Roosevelt High School Students Earn New York State Seal of Biliteracy

At the Roosevelt School District’s first ever Seal of Biliteracy ceremony, held last month, District leaders celebrated 21 Roosevelt High School scholars who became the first students in the district’s history to receive the New York State Seal of Biliteracy for multilingual proficiency in English and one or more other languages. During the powerful ceremony, students gave speeches in multiple languages, sharing their journeys and explaining the importance of biliteracy.

“Earning the Seal of Biliteracy is an outstanding accomplishment for our students, and we are so proud of all 21 of them for becoming the first in our history to reach this milestone,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Deborah Wortham. “This is a win for our school culture and educators as well, underscoring our staff’s dedication to supporting and nurturing empowered and globally ready scholars. Being bilingual truly is a superpower!”

The New York State Seal of Biliteracy allows students to thrive in both academic pursuits and future careers in an increasingly interconnected global society. Student recipients will be able to have this State Seal on their record moving into their careers as a status symbol to represent their biliteracy in an increasingly diverse society.

“The 21 students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy have made history here at Roosevelt and serve as role models whose success stories will inspire future students striving to become multilingual,” said Board of Education First Vice President Charlena Croutch. “We are so proud of our students for the tenacity, passion and determination they displayed on their journeys to reach such a tremendous achievement.”

During a speech to her staff and peers, student Dashka Fonrose described immigrating to America from Haiti at 12 and fearing that other students wouldn’t like her because of her accent. Her teacher told her that accents are what make language beautiful and she should be proud of her heritage and diversity. Despite the challenges she faced toward becoming multilingual, Dashka was determined and continued to study and connect with fellow students.

“My goal is to surprise myself and do what I thought only a few months ago was impossible, to understand others and make myself understood,” she said and thanked her teachers and support system at Roosevelt.

In another speech to the community, student Henri Vazquez shared his journey to America and congratulated his peers for the hard work and dedication they each put toward their studies and becoming multilingual.

Dashka Fonrose received the honor for proficiency in French and Haitian Creole and Cassayna received the honor for her literacy in Haitian Creole. Students receiving the honor for proficiency in Spanish included Hedili Amaya Argueta, Paz Campos Carbello, Erick Canelas, Obed Carbajal, Daniel Castro Iglesias, Brandon Ceballos, Carmen Chica, Marielis Cruz, Marcello Escoto Ulloa, Araceli Gonzalez, Melanie Lazo, Jenifer Martinez, Maria Navarro, Katherine Rivera, Yarlin Rodriguez, Yarmin Rodriguez, Idalia Saenz Lopez, Lara Sanchez Quero and Henri Vasquez.

Earning the Seal of Biliteracy would not be possible without Roosevelt’s committed staff, including Superintendent Dr. Wortham, Roosevelt High School Interim Principal Carleen Henry, Interim Assistant Principal Dr. Maria Vineyard and Director of ENL/Bilingual Programs and World Languages Xiomara Gonzalez.

The District hopes to expand its biliteracy offerings in the coming years to help students become proficient in Italian, American Sign Language and Mandarin.

To learn more about the Roosevelt Union Free School District, please visit the District's website at https://www.rooseveltufsd.org. Happenings in the District can also be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RooseveltUFSD.