On May 21, students and staff gathered to recognize students who earned the Minnesota bilingual seal, a certification that demonstrates proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening in more than one language. The seal recognizes years of dedication to language learning and celebrates the cultural diversity within the Park community.
Senior Elliott Netoff, who earned a seal in French, said the recognition represents years of hard work and personal growth through learning another language. They said earning the seal helped them realize how much progress they had made since the beginning.
“(The seal) means a lot of years of French learning, in school,” Netoff said. “It’s the culmination of me learning French for a while and actually putting in a lot of effort to learn a language. I actually know what I’m doing to some extent and can understand it.”
Junior Finn Holland, who earned the seal in Spanish, said the award reflects years of consistent effort and progress. He said beginning language immersion at a young age helped shape his educational experience and gave him the opportunities he would not have otherwise had.
“Getting to it has been such a process, starting back in kindergarten,” Holland said. “It’s kind of cool to see the progress (of learning a language) throughout time.”
Spanish teacher Hanna Anderson said the bilingual seal program was created to recognize students’ advanced fluency in another language while also honoring cultural identity and heritage. She said the program has become an important way to celebrate the diversity within the community.
“(The seal) is to offer students the opportunity to get recognition for being proficient in another language,” Anderson said. “For students who are already in Spanish, French, or German classes, that means they will get recognition for all the studies they have done at school in a second language.”
Holland said earning the seal represents future opportunities both in college and careers. He said bilingualism is a skill that can continue benefiting him later in life.
“Getting the seal also means future opportunities,” Holland said. “It’s something (I’ll) be able to promote on a resumé in the future.”
Anderson said the program acknowledges students who speak another language at home,
providing a meaningful way to honor and recognize the unique language heritage they bring with them. She said recognizing those students validates their cultural background and encourages them to continue developing those language skills.
“For students who speak another language at home, I would say: keep working on your skills,” Anderson said. “Keep writing, keep building your understanding, and most importantly, keep speaking it. I know for many heritage speakers it can feel easier just to switch to English, but don’t lose your language. Hone those skills in your home language so you can be recognized for that incredible asset you already bring to school.”
Netoff said learning French exposed them to cultures and perspectives they may not have otherwise experienced. They said learning about francophone regions helped expand their understanding of the world beyond the classroom.
“We learned a lot about French-speaking Africa,” Netoff said. “That’s really, really interesting, and there’s a lot of culture around that.”
Anderson said bilingualism teaches students important life skills beyond speaking another language. She said students become more versatile and open-minded through learning different cultures and perspectives.
“You learn to get outside your comfort zone,” Anderson said. “You learn to be flexible, adaptable and understand there are other ways to see the world.”
Together, students and staff said the bilingual seal represents more than academic achievement, reflecting persistence, identity, and the ability to connect across cultures.
