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Bienvenue! Benvenuti! ¡Bienvenidos! Ni hao!
Bienvenue! Benvenuti! ¡Bienvenidos! Ni hao!
Department Events & Happenings
Department Events & Happenings
Scroll down to read more about department events & student achievements!
Scroll down to read more about department events & student achievements!
2026-2027
2026-2027
Welcome to the World Languages Department of Calhoun High School!
Welcome to the World Languages Department of Calhoun High School!
Have a great 2026-2027 school year!
Have a great 2026-2027 school year!
Spanish Students Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15th - October 15th), students in Ms. Maldonado and Mrs. Zdrodowski's Spanish classes researched notable/famous Hispanics and created visual presentations to illustrate their contributions to society. Students in Ms. Bonanno-D'Amato's Spanish 1 class created passaports for different Spanish-speaking countries and researched information about cultural celebrations and famous people from that area.
WORLD LANGUAGES WEEK
WORLD LANGUAGES WEEK
POSTER CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
POSTER CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Congratulations to this year’s winners of the annual World Languages Poster Contest. Participants created original posters based on the theme “One World, Many Voices”.
Congratulations to this year’s winners of the annual World Languages Poster Contest. Participants created original posters based on the theme “One World, Many Voices”.
Our third place winner is Charlotte Franck, our second place winner is Joseph Solorzano-Ruiz, and congratulations to our first place winner Mia Zampella. The winning posters will now move on to the district-level contest.
Our third place winner is Charlotte Franck, our second place winner is Joseph Solorzano-Ruiz, and congratulations to our first place winner Mia Zampella. The winning posters will now move on to the district-level contest.
Thank you to all of the students who submitted their beautiful artwork!
Thank you to all of the students who submitted their beautiful artwork!
See the winners and their posters below.
See the winners and their posters below.
FIRST PLACE
FIRST PLACE
SECOND PLACE
SECOND PLACE
THIRD PLACE
THIRD PLACE
P.S. I Love You Day 2026
P.S. I Love You Day 2026
To recognize P.S. I Love You Day, students in French, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish classes created "Be the Light" murals. Their messages, written in a variety of languages, are meant to brighten the day of as many students, faculty, and staff as possible. See pictures of the murals below!
To recognize P.S. I Love You Day, students in French, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish classes created "Be the Light" murals. Their messages, written in a variety of languages, are meant to brighten the day of as many students, faculty, and staff as possible. See pictures of the murals below!
WORLD LANGUAGES HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION
WORLD LANGUAGES HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION
The World Languages Department recently held its annual Honor Society Induction Ceremony. Congratulations to the newest members of our Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish chapters. It was wonderful to see so many of our students recognized for their achievements in their language classes. The Master of Ceremonies was Amiera Cave, and we enjoyed a beautiful rendition of “La Mentira” performed by Carina Onesto and Jake Schwartz. Mark Oladipo, Vincent Fuggio, Ryan Karis, Cadance Albanese, and Sebastian Solis also gave moving recitations of poems or led the induction oath in the language they are each studying. It was a truly special afternoon honoring our language students.
The World Languages Department recently held its annual Honor Society Induction Ceremony. Congratulations to the newest members of our Chinese, French, Italian, and Spanish chapters. It was wonderful to see so many of our students recognized for their achievements in their language classes. The Master of Ceremonies was Amiera Cave, and we enjoyed a beautiful rendition of “La Mentira” performed by Carina Onesto and Jake Schwartz. Mark Oladipo, Vincent Fuggio, Ryan Karis, Cadance Albanese, and Sebastian Solis also gave moving recitations of poems or led the induction oath in the language they are each studying. It was a truly special afternoon honoring our language students.
Scroll down for photos!
Scroll down for photos!
FRENCH CLASSES LEARN ABOUT "EUROVISION"
FRENCH CLASSES LEARN ABOUT "EUROVISION"
Ms. Kefaliakos's French classes had a great time learning about the Eurovision Song Contest, which had its grand finale on May 17th. This was a perfect topic for French class since French is one of the show's official languages. Students learned about the incredibly popular European show that features original songs that are performed live. Winners are determined by a combination of jury and public votes. Ms. Kefaliakos also shared information about the show's history, purpose, and popularity.
Ms. Kefaliakos's French classes had a great time learning about the Eurovision Song Contest, which had its grand finale on May 17th. This was a perfect topic for French class since French is one of the show's official languages. Students learned about the incredibly popular European show that features original songs that are performed live. Winners are determined by a combination of jury and public votes. Ms. Kefaliakos also shared information about the show's history, purpose, and popularity.
World Languages Week
World Languages Week
March 3-7
March 3-7
The World Languages Department is once again holding its annual poster contest in honor of World Languages Week. This year's theme, "Languages Unite Communities", allowed students to develop their own creative perspective about the power of speaking other languages and understanding other cultures. Contest winners will be announced on Monday, March 10th. The winners will advance to the district-level contest. Thank you to our World Languages teachers for encouraging students to participate in the contest!
The World Languages Department is once again holding its annual poster contest in honor of World Languages Week. This year's theme, "Languages Unite Communities", allowed students to develop their own creative perspective about the power of speaking other languages and understanding other cultures. Contest winners will be announced on Monday, March 10th. The winners will advance to the district-level contest. Thank you to our World Languages teachers for encouraging students to participate in the contest!
Once again this year, student volunteers read morning announcements in their native language or the language they are currently studying. The announcements shared fun facts and cultural information. In class this week, world language teachers shared an "Around the World" slideshow that focused on having students "visit" important cultural sites in various countries. Students also participated in a trivia contest. Students who answered the trivia questions correctly were entered into a daily raffle for a prize.
Once again this year, student volunteers read morning announcements in their native language or the language they are currently studying. The announcements shared fun facts and cultural information. In class this week, world language teachers shared an "Around the World" slideshow that focused on having students "visit" important cultural sites in various countries. Students also participated in a trivia contest. Students who answered the trivia questions correctly were entered into a daily raffle for a prize.
Also this week, we would like to highlight Ms. Kefaliako's student junior Wyatt Baxter. Wyatt's own passion for studying languages was featured in an interview with junior Mark Oladipo. The topic of the interview is the celebration of world languages in the life of the students. Wyatt, who was inspired by Junior Red Riendeau and her respective research paper on linguistics, actually created his own (!) language called “Yetübinamed”. See the inteview below to learn more about this fascinating topic.
Also this week, we would like to highlight Ms. Kefaliako's student junior Wyatt Baxter. Wyatt's own passion for studying languages was featured in an interview with junior Mark Oladipo. The topic of the interview is the celebration of world languages in the life of the students. Wyatt, who was inspired by Junior Red Riendeau and her respective research paper on linguistics, actually created his own (!) language called “Yetübinamed”. See the inteview below to learn more about this fascinating topic.
Thank you to Ms. Maldonado and Ms. Dand for reating the slideshow that teachers used each day in class. A special merci, grazie, gracias, and xié xiè to our student participants and volunteers and to the World Language teachers for their help in making the week a success!
Thank you to Ms. Maldonado and Ms. Dand for reating the slideshow that teachers used each day in class. A special merci, grazie, gracias, and xié xiè to our student participants and volunteers and to the World Language teachers for their help in making the week a success!
Scroll down for photos!
Scroll down for photos!
P.S. I Love You Day 2025
P.S. I Love You Day 2025
To recognize P.S. I Love You Day, students in French, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish classes created "kindness message" murals. The messages, written in a variety of languages, are meant to brighten the day of as many students, faculty, and staff as possible. See pictures of the murals below!
To recognize P.S. I Love You Day, students in French, Italian, Mandarin, and Spanish classes created "kindness message" murals. The messages, written in a variety of languages, are meant to brighten the day of as many students, faculty, and staff as possible. See pictures of the murals below!
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture as it marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The holiday lasts 15 days. In Chinese culture, there are twelve animals that represent the different years, and each year is associated with a specific animal. This year is the Year of the Snake.
Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the most important celebrations in Chinese culture as it marks the beginning of the Lunar New Year. The holiday lasts 15 days. In Chinese culture, there are twelve animals that represent the different years, and each year is associated with a specific animal. This year is the Year of the Snake.
In class, the students learned about the culture surrounding the snake. Students also participated in a variety of activities to celebrate the holiday. They made crafts and wrote greetings to decorate the hallway, watched a Chinese New Year television program and other videos about new year traditions and customs. Students ate dumplings, learned the stories of Nian and the zodiac, and practiced both character writing and calligraphy using brushes and ink.
In class, the students learned about the culture surrounding the snake. Students also participated in a variety of activities to celebrate the holiday. They made crafts and wrote greetings to decorate the hallway, watched a Chinese New Year television program and other videos about new year traditions and customs. Students ate dumplings, learned the stories of Nian and the zodiac, and practiced both character writing and calligraphy using brushes and ink.
A special thank you to our Mandarin teachers Dr. Chen and Ms. Han for planning these wonderful Lunar New Year traditions for their students.
A special thank you to our Mandarin teachers Dr. Chen and Ms. Han for planning these wonderful Lunar New Year traditions for their students.
See pictures below!
新年好
新年好
Mandarin Students Celebrate Chinese New Year!
Mandarin Students Celebrate Chinese New Year!
Dr. Chen’s Mandarin classes have been celebrating the Chinese New Year. This celebration is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, and it is the most important festival in China. Each year the New Year is associated with an animal sign according to the zodiac cycle, and this year is the year of the Rabbit.
Dr. Chen’s Mandarin classes have been celebrating the Chinese New Year. This celebration is also known as Lunar New Year or Spring Festival, and it is the most important festival in China. Each year the New Year is associated with an animal sign according to the zodiac cycle, and this year is the year of the Rabbit.
To celebrate, Dr. Chen's students wrote their well-wishes for a good year and shared them with one another in traditional red envelopes. The students tried some Chinese snacks and had the experience of writing Chinese calligraphy using traditional brushes and ink. The classes will also be hosting an after-school event during which students will learn to make their own dumplings.
To celebrate, Dr. Chen's students wrote their well-wishes for a good year and shared them with one another in traditional red envelopes. The students tried some Chinese snacks and had the experience of writing Chinese calligraphy using traditional brushes and ink. The classes will also be hosting an after-school event during which students will learn to make their own dumplings.
Scroll down to see pictures of the students working on their red envelopes and calligraphy!
Scroll down to see pictures of the students working on their red envelopes and calligraphy!
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