Salisbury AcademySpanish awards
Several world language students from Salisbury Academy attained national recognition for excellent performance on the 2011 National Spanish Examinations.
Silver medalists — Robbie Bergstone and Matt Washko, seventh-grade students.
Bronze medalists — Elle Wimmer, Jinesh Patel and Casey Roswarski, eighth-grade students.
Honorable mention —eighth-graders, Chris Distin, Ann Rollins Johnson, Gabe Steinman and Isabella Rusher; seventh-graders, Neel Chauhan, Jacob Crosby, Harrison Smith, Sam Uliana and Grace Yatawara.
“Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious,” said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, national director of the exams, “because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with 140,373 students participating in 2011.”
Students’ scores are compared against other students’ where the course content is equivalent to a full year of high school Spanish. Salisbury Academy students’ scores are compared against students in grades 7-12 throughout the country.
Students from Salisbury Academy have a history of high achievement on these exams. Students are taught by Spanish teacher Yasmin Lozano Harris. Students begin studying Spanish in junior kindergarten and continue through eighth grade.
“Learning a second language and the knowledge of other cultures is preparing our students to be citizens of the world,” according to Harris.
In addition to the students receiving medals from the National Spanish Exams, eighth- grade student Michael Anderson was recognized for having the most improved score within the middle school of Salisbury Academy.
The National Spanish Examinations are administered each year in grades six through 12, and are sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.