 2025

Click here to be a part of the team!

 

Description:

The World Language Advisory Team will serve as a collaborative body of stakeholders dedicated to supporting and enhancing the World Language program in Wilmington Public Schools. This team will play a crucial role in guiding the implementation of the Proficiency-based Outcomes in Languages Other than English grant, providing valuable feedback, and fostering communication between the school community and the World Language Department. The team will consist of representatives from various stakeholder groups, ensuring diverse perspectives and fostering a shared vision for language education.

Team Composition: The advisory team will attempt to include the following members, but will not be limited to:

• World Languages Curriculum Team Leader (facilitator)High School World Language Teachers (2-3 representatives)
• Middle School World Language Teachers (1-2 representatives)
• High School World Language Student Representatives (2-3 students)
• High School Heritage Language Representatives (2-3 students)
• Teachers, Students, Families, or Administrators with Special Education experience and/or needs (1-2 members)
• Parent/Guardian Representatives (2-3 parents, with a focus on seeking representation from families of diverse language backgrounds and abilities)
• School Administrator (e.g., Principal or Assistant Principal)
• Community Member (e.g., someone with expertise in language education or international business, school committee, local business owners)

Responsibilities

The World Language Advisory Team will:

• Review and provide feedback on the implementation of the grant-funded assessment plan.
• Discuss and offer input on the use of assessment data to inform curriculum development and instructional practices.
• Act as a communication liaison between the school community and the World Language Department, sharing information about program updates and initiatives.
• Provide feedback on the World Language program's strengths, areas for growth, and potential future directions.
• Explore opportunities to support and promote language learning within the wider community.

Timeline (March 1 - May 30, 2025):

• March 25 - April 2: Team Recruitment and Invitation: 
• The World Languages Curriculum Team Leader will identify and invite potential members to the advisory team, ensuring representation from all stakeholder groups. Invitations will clearly outline the team's purpose, responsibilities, and time commitment.
• April 5-8: Team Confirmation and Scheduling: 
• Confirm participation from invited members and establish a meeting schedule that accommodates everyone's availability. Aim for 2-3 meetings during this period. Determine meeting format (virtual, in-person, or hybrid).
• April 9 - 30: Initial Meetings & Grant Review: 
• The first meeting will focus on introductions, reviewing the grant proposal and its goals, and discussing the assessment plan.
• The second meeting will discuss the results of the Avant STAMP testing and how the data can be used to improve the program.
• May 1 - May 15: Feedback and Recommendations: 
• Subsequent meetings will focus on gathering feedback on program strengths and areas for improvement, brainstorming ideas for future program development, and discussing communication strategies to share program updates with the wider community.
• May 16 - 30: Summary Report and Next Steps: 
• The World Languages Curriculum Team Leader will compile a summary report of the advisory team's discussions and recommendations. This report will be shared with the team members and relevant school administrators. The final meeting will discuss next steps, including potential future meetings of the advisory team for the following school year and suggestions for grant application for next school year.

Communication: The World Languages Curriculum Team Leader will serve as the primary point of contact for the advisory team. Communication will be conducted through email, meetings, and potentially a shared online platform like the current website/blog set up for World Languages for document sharing and discussion.

Evaluation: The effectiveness of the advisory team will be evaluated through feedback from team members and the impact of their recommendations on the World Language program. The summary report will also serve as a valuable record of the team's contributions.

Considerations: The limited time commitment should be noted here. The team will try to limit participants' time commitment to no more than 4 hours per person. If more time is needed, the facilitator will run smaller sessions and create surveys to ensure all stakeholders are given the opportunity to share their perspectives.

Click here to be a part of the team!

Letter to Students and Families of Level 4 World Language Students - February, 2025