For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 16, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

King Philip Students Earn Silver and Bronze Medals in National Spanish and French Exams

WRENTHAM — Superintendent Paul Zinni is pleased to share that several eighth grade students earned silver and bronze medals in this year’s National Spanish Exam and French Contest.

For the first year ever, all level one eighth grade Spanish and French students at King Philip Middle School were required this spring to take the National Spanish Exam and French Contest, respectively.

Both exams are written tests that assess student proficiency in their language of study. The exams aim to recognize students for their achievements in Spanish and French, and to encourage students to continue learning those languages.

“These exams are challenging and comprehensive,” Superintendent Zinni said. “Earning a high score is far from easy. These students clearly have an aptitude for language, and worked hard this year to become more proficient in Spanish and French.”

Approximately 200 students from King Philip Middle School took the National Spanish Exam this year. Nationwide, more than 140,000 students participated in the 2019 National Spanish Exam.

Two students, Aedan Derfler-Murphy, of Plainville, and Grace Berry, of Wrentham, earned prestigious silver medals for scoring in the top 85th-94th percentiles of teens that took the exam.

Charlotte Griffen, of Norfolk, Luciana Galvez, of Plainville and Turag Ikbal, of Plainville, also received bronze medals for their scores, which placed them in the top 75th-84th percentiles.

Honorable mention awards were also given to 37 King Philip Middle School students for their scores, which placed them in the 50th-74th percentiles.

A group of 38 students also participated in the National French Contest.

Helena Bekele, of Norfolk, has been awarded a bronze medal for her score on the exam, which placed her in the 75th-80th percentile of students who participated. Six additional students were awarded honorable mention awards after the exam, placing them in the 50th-70th percentiles.

“Our students are in their first year of studying these languages, and to see them score so well among their peers speaks volumes about their aptitude and interest in Spanish and French,” said Katie Brenneis, a Spanish teacher at King Philip Middle School.

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