Sixty-Two SHS Students Earn Massachusetts DESE State Seal of Biliteracy
Sixty-two students more than double 2023, spanning 10 languages
View Ceremony Program
SALEM (Apr. 30, 2024) – Seniors Jesly Paulino Aristy and Joe Reyes Rodriguez and junior Thais Saldivar Diaz earned the Massachusetts Department of Secondary and Elementary Education (DESE) State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction and led a record 62 Salem High School students who earned similar honors in a ceremony Tuesday morning at the SHS Auditorium.
The DESE Seal of Biliteracy is an award granted by state-approved school districts that recognizes high school students who attain high-functioning and academic levels of proficiency in English and at least one other world language – through reading, writing, listening and speaking – by graduation. Students who received an intermediate or higher score in all four categories earned the Seal of Biliteracy.
The 62 students who earned the honor more than doubled last year’s total of 30 students.
“I am so proud to see so many students take advantage of this incredible opportunity, more than double from last year,” said Andre Fonseca, Director of the Multilingual Learner Education at Salem Public Schools. “The ability to be multilingual is a huge advantage for our students especially as they move on to higher education and their careers. This is a special occasion for Salem Public Schools.”
The 2024 SHS Seal of Biliteracy Class encompassed 10 languages.
Ms. Aristy, Mr. Rodriguez and Ms. Diaz each earned the Seal with Distinction in Spanish and were among 46 students to earn the Seal in Spanish. Six students earned the Seal in Portuguese while two students were honored for both Russian and German. Other languages included Bangla, Turkish, Ukrainian, Greek, Lingala and Albanian.
Among the Seal of Biliteracy categories, 26 students earned the State Seal of Biliteracy, which honored students who earned a score of 471 or higher on the MCAS as well as a score of intermediate-5 on all four categories in their partner language.
Twenty-seven students earned the Global Seal of Biliteracy, which required a score of 455 or higher on the MCAS and a score of intermediate-4 in their partner language. Six students earned the Language Opportunity Coalition Award, which requires a score of intermediate or higher in their partner language.
Among the guests at the ceremony included Dominick Pangallo, Mayor of Salem; Dr. Nicole Sherf, Professor of World Languages at Salem State University; Elsabel Rincon, SHS Class of ‘02, doctoral candidate at UMass Lowell and prominent immigration advocate; and Salem School Committee members Mary Manning, AJ Hoffman and Veronica Miranda.
The Seal of Biliteracy program at SHS mirrors the four core priorities of the District’s 2023-26 Strategic Plan: elevating learning, empowering educators, centering belonging and strengthening the District’s foundation.
2024 Massachusetts DESE Seal of Biliteracy, Language Opportunity Coalition Biliteracy Achievement Award Recipients
State Seal of Biliteracy with Distinction
- Jesly Paulino Aristy, Spanish
- Joe Reyes Rodriguez, Spanish
- Thais Saldivar Diaz, Spanish
State Seal of Biliteracy
- Lilean Scarlett Alvarez Simental, Spanish
- Vanessa Barrientos Peraza, Spanish
- Angel Concepcion Ramirez, Spanish
- Nicholas Da Costa, Portuguese
- Gerson De Leon Vital, Spanish
- Angel De Leon Lora, Spanish
- Camila De Los Santos Calderon, Spanish
- Shirley De Pena, Spanish
- Danelis Encarnacion, Spanish
- Dominic Feliz, Spanish
- Dislenny Garcia Jerez, Spanish
- Laura Guerrero Perez, Spanish
- Max Hartman, Russian
- Farhan Khan, Bangla
- Inacio Luiz Kind dos Santos, Portuguese
- Mya Martinez, German
- Franchesca Minaya Nunez, Spanish
- Lindsey M. Read Perez, Spanish
- Katiana Reyes, Spanish
- Axel Reyes Bisono, Spanish
- Liudismar Rodriguez Santos, Spanish
- Sharon Rodriguez Santos, Spanish
- Oscar Suazo Hernandez, Spanish
- Yandiel Tejeda Nunez, Spanish
- Daniela Trytiak, Russian
- Sayelhi Veloz, Spanish
Global Seal of Biliteracy
- Lisy Almonte Genao, Spanish
- Jaylitza Del Rosario, Spanish
- Arnelis Devarieux Concepcion, Spanish
- Mariangela Diaz, Spanish
- Lukas Dos Anjos, Portuguese
- Anilsa Elena Perez, Spanish
- Barza Fathalla, Turkish
- Alexander Figuereo, Spanish
- Jhoanli Geronimo Vizcaino, Spanish
- Merlyn Guzman Angeles, Spanish
- Nachelly Lara, Spanish
- Chloe Magee, German
- Angel Martinez, Spanish
- Mateus McConnell, Portuguese
- Kianny Mirabal-Nunez, Spanish
- Marie Mokanga, Lingala
- Chantelle Pimentel, Spanish
- George Portillo-Dubon, Spanish
- Danielis Reinoso-Jimenez, Spanish
- Ivis Rodriguez Romero, Spanish
- Lucas Santos Souza Dias, Portuguese
- Daniel Schneider, Portuguese
- John Tejeda, Spanish
- Adanelis Tejeda Montano, Spanish
- Daniela Trytiak, Ukrainian
- Antonios Tsimounis, Greek
- Aktrim Xhemaili, Albanian
Language Opportunity Coalition Award
- Oscar Alvarenga Sanchez, Spanish
- Yasdanny Galan-Melian, Spanish
- Gamaliel Cruz-Milan, Spanish
- Deyanis Espinal, Spanish
- Isaac Espinal, Spanish
- Stephany Polanco, Spanish
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
