On April 30, Spring Fest, an annual invite-only celebration held in the Lyceum, will recognize Multilingual Learners at South. These students bring a wide range of languages, cultures, and experiences to the school community. The event is a chance to reward their development of English skills and growth throughout the year, Esther Bowen, Multilingual Learners Teacher, said.
During the event, students receive awards recognizing their improvement throughout the year while also spending time together as a community, Bowen said.
“They are being honored for all the hard work that they are putting not only into school, but also into learning English,” Bowen said. “Now they are in a new place, and that comes with learning to fit in. It’s a lot to juggle.”
Spring Fest also highlights the role of the Multilingual Learners program, which helps students adjust academically and socially, Bowen said.
The Multilingual Learners program offers a range of class levels across different subjects so students can improve their English while continuing to learn academic material, Annie Kim, English and Multilingual Learners Teacher, said. The courses focus on both language development and understanding academic concepts to help students succeed in school, Kim added.
“Imagine you are in a high school where English is not your first language and you are still expected to do everything that teachers require you to, it is doubly challenging,” Kim said. “Our goal is to help those students navigate both social and academic settings.”
A new addition to the annual celebration is recognition of Titan Ambassadors, students who welcome transfer students to school and serve as peer mentors within the school community, Bowen said. Senior Alicja Wardzala, Titan Ambassador, supported multilingual students by translating and explaining concepts in an Algebra 2 Honors class. Wardzala assisted classmates as they balanced coursework while developing English, she said.
“Learning English is an important skill,” Wardzala said. “You need to have a lot of strength and patience to get through that, but it’s something that you should take pride in because it helps them grow and communicate with others.”
For Bowen, and all other contributors, Spring Fest is meant to send a clear message to multilingual students: their work and progress matter, Bowen said.
“We are here to support them and we want to honor them,” Bowen said. “This is one way to showcase their talents and abilities.”
