Source: Coronado Unified School District
Coronado High School awarded a record 66 students with the State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB) this year. CHS offers language classes in Spanish, French, and American Sign Language, and administers tests to students in a variety of other languages.
“We had never tested for Dutch before. Rafael’s father Roelof was the one who identified a testing company who could help us administer the Dutch test. This was a great example of collaboration between parents/student and the school to ensure we could meet his needs and provide him with an opportunity to earn the seal in Dutch,” said the district’s K-12 World Languages Teacher on Special Assignment, Maylen Sullivan.
Rafael’s father explained the process. “Rafael worked on his Dutch language certification for years. During those years, we found out he would also qualify and get the Seal of Biliteracy, but only if the school supported it. Not every school does, but fortunately, CHS does. Then it turned out that the official Dutch exam we planned to take was administered in Anaheim, right in the middle of AP season. But CHS solved that for us. The language department found another Dutch exam, which they had to administer on campus, which they did at our chosen time. It was excellent; we are incredibly grateful to the staff and administrators. CHS is clearly at the forefront with its support for biliteracy, and I am sure many other schools will follow in the future,” said Roelof Roos.
While attending the Kings Day celebration on April 27 (the birthday of the Dutch King is a national holiday in the Netherlands) in San Diego with his family, Rafael was able to meet the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, who hand-delivered a letter congratulating him on receiving the SSB in both Spanish and Dutch. “This recognition is a testament to your dedication and commitment to mastering these languages in addition to English, and it is indeed a remarkable achievement,” said Consul General Dirk Janssen.
Janssen believes Roos may be the first San Diego student to earn the SSB in Dutch, and he expressed “gratitude to Coronado High School for organizing the Dutch language examination, which has made the achievement possible. Their commitment to providing students with opportunities to excel in languages beyond the mainstream offerings is greatly appreciated,” he wrote.
The State Seal of Biliteracy (SSB), marked by a gold seal on the diploma or transcript, recognizes high school graduates who have attained a high level of proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing one or more languages in addition to English.
[And, Rafael is also a standout in track.]
Source: Coronado Unified School District
