Foreign Language Awards

Seventy-three East Hampton High School students were recognized at the school last week for outstanding achievement in Spanish, French, and Latin, under the umbrella of the World Languages Honor Society. The students streamed into the auditorium waving world flags, with the French language-learners sporting berets and the Latin students wearing ancient Roman-inspired headdresses.

In a speech to parents and the community, Kristine Swickard, the school’s language department coordinator, congratulated the 48 students who were inducted into Sociedad Honoraire La Hispanica, the 10 inducted into La Société Honoraire de Francais, and 15 others inducted into the Societas Honoris Latina. Some, she noted, achieved honor status in two clubs.

Ms. Swickard also took the opportunity to announce that Amy Cole, who has taught French in East Hampton for 12 years, is moving away from the area. As a parting tribute, her students prepared a top-10 list of “Why I will miss Mme. Cole.” They read the list in French and English, reducing their teacher to tears.

Ms. Cole told The Star in a phone interview that there had been whisperings at the school about dismantling the French program. “I really hope they don’t do that‚“ she said. “The students have such a strong French program in the middle school that many of them really want to continue and become fluent in high school.”