ELL Exit Ceremony, 12/14/18

(Article and Photos by Matthew Williams)Many people underestimate the adversities some students face in school. What might come easy to some, such as learning the English language, can be difficult for others. Fortunately, Russellville Junior/Senior High School has a support system for minority students with difficulty in learning the English language. The District English as a Second Language Instructor (ELL), Mrs. Griselda Vargas, works with these students to help them function in school and in the community, which can be very difficult. On Friday, Dec. 14, Mrs. Vargas and Director of Exceptional Education, Mrs. Linda Shelton, hosted the second ELL Exiting Awards ceremony in the DeGraffenreid Auditorium. The students that met the exiting criteria last January were honored on stage. These students have developed a mastery over the English language to such a degree they no longer need the full services of the ELL program from RISD. The school congratulates the following students for achieving a composite score of at least 4.5: Alexis Pacheco Ramirez, Anabel Cruz, Cristian Rangel, Emir Ginez Salpa, Lilibeth Pacheco Ramirez, May Ouansombath, Yovany Lopez Vasquez. This honor is a testament to their strength and dedication. Every now and then, you should put yourself in their shoes to understand the types of adversity they face daily. It takes character, and that’s what these students displayed through the program. Some of the students expressed their appreciation for the program in videos and recommended the program to students who have trouble with the English language. Towards the end, Mrs. Vargas and Mrs. Shelton, encouraged all the ELL students to continue striving towards proficiency, so that they will be honored on the stage next year. An alumnus, Magdalelna Ramiez, raved about the effectiveness of being in the ELL program. “The ELL program worked closely with me on learning the English language. I am thankful this resource is accessible to the students, and I highly recommend it to any who have a language deficiency.”  The remainder of students in the program are:  Alexis Cancino, Anael Pedraza, Diego Ramirez, Elizabeth Ramirez, Gabriel Ulrich, Janeth Pacheco Ramirez, Javier Pacheco Ramirez, Jonathan Zamarripa, Jose Guerra-Vargas, Juan Carlos Valenzuela Pineda, Juan Garcia, Kevin Vera, Kylie Vera, Magdaelna Ramiez, Paloma Rangel, Robin Tran, Rolando Pacheco Ramirez, Shirley Lin, and  Weihang Ni.   A special thanks goes out to Mrs. Griselda, Eunice Arevalo, Mrs. Shelton, and all the ELL students who came to support their peers. Also, a special thanks to the junior Ambassadors that served Subway assortments after the event and to the Board Members that attended: Phillip West and Joe Sparks.