Students at Kenneth L. Rutherford Elementary School recently had the opportunity to hear firsthand from former English as a New Language (ENL) students who are now thriving academically at Robert J. Kaiser Middle School.
During the school’s first ENL student assembly, organized by ENL teacher Tianny Almanzar, current and former ENL middle school students spoke with elementary students about their experiences learning a new language, overcoming challenges and achieving academic success.
The middle school students who participated are all honor students and shared advice about the importance of perseverance, hard work and believing in themselves as learners. They reflected on their own educational journeys and encouraged younger students to stay motivated as they continue developing their language and academic skills.
At the conclusion of the assembly, each middle school student received a certificate recognizing both their participation and their academic achievements.
Almanzar said the idea for the assembly was inspired by this year’s annual Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) conference, which focused on the power of student voice. Educational sessions, keynote speakers and presentations at the conference encouraged her to create an opportunity for students to share their own stories and inspire others.
She also credited the support of KLR Principal Mrs. Serrano, RJK Principal Ms. Kozachuk and RJK Assistant Principal Dr. Doyle for helping make the event possible.
The assembly highlighted the success of Monticello’s ENL students while giving elementary students positive role models who once stood in their shoes.
“Seeing our former ENL students thrive in middle school and serve as role models for our elementary students is something we take a lot of pride in,” Almanzar said. “Monti Pride!”