The 4th annual Bilingual Achievement Ceremony was held on Oct. 7, featuring over 280 students from all 11 Arcadia Unified School District (AUSD) schools. That evening, parents and students alike filed into the Performing Arts Center (PAC), anticipating the start of the ceremony.
Four years ago, Principal Angela Dillman suggested the idea to recognize English learners who have achieved fluency in the language, creating a new district-wide tradition. Featuring students who have been English Language Development (ELD) students, the event celebrated the work of those who had passed a set of requirements and were therefore reclassified as having “Fluent English Proficiency.”
The district has specific requirements that allow students to reclassify as Fluent English Speakers, including a score of 4 on the Summative English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC), a grade-level appropriate Lexile score, and proficiency in grade-level reading assessments. Teacher input and parent consultation are also an important aspect of the reclassification process.
The planning process took considerable effort to ensure the event went smoothly.
“I really enjoyed [coordinating and planning] the ceremony, and I feel so proud of the students,” said Dr. Andrea Mendoza, the coordinator of the event, adding that learning a new language in a school setting “isn’t really celebrated enough.”
Dr. Mendoza mentioned that she, along with Dr. Dillman and other administrative staff, organized and planned many aspects of the event, including compiling lists of reclassified students and creating certificates.
During the ceremony, the students of each school assembled with their respective principal as they waited to be recognized. Once on stage, the students each said their name into the microphone as their parents and friends cheered. Additionally, this year saw the recognition of reclassified high school seniors who had already graduated, something that was not previously done.
In addition to administrative staff, Arcadia High School’s (AHS) Seniors of Merit at Work (SMW) also contributed to ensuring the event ran smoothly. This included guiding families to their seats and cleaning up after the event.
“Following the end of the awards ceremony, [we] led families through the PAC to take pictures with their children behind the Arcadia PAC backdrop alongside Dr. Dillman,” said SMW president Zachary Sakti.This calls attention to the significance of parents and family members as pillars of support in the students’ individual journeys to becoming reclassified.
“We appreciate and recognize the parents’ efforts as well,” said Dr. Mendoza, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and the partnership that goes into learning a new language.
