Coe-Brown Northwood Academy Headmaster David S. Smith is pleased to announce that four seniors from the Class of 2023 have earned the New Hampshire Seal of Biliteracy. This important recognition was awarded to Molly Sawyer ‘23, Eric Boheen ’23, Isabella Naves ’23, and Geneva Telehala ’23 for their exemplary class work and perfect scores on the AP exam. These students received their award of distinction at graduation with the Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas. This is the second year in a row that CBNA students have received this prestigious honor, and the first year that the school has had four recipients at one time.
The Spanish AP exam is intense, with four components, including two multiple choice, and two written. In one section, students have to listen to and thoroughly understand an audio component before they can answer the questions. CBNA faculty member Jennifer Sommerer spent the year prior to the AP exam working with the students to improve their conversation techniques, listening skills, and understanding of Spanish culture worldwide and its influences. That in-depth immersion helped these four students complete the AP exam with confidence.
According to Michael Clauss, Dean of CBNA’s World Languages Department, the state of New Hampshire was one of the last in the nation to adopt the Seal of Biliteracy initiative, but finally did thanks to the efforts of a dedicated group of educators from the New Hampshire Association of World Language Teachers, led by then-president Cindi Hodgdon. Clauss commented, “The Coe-Brown World Language Department is proud to have our students be among the first in the state to receive this honor. We see it as yet another way to acknowledge the incredible achievements of our students and provide them with visible proof of their accomplishments that will set them apart from their peers as they head off to college and the workplace.”
CBNA World Languages faculty member and AP teacher Jennifer Sommerer feels the same, “The NH Seal of Biliteracy that these students have received is proof that Coe-Brown Northwood Academy has a robust World Language program that is dedicated to upholding its part of the school’s mission statement of producing ‘graduates who are academically and socially prepared to be responsible, caring and contributing members of the global society.’”
Sommerer goes on to note that, “None of these students are heritage speakers of Spanish, so they had to work even harder to meet NH state requirements to receive this distinction. Having the seal on their diploma will make them more marketable to future employers since they have received proof of measurable proficiency in a non-native language. Most of these students plan to work in a field for which proficiency in Spanish is a valuable and/or required skill. Additionally, Molly Sawyer has plans to minor in Spanish as part of her college program of studies. On behalf of the World Languages Department, we are very proud of their achievement.”
The Seal of Biliteracy is a national award that has been adopted by more than forty other states across the country. The award recognizes students who have studied and attained proficiency in two or more languages by high school graduation. The New Hampshire Seal of Biliteracy award was made possible through collaboration between the NH Association of World Language Teachers (NHAWLT) and the NH Statewide English Learner Educator network. The NH Association of World Language Teachers has agreed to be the stewards of this award.