SSMS foreign language students among best

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Dozens of South Side Middle School world language students recently earned national or local recognition for their outstanding performances on the 2017 National French Contest and The National Spanish Exam.

The National French Contest/Le Grand Concours is an annual competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). French students in grades 1-12, in all 50 states and abroad, take an online test and compete against other students with similar educational background for prizes. Grades 1-6 participate in the FLES contest, while grades 7-12 compete in the secondary contest.

Eighth graders Emily Cheesman, Ava Lang, Ava Onorato and J.T. Travers scored within the 75th to 80th percentile of French students, earning them the bronze medal. Michaela McCormack and Isabelle Rosenblum received silver medals by scoring within the 85th percentile and Sarah Martineau won a gold medal for finishing third in the nation, as well as in Nassau County, by placing within the 95th percentile.

The students were taught by French teacher Kimberly Hempel.

South Side students also earned two gold, two silver and two bronze medals in the National Spanish Exam, while 19 other received honorable mentions. Those exams are administered each year in grades 6-12

“Attaining a medal or honorable mention for any student on the National Spanish Examinations is very prestigious because the exams are the largest of their kind in the United States with over 157,000 students participating in 2017.” said Kevin Cessna-Buscemi, the national director of the exams.

Those students were taught by Spanish |teachers, Carolina Garzón, Darcy Gilchrist, Caitlyn Siniscalchi and Francis Ventura.