Julian Loffsner, an eighth-grade student from
Bicentennial North, was chosen by the Arizona Department of Education as an ELL
Success Story.
“Our selection committee was impressed with his
dedication to English language acquisition, academics and personal growth,”
said Alexandra Miller of the ADE’s Office of English Language Acquisition
Services (OELAS) in an email to the Bici North administration announcing the
honor. Loffsner will be honored at a luncheon on Dec. 12 during the OELAS state
conference in Tucson.
Loffsner moved with his family to Arizona from
Columbia in the Spring of 2012. In Columbia he took courses to learn English.
“The basic stuff like vocabulary and verbs,” he said. His greatest challenge in
learning English has been with pronunciation, where some letters are different
than his native Spanish and where “sometimes one letter changes the entire
pronunciation of the word.”
Last year, Loffsner was placed in a Structured
English Immersion (SEI) class which specifically focused on grammar, reading,
vocabulary, and listening and speaking. At every opportunity he asked teacher
Barbara Hartley how to pronounce words, as well as their meanings. According to
his teachers, Loffsner always carried a dictionary with him to class . . .
including math.
The Bici North staff has described Loffsner as an
eager, inquisitive learner, and his academic work shows it. In just two years
he became proficient enough in English to move from ELL to general education
classes; his AIMS scores are excellent (he exceeds expectations in math); and
he has qualified for the gifted program.
"Julian's dedication to learning English made him stand our," said Bici North Assistant Principal Dr. Kristen Robertson. "In his second year ash an ELL student, he assumed a leadership role in class by assisting other students who were less proficient in English . . . He has demonstrated a sense of perseverance and intelligence through his classroom grades and standardized test scores. He is an eager learner who never stops asking questions in class. He is a role model for English language learners, not just in Arizona, but everywhere."
"Julian's dedication to learning English made him stand our," said Bici North Assistant Principal Dr. Kristen Robertson. "In his second year ash an ELL student, he assumed a leadership role in class by assisting other students who were less proficient in English . . . He has demonstrated a sense of perseverance and intelligence through his classroom grades and standardized test scores. He is an eager learner who never stops asking questions in class. He is a role model for English language learners, not just in Arizona, but everywhere."
