Porcupine Soup is reporting five members of the Cairo-Durham High School senior class have earned the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing their high levels of proficiency in English and Spanish. The students recognized are Kyra Byrne, Robert Lampman, Ally MacGiffert, Mckayla Mudge and James Mutinsky. The students are the second class of Cairo-Durham students to earn the Seal of Biliteracy distinction. In addition to special seals on their diplomas, they will also receive medallions in recognition of their achievement. “Earning the Seal of Biliteracy is a true affirmation of these students’ accomplishments in language proficiency and multicultural understanding, and meaningful for their future college endeavors and employers,” said Tammy Karker, department facilitator for Languages Other than English at Cairo-Durham High School. All five candidates completed upper-level English and World Language courses with a minimum average of 85 percent and earned high scores on Regents, Advanced Placement and other accredited “Checkpoint C” exams. Candidates were also required to present a research project meeting the state’s criteria for proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English and at least one other language. Read more at porcupine soup [dot] com.