Harris Elementary 3rd Grade Student Earns Success Story Award at State Conference
Tristan Chavez
Antonella Parra Gonzalez, a third-grader at Harris Elementary School, recently received the Arizona English Learner Students Success Story Award! This award, presented by the Arizona Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition Services (OELAS), celebrates the remarkable journeys of English Learner (EL) students who have demonstrated outstanding progress in both English language proficiency and academic performance.
Having immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in the spring of 2023, Antonella began school at Harris Elementary with limited English proficiency. In the Spring of 2023 Antonella arrived in the United States from Venezuela and entered the First Grade. At that time, she was not yet able to speak any English and had scored in the pre-emergent level on her AZELLA placement test. However, with unwavering dedication and a strong work ethic, Antonella quickly progressed, demonstrating a remarkable ability to learn and grow.
“She has a really good work ethic. She listens, she asks questions, she always tries her best, and she's very serious about her schoolwork and her learning,” said Lisa Earl, an English Language Specialist at Harris Elementary. “She doesn’t stop learning when she leaves school. She takes work home with her and continues to learn on her own.”
This incredible work ethic and dedication to learning paid off for Antonella. Antonella had earned a Proficient score on the AZELLA reassessment, an impressive accomplishment for a second grader. Remarkably, within a year of starting school, Antonella had become proficient in all aspects of English language acquisition: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Although, Antonella's success story is not solely defined by her academic achievements.
“Now, as a third grader, Antonella continues to shine. She goes out of her way to support her peers, whether they are new to the class or still working on their English language development. Her kindness, empathy and leadership are truly inspiring,” added Lisa Earl.
Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) is committed to academic success in English language acquisition, with English Language Learners (ELL) Programs available at all 39 GPS schools. To learn more about ELL Programs at GPS, visit GilbertSchools.net/Teaching-Learning/English-Language-Learners.