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Students urge board to expand world‑language offerings; petition seeks ASL 3
Summary
Students and their world‑language teacher highlighted language programs at North Penn High School, showcased cultural exchanges and travel, and a junior speaker presented a petition with about 200 signatures asking the district to add ASL 3 to the course catalog.
A group of North Penn High School students and the world language department chair used the board’s February action meeting to spotlight the district’s language programs and press the board to expand American Sign Language offerings.
"So I am Britney Akas. I'm the Spanish teacher at North Penn and also the world language department chair," Britney Akas told the board, introducing several students who described what language study has meant to them. Students gave short remarks on Latin, German, French and ASL, citing travel experiences, academic preparation and cultural learning.
"ASL is now in its third year of being at the high school," junior Zoe Tiger said, and told the board she circulated a petition requesting ASL 3 be added to course selections. "I have a copy of it if you're curious to see it and it has 200 signatures." The board chair acknowledged the petition and thanked Tiger for her advocacy.
The presentations emphasized family and community engagement, with speakers describing how language study enhanced empathy, cultural awareness and career opportunities. Madison Bowes, an ASL student, described a real‑world interaction with a cashier who has a cochlear implant and said that being able to sign "completely changed" the interaction.
Superintendent and board members praised the teachers and students for the presentations and invited them forward to be recognized. The board said it values the student spotlight series as a way to highlight classroom work and will take note of the ASL petition as staff continue course planning.
The student presentations included: a read speech on Latin’s benefits, remarks from Evan Tamuaro (German), Anna Zekley (German honors), Lena Martin (French), Hayden Kochanski (Spanish 2), Joel Zachariah (Spanish 2), and ASL students who asked the board to consider course expansion. The petition for ASL 3 was described as having about 200 signatures.
Next steps: board members said they would follow up with staff and thanked the language teachers and students for attending the meeting.
