For the past 20 years, Southport Middle School has proudly celebrated the kinship and diversity among the school’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students in Mr. Dana S. Hochberg’s class. This year over 40 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade ESOL students participated in the multicultural event and represented over 15 countries. In addition to a delectable multinational feast, students presented individual research-based learning projects involving authentic naval air and vessel hats. Seventh grader Thekeyah Antiola chose the USS Shenandoah AD-44. Each student also had to type the recipe they shared from their family’s home country.
Moreover, this culminating event often affords an opportunity for former Southport ESOL students to reconnect with Mr. Hochberg and speak with Southport’s current pupils. This year was exceptional with twenty former alumni visiting. Pictured from left to right in the front row are: Emmanuela Tranquille, Monserrat Vargas, Leybin Bardales, Lucia Silva, Hernan Rojas, Jonathan Geronimo, Leanne Arrabe, Guadalupe Quinonez, Dayanna Velez, Laureana Arrabe, Solanyi Nunez, and Lianys Betancourt. Back row are: Jimmy Vo, Sebastian Cueto, Mr. Hochberg, Carlos Nunez, Marco Nader, Aung “Johnny” Kyaw, and Nicolas Zubieta. Not pictured are Lillian Lee and Sonny Chan.
