For Immediate Release

Contact: Nancy Wykle
                nwykle@chatham.k12.nc.us
                919-548-3586

CCS to honor English Language Learner students

PITTSBORO — Chatham County Schools is hosting a Celebration of Success ceremony at 10 a.m. Sept. 24 to honor students who are English Language Learners and who have shown mastery of skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing in English.

This Celebration of Success ceremony is the first time the district has held such an event. The celebration will take place at the Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, 1192 U.S. Highway 64 Business West in Pittsboro. The students being recognized range from first to 11th grade. They come from almost every school in the district.

Superintendent Dr. Anthony Jackson and Jordan-Matthews men’s soccer coach and UNC Chapel Hill Professor Paul Cuadros will deliver addresses during the ceremony.

“These multilingual students have done an outstanding job,” Jackson said. “I am looking forward to being able to celebrate this tremendous accomplishment with them and their families.”

While there are many ways that students demonstrate their mastery of English language skills, their performance on the annual assessment of English language competence, the ACCESS test, is what the state uses as the measurement.

Dr. Micheal Palmer, Title III English Language Instructional Program facilitator, said 53 multilingual students will be recognized, receiving certificates to mark their academic achievement.

“I am so pleased these students are going to be publicly recognized,” Palmer said. “They have worked incredibly hard to get to this point and we are so proud of what they have achieved.”

Carrie Little, executive director of federal programs, said school leaders decided this was an important event to establish.

“This is a real point of pride for these students, their families, the educators who have supported them and the district,” she said. “We need them to know we see what they’ve accomplished and want them to have the opportunity to celebrate this moment with all of those present who have been there for them along the way and share that pride in their accomplishment. We saw hosting this celebration as a wonderful way to do that.”