World Language
A Message from the World Language Department
Welcome to the POB World Language Department! We are excited to offer a diverse and enriching language program designed to inspire students to explore new cultures, enhance communication skills, and become global citizens.
Whether you're learning Spanish, French, or one of our other world languages, our courses provide a comprehensive and engaging experience. Explore our webpages to learn more about our curriculum, language offerings, and upcoming events.
Thank you for visiting—we look forward to supporting your language-learning journey!
Mr. Leo Rivera
Director, Grades k-12
World Language and ENL
Phone: (516) 434-3179
Email:
- World Language Honor Society
- Chinese FLES Newsletter
- Elementary World Languages
- Middle School World Languages
- High School World Languages
- NYS Seal of Biliteracy
- Remedial Room Locations World Language 25-26
World Language Honor Society
Hi everyone,
We are accepting applications to our World Language Honor Societies! Links to the application are posted on this page. If you qualify for two honor societies, please complete an application for each honor society. Deadline is September 30, 2024.
Good luck!
-Mr. Rivera
The World Languages Honor Societies recognize excellence in world language studies and commitment to the study of both language and culture. These organizations emphasize community service and leadership. Students are eligible for membership at the beginning of their junior year, based on the criteria outlined below. Students are welcome to reapply in their senior year if they do not qualify during their junior year.
Our World Language Honor Societies and our talented Advisors are:
- American Sign Language:
- Ms. Knight: email here
- Chinese:
- Ms. Huang: email here
- French:
- Ms. Strom: email here
- Italian:
- Ms. Clausi: email here
- Spanish:
- Dr. Michele Schaefer: email here
- Eligibility Criteria
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
- 2024 Student Applications
- 2024 Teacher Recommendation Form
- Induction Ceremony Recordings
- Chinese Honor Society
- Spanish Honor Society
- World Language Student Tutors
Eligibility Criteria
- Starting in 11th grade, candidates must have completed a minimum of TWO (2) years of study in the SAME world language at JFK High School. Students should be enrolled in a World Language class in the year you are applying.
- E.g. If you are applying as a Junior: Italian 2 taken in 9th grade, and Italian 3 taken in 10th grade.
- E.g. If you are applying as a Senior: Spanish 3 in 10th grade and Spanish 4 in 11th grade.
- An UNWEIGHTED average of 93.00 or higher in your world languages courses. We can not accept applications with averages 92.99 or less.
- You can check the portal for your grades, with your guidance counselor, or the club advisor.
- Community Service Requirement: You must complete the community service requirement for every year you are a member of our Honor Society. If you do not complete your community service requirement, you will be removed from the honor society.
- 10 hours are required if you are a member of one honor society (E.g. I'm a member of the ASL Honor Society only).
- 3 hours if you are a member of more than one honor society or club (e.g. ASL Honor Society and Girls Varsity Tennis).
- Two (2) teacher recommendations (cannot be a World Language teacher).
- Once accepted, you must pay the club dues of $17.00 on My SchoolBucks. Do not pay the dues before your receive your acceptance letter.
Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that they have completed the application by the due date found on the application.
You are welcome to apply to TWO (2) Honor Societies provided you meet the eligibility criteria. Please submit a SEPARATE application for each honor society. You will be responsible for dues for both honor societies.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
- I study more than one foreign language. Can I apply for more than one Honor Society?
- Yes, if you have completed two years of study in each of those languages at POBJFK High School, you can apply for membership in each language’s Honor Society. Please complete a separate application for each language.
- I have completed two years of study, but each year was in a different language. Am I eligible?
- No. To be eligible, you must have completed two years of study in the same language at POBJFK High School.
- Can 9th or 10th grade students apply?
- No. Only 11th and 12th grade students are eligible. You can apply when you are in 11th or 12th grade.
- Do my 8th grade foreign language studies count toward eligibility?
- No. The two years of study used to determine eligibility must have been completed at JFK High School.
- I am a senior who is currently in my second year of study in the language for which I would like to apply. Am I eligible?
- No. As indicated in the requirements, only students who have completed two years of study in that language are eligible. You have not finished the second year of study.
- I earned an UNWEIGHTED average of 92.99. Am I eligible?
- No. The cutoff average is 93.00
- Can I use my WEIGHTED scores?
- No. You may only use your UNWEIGHTED SCORES.
- I'm a transfer student; do I qualify?
- We are happy to review your grades from your previous district. We will accept high school world language credit from your previous district.
2024 Student Applications
We will be accepting applications through Monday, September 30. Applications must be completed in full (writing sample and teacher recommendations). We cannot accept incomplete or late applications. We will email you your status on or before Monday, October 14th.
Good luck!
- ASL: https://forms.gle/zDrxG8ryN4UqyPFu8
- Chinese: https://forms.gle/wycgfJ3BYmWdFLx88
- French: https://forms.gle/BSMfLAi7W4e7SX3v8
- Italian: https://forms.gle/CRL29jTGbcB1mqts9
- Spanish: https://forms.gle/AZ1G5fc4Vpf8Yopm7
- Teacher Recommendations: https://forms.gle/RgqQLAUfubL7cesU6
2024 Teacher Recommendation Form
Hi teachers! Honor Society candidates will be requesting a recommendation from you. Students require recommendations from two high school teachers (other than a world language teacher). If a student is applying to two honor societies, they only need two recommendations. The Google Form should only take a few moments to complete. Thank you for your time and assistance.
Click this link: https://forms.gle/RgqQLAUfubL7cesU6
Induction Ceremony Recordings
Chinese Honor Society
View this profile on InstagramPOB Chinese Honor Society (@pobchinesehonorsociety) • Instagram photos and videos
Spanish Honor Society
Welcome! Access here to be directed to the POB Spanish Honor Society web page. Discover more about our vibrant community of students who excel in the Spanish language and culture. Learn about membership opportunities, upcoming events, and ways to get involved. Thank you for visiting!
Access Here to Be Directed to the POB Spanish
Honor Society Web Page
World Language Student Tutors
Honor Society Student Tutors
Our World Language Honor Societies provides one-on-one tutoring with an honor society student to any POB student a first-come, first-served basis. Student-tutors will provide tutoring free of charge for up to 10 hours, after which time, student-tutors may elect to continue providing tutoring free of charge or may negotiate with you an hourly fee.
Please contact the honor society directly to schedule a tutor.
- ASL Honor Society Student Tutors
Please use this link to sign-up for an American Sign Language Honor Society student-tutor.
- Chinese Honor Society Student Tutors
Please use this link to sign-up for a Chinese Honor Society student-tutor.
- French Honor Society Student Tutors
Please use this link to sign-up for a French Honor Society student-tutor.
- Italian Honor Society Student Tutors
Please use this link to sign-up for an Italian Honor Society student-tutor.
- Spanish Honor Society Student Tutors
Please use this link to sign-up for a Spanish Honor Society student-tutor.
Chinese FLES Newsletter
Welcome to the latest edition of the POBV Chinese FLES Newsletter!
We are excited to bring you updates, highlights, and valuable insights from our Chinese language program. As we continue to celebrate the growth and achievements of our students, we hope this newsletter serves as a reflection of their hard work, enthusiasm, and dedication to learning.
Thank you for your continued support in fostering a rich, multicultural learning environment for our students. Enjoy reading and stay connected as we look forward to more exciting experiences and accomplishments in the months ahead!
Warm regards,
The POBV Chinese FLES Team
Lunar New Year Celebrations
Every year we celebrate the Lunar New Year at our elementary schools. Our students learn all about the Chinese zodiac animals and their significance to Chinese culture. Students complete projects throughout the month the Lunar New Year is held. They create masks, headbands, practice their characters, and songs. The month culminates in our annual new year parade and each elementary school joins in the celebration!
Elementary World Languages
Welcome to our Elementary World Language page. We are proud to offer our POB community Mandarin Chinese in grades 1 through 4 since 1998. Our program has evolved over the past 25 years and we are proud to continue our tradition of offering high quality language instruction to our elementary school students. Our most recent curriculum update, completed in the summer of 2022, crystallizes our teaching philosophy and incorporates the 2021 revised NYS World Language standards and elementary education best practices. Elementary students take their Chinese lessons once in a six-day cycle, for a total of 30 lessons in a school year. Students approach the Novice Low proficiency level by the end of grade 4.
Our Amazingly Talented and Caring Team of Teachers
- Ms. Rosemary Firestein:
Pasadena and Stratford Road Elementary Schools - Ms. Helen Jung:
Old Bethpage and Judy Jacobs Parkway Elementary Schools - Mr. JingBong Lee
Pasadena and Stratford Elementary Schools
Middle School World Languages
Welcome to our Middle School World Language page. We are proud to offer our POB community a variety of languages to choose from!
Students in grade 5 take Mandarin Chinese for one quarter, every other day; and take Introduction to Romance Languages (French and Spanish) for one quarter, every other day. Students in grade 6 will take one full quarter of Chinese, French and Spanish. In February, families of 6th grade students have the opportunity to select which language their child would like to study in 7th and 8th grade: American Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese, French and Spanish.
Our 7th and 8th grade classes run sequentially and must be taken in order to qualify to take the Checkpoint A examination. Students may receive 1 World Language High School credit upon successful completion of 7th grade, 8th grade and the Checkpoint A examination in a world language. **New York State stopped producing the NYS Second Language Proficiency (Checkpoint A) Examination in 2010.
Our Amazingly Talented and Caring Team of Teachers
Mattlin Middle School
- Ms. I-Chin Lin (Chinese)
- Ms. Mackenzie Houghton (ASL)
- Ms. Catherine Salamone (French)
- French Alternative Teacher Website
- Ms. Tara Schmeltz (Spanish)
- Ms. Vivian Wilson (Spanish)
- Ms. Karey Yanch (Spanish)
POB Middle School
- Ms. Kathy Falbo (Spanish)
- Ms. Mackeznie Houghton (ASL)
- Dr. Ling-I Lo (Chinese)
- Mr. Brian O'Sullivan (Spanish)
- Ms. Stephanie Roehrig (French and Spanish)
- Dr. Seema Sumod (Spanish)
Students enrolled in Spanish and French can access their textbook and workbook online at VHLCentral.com.
Please make sure to keep your VHL Central username and password safe! You'll use your account in high school too!
High School World Languages
Welcome to our High School World Language page. We are proud to offer our POB community a robust and challenging world language program. We teach American Sign Language, Mandarin Chinese, French, Italian and Spanish.
All students enrolled in a level 3 world language class take the Checkpoint B examination in June. Successful completion of the Checkpoint B examination gives students access to the Advanced Regents diploma.
Students can earn college credit in our level 5 classes in one of two ways. Students can elect to take AP Chinese, French, Italian or Spanish and take the AP examination in May. Students can earn up to 6 college credits by successful completion of the AP examination. We offer college credit through our partnership with Adelphi University's College Credit Advantage Program in American Sign Language, Chinese*, French, Italian*, and Spanish. *starting in the 26-27 school year.
A hallmark of our program is our World Language Honor Society. Each language has its own honor society. Our honor society students take part in a variety of after-school and community service activities. An important activity is offering after-school tutoring to students across the district!
Our Amazingly Talented and Caring Team of Teachers
- Ms. Karen Bullock (Spanish)
- Ms. Teresa Clausi (Italian and Chinese)
- Ms. Erin DiGiuseppe (Spanish)
- Ms. Laura Eifert (Spanish)
- Ms. Ellen Huang (Chinese)
- Ms. Jamie Ida (Spanish)
- Ms. Brianne Knight (American Sign Language)
- Ms. Ashley Lefevre (French)
- Ms. Nicolette Pupillo (Spanish)
- Ms. Gloria Ramirez (Spanish)
- Dr. Michele Schaefer (Spanish)
- Ms. Tara Schmeltz (Spanish)
- Ms. Jillian Strom (French)
Students enrolled in Spanish and French can access their textbook and workbook online at VHLCentral.com.
NYS Seal of Biliteracy
New York State Seal of Biliteracy
The New York State Seal of Biliteracy (NYSSB) recognizes high school graduates who demonstrate a high level of proficiency in English and one or more world languages. The Seal affirms the value of multilingualism, celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity, and highlights students’ readiness for college, careers, and participation in a global society.
Students who earn the Seal receive a gold seal affixed to their diploma, a medallion worn at graduation, and a certificate.
Earning the Seal signifies that a student can effectively read, write, listen, and speak in English and another language. It demonstrates to colleges, universities, and employers that the student has advanced communication skills and cross-cultural competence.
Why this matters:
The Seal of Biliteracy strengthens college and scholarship applications and signals to employers that a student is prepared to communicate and succeed in a multilingual, global environment.
To earn the Seal, students must demonstrate proficiency in both English and a world language through a points-based system, earning a total of six points—three points in English and three points in a world language. Points are earned through a combination of coursework, assessments, and a culminating portfolio and presentation delivered entirely in the target language.
Language proficiency expectations align with New York State guidelines: Intermediate High proficiency for Category 1–2 languages and Intermediate Mid proficiency for Category 3–4 languages.
Seal of Biliteracy FAQs
Who is eligible to apply for the Seal of Biliteracy?
Eligible seniors include students enrolled in an AP World Language course or College ASL (Checkpoint C), ENL students, and native or heritage speakers of another language, including languages not offered as courses in the district.
When do students apply?
The Seal of Biliteracy Google Form is shared by AP World Language teachers through their Google Classrooms. Students apply during the school year once the application window opens.
Can students apply in 11th grade?
Yes. 11th-grade students enrolled in an AP World Language course are encouraged to apply and complete the required presentation. The Seal will be conferred in 12th grade, provided the student meets all requirements, including the English proficiency requirement.
What if my child already speaks another language at home?
Students who are native or heritage speakers of another language are encouraged to apply. Students may be required to complete a proficiency examination that assesses proficiency across all four modes of communication: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Can ENL students apply for the Seal of Biliteracy?
Yes. ENL students are strongly encouraged to apply. ENL students must earn a NYSESLAT score of 290 or higher to meet the English language requirement. All other Seal of Biliteracy requirements are the same as for non-ENL students.
What if the language is not offered as a course in the district?
Students applying in a language not currently offered may be required to complete an approved external proficiency assessment (such as AAPPL or STAMP) to meet New York State requirements.
How do students earn the six required points?
Students earn a total of six points:
- Three points in English
- Three points in a world language
Points are earned through a combination of course grades, assessments, and a culminating portfolio and presentation.
What is the portfolio and presentation?
The portfolio includes work that demonstrates proficiency in the target language. The presentation topic is determined collaboratively between the student and the teacher or the Director of World Languages and ENL and is delivered entirely in the target language.
Following the presentation, students participate in a brief question-and-answer (Q&A) conversation with the Seal of Biliteracy review panel to further demonstrate their communication skills.
What happens if a student applies but does not earn the Seal?
There is no penalty for applying. If a student does not meet the requirements, the Seal is simply not awarded. Applying does not affect grades, credits, or graduation status.
Can a student apply for the Seal of Biliteracy in more than one language?
Yes. Students may apply for the Seal of Biliteracy in more than one world language. Point requirements apply for each language, and students must meet all proficiency and assessment requirements separately for each Seal. Additional proof for English Language Arts is not required.