Lee’s Summit R7 Students Receive the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy Awards
Missouri Seal of Biliteracy Awards 2019
The state of Missouri has awarded a total of 137 students with a total of 140 seals from the Lee’s Summit R7 School District with the Seal of Biliteracy award. LSR7 students earned seals this year in 9 languages during its inaugural year of the program, which promotes language proficiency. This award recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency through rigorous nationally standardized testing in speaking, reading, listening, and writing in one or more world languages, in addition to English.
Students may have gained proficiency through any number of traditional or nontraditional methods, as a heritage language learner or as a new language learner. Students who have attained the Seal of Biliteracy have an intermediate level of proficiency and students who have attained the Distinguished Seal of Biliteracy have an advanced level of proficiency. The Seal of Biliteracy is listed on the high school transcript and offers vast opportunities for those pursuing higher education or joining the workforce.
Missouri Seal of Biliteracy 2019
114 LSR7 high school graduates this year achieved the necessary proficiency to earn 114 Seals of Biliteracy across 8 languages including 3 Seals of Biliteracy for Arabic, 22 Seals of Biliteracy for French, 17 Seals of Biliteracy for German, 1 Seal of Biliteracy for Hindi, 2 Seals of Biliteracy for Mandarin Chinese, 1 Seal of Biliteracy for Portuguese, 67 Seals of Biliteracy for Spanish and 1 Seal of Biliteracy for Russian. Students earning the Seal of Biliteracy are:
Arabic: Raneem Akkila (LSNHS), Abdulellah Alsarraj (LSNHS), and Mansi Montaser (LSHS).
French: From LSHS: Grace Garrett, Abby Humston, Kennan Johnson, and Gabriela Suazo; from LSNHS: Danielle Barnette, Alaric Chen, Nathan Clancy, Isaac Cleaver, Alex Fontcha, Jack Gatti, Jillian Jamaleddin, Tia Kahwaji, Gideon Kemper, Kathryn King, Xavior Lewis, Kathleen Love, Jonah Murray, Katie Wehrwein, Nuriah Wells, and Addison White; from LSWHS: Maryam Khalil and Lauren Smith.
German: From LSHS: Emma Cooney, Josey Cronley and Olivia Macko; from LSNHS: John Bauer, Quincy Carrizales, Addie Krull, Dane Lackey, Lukas Parrish, Garrett Richardson, Abigail Rolen, Nathan Summers, Anna Upman, and Alex Wilson; from LSWHS: Shari Blodgett, Andrew Bomar, Lauren Holderman, and Taylor Manske.
Hindi: Navpreet Kaur (LSNHS).
Mandarin Chinese: Charles LaNasa (LSNHS) and Tyler McMillin (LSHS).
Portuguese: Beatriz Alves (LSHS).
Spanish: From LSHS: Lindsay Amado, Alenia Frazier, Trent Gibson, Kourtney Glenn, George Grosvenor, Maggie Harris, Jillian Hood, Stephanie Janczewski, Collin Kay, Adrianna Kidwell, Lucille Licata, Ryan Mehrer, Joanna Pelallo, Sarah Rice, Lindsay Reinhardt, Makalee Rinehart, Cesar Rutiaga, Isabella Stevens, Andy Whiteman, and Jessica Winkler; from LSNHS: Ashley Anderson, Everett Anderson, Brianna Burgo, Trinity Burgo, Duncan Crosby, Matthew DeBacker, Julia Dobbins, Alex Fontcha, Grant Godard, Makaylee Goodman, Nicholas Harris, Whitley Hill, Matthew Hopkins, Logan Hunt, Jake Lally, Kim Le, Trevor Luzum, Clara Miller, Joel Navarrete, Nhukim Nguyen, Dumebi Okonkwo, Olivia Rickett, Kristal Ruelas, Alexandra Russell, Braden Salazar, Jacob Sellinger, Chelsea Shannon, Lauren Tigner, Saul Villar Medina, Anthony Wheeler, Lazell Williams, and Jack Williams; from LSWHS: Kinady Allen, Emilia Arroyo, Brandi Berkstresser, Lily Flint, Justin Koch, Madison Loomer, Jarett Pemberton, Mallory Ratty, Kody Scheidt, Jaklyn Smith, Carson Spencer, Annalise Tiley, Rachel Treece, Molly Wooster, and Amalie Yacub.
Russian: Victor Semenok (LSN).
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Missouri Distinguished Seal of Biliteracy 2019
26 LSR7 high school graduates this year achieved the necessary proficiency to earn 26 Distinguished Seals across 4 languages including 3 Distinguished Seals of Biliteracy for French, 4 Distinguished Seals of Biliteracy for German, 1 Distinguished Seal of Biliteracy for Punjabi, and 18 Distinguished Seals of Biliteracy for Spanish. Students earning the Distinguished Seal of Biliteracy are:
French: From LSHS: Conner Keiter and Kelly Knowles; from LSW: Allison Salamone.
German: From LSNHS: Abby Castle, Emma Gooding, Jack Graham, and Aurora Welch.
Punjabi: Navpreet Kaur (LSNHS).
Spanish: From LSHS: Delaney Butler, Aidan Clark, Julianna Ingiuez, Alexandria Mesz, Sierra Nyquist, Lupita Olivas, and Gabriela Suazo; from LSNHS: Megan Carlson, Frank DeLeon, Kameron Robinson, Jasmine Reyes, and Kayler Smith; from LSWHS: Zach Evans, Allyson Jenkins, Seth Keep, Hannah Neo, Sydney Poppe, and Abby Sauer.
Graduating senior students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy were honored at the Academic Achievement Awards at Lee’s Summit, Lee’s Summit North, and Lee’s Summit West High Schools. “In an increasingly interconnected world, global communication skills are invaluable,” Robin Villa, Modern Language Department Chair of Lee’s Summit R-7 School District said. “The ability to earn this award inspires our students to study languages at the highest levels offered at our schools, and it is an especially compelling way to encourage, recognize, and validate our heritage language students’ abilities.”