This week, our seniors will turn the tassels on their graduation caps and head off for the next chapter of their lives and education. For a number of them, the diplomas they will receive will bear a unique distinction: the state’s Seal of Biliteracy and Seal of Civic Readiness.
Seal of Biliteracy
The Class of 2026 includes two New York State Seal of Biliteracy recipients: Marlie Grant and Sadie Munro.
The NYS Seal of Biliteracy is an award that formally recognizes students who have attained a high level of proficiency in two or more world languages (one of which must be English) by high school graduation.
The goal of the NYS Seal of Biliteracy is to:
- highlight the achievement of multilingual students;
- prepare students with 21st century skills;
- recognize the value of world and home language instruction in our schools; and
- identify high school graduates with language and biliteracy skills for employers or universities.
For the Seal of Biliteracy, Marlie focused on La Feria de Málaga (Malaga Fair, Spain). Sadie’s project focused on Costa Rican culture with a comparison to culture in the US. Both students invested considerable additional time and study over their junior and senior years in their subject areas and presented before a panel of educators who assessed their proficiency in both English and a World Language.
“The Seal of Biliteracy is a great way for a student to distinguish themselves from other high school graduates,” explained Director of Curriculum Karen Conroy. “It signals a rigorous curriculum and indicates a level of scholarship in the student. Students who receive this status are truly high performing as it is not done to meet a graduation requirement.”
Seal of Civic Readiness
Additionally, six of our seniors have earned the state’s Seal of Civic Readiness.
These students are: Fiona Cramer, Riley Chismark, Marlie Grant, Michaela Michels, Sadie Munro and Dominic Tillou.
The Seal of Civic Readiness verifies a student’s advanced proficiency in civic knowledge, skills, mindsets and experiences. It signals to employers and universities that a graduate is a responsible, engaged and knowledgeable citizen.
“Earning the Seal of Civic Readiness proves that a student hasn’t just studied history, but they’ve stepped outside the classroom to actively shape their community,” explained Assistant Principal Cathleen Goodwin, who helped guide students in this pursuit and with their projects.
Learn more about the projects that earned our students the Seal of Civic Readiness
Riley Chismark — Riley was a class officer for both junior and senior years, learning valuable information on respecting others’ views and working toward a public good. The experience has helped Riley be more aware of the benefit of considering the present and future when making decisions.
Fiona Cramer — Fiona served as a class officer in her junior and senior years, gaining insight on how decisions are made and how leadership requires taking multiple perspectives into consideration. Additionally, Fiona took many AP classes that allowed her to be an active participant in discussions about real world experiences and issues. For classes like AP Psychology, this helped her understand how social, political and economic forces shape human behavior and society.
Marlie Grant — Marlie was very active in her public speaking class, learning about how to structure different speeches to persuade and inform listeners. Marlie was also very involved with the school’s Java Hut and Just Run program, which offered her the opportunity work with younger runners on their running techniques and expand their knowledge of the benefits of running.
Michaela Michels — Michaela was the VCSD Board of Education student representative during the 2025-26 year and found the experience to be invaluable. She expanded her civic knowledge and improved her communication skills. Additionally, she was able to learn more about how schools operate and function and how it is the civic responsibility of all community members to vote on the budget.
Sadie Munro — Sadie was part of the International Community Service Club and AP classes that allowed her to investigate many aspects of her civic duty. She was extremely proud of her role in the ICSC raising money to help girls and women in Africa that are not receiving a high level of education. Through extensive fund raising, the club was able to fully fund internet access for a school in Africa. Throughout, Sadie gained knowledge of her civic duties and how to organize fundraising to help make a difference in the world.
Dominic Tillou — Dominic was actively involved in organizing the Naturalization Ceremony at VCSF this May for 15 area residents who were becoming US citizens. This experience allowed Dom to reflect on learning and how much goes into becoming a citizen. He was able to help in all aspects of the planning for the event and during the ceremony itself. Dom realized the benefits of putting in the extra work to help others. Seeing the look on people’s faces when they became citizens was invaluable.