Four Chimacum juniors and a graduating senior have earned the Washington State Seal of Biliteracy, a nationally-recognized award for proficiency in both English and another language. In a press release from Chimacum High School, officials announced that passing the Avant test for the medallion also grants them four high school credits in Spanish. “This is not an easy test,” Spanish teacher Reed Aubin said. “These students have worked hard with their families and communities as well as in school, to develop excellent bilingual skills.” Chimacum principal Brian MacKenzie said Aubin’s program promotes rapid language acquisition through interactive storytelling and role playing activities. By assigning a range of fiction and nonfiction titles at different reading levels, the program seeks to match every student to a book that is appropriate to their reading level and also interesting. “This balanced, innovative program meets the needs of kids who start with zero Spanish, while giving students who speak Spanish at home opportunities to become better readers and writers,” MacKenzie said. He said students in both categories “crushed the test.” “This is a testament to all kinds of good things happening in education,” said Aubin. “We have hard-working students from diverse backgrounds who are advancing their academic skills to the level of a national standard.” Students, both native speakers of other languages, and students of World Languages, are showing pride in the honor. “This test gave me a chance to show how far I’ve come with my Spanish and all of the work I put into it,” said senior and Spanish 3 student, Braden Coleman. “I am very happy to have the opportunity to get credit for something I know very well,”  said Joel Cervantes, a junior. “My Spanish is as good as my English, and I have worked hard.” Aubin said Chimacum partnered with nearby Sequim and North Kitsap school districts to launch its program. “We are a small school and it can be difficult to get programs off of the ground. I reached out to our neighbors and they responded generously with enthusiasm and practical support.” Students and parents interested in the program for next year can contact Aubin at Reed_Aubin@csd49.org or 360-302-5930.