The picture above was taken at "The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University." During our visit, principal assistant, Guangzhong He and Li youngkang, the deputy principal hosted us as we heard about the school's excellent programs, exchanged presents, observed the student exercises that start each day, and toured the beautiful facilities.
Over a thousand high school students gather each morning for excercises. These physical exercises follow eye exercises to strengthen the eye muscles.
During our visit to "Second High School" we had a meeting with Hope Kuo Staab, who is spending a year with the School Year Abroad program housed in Beijing. She has taken a year's leave of absence from the Punahou school in Honolulu, Hawaii where she is the director of the Wo International Center. During our meeting, Ms. Staab discussed what it has been like for her to be in a foreign country for a year and gave us suggestions of how we can be the best hosts possible for our teachers. She also discussed the School Year Abroad program encouraging those of us with high school students to consider it.
Monday, April 16, 2007
The following letter was included in the Highnotes newsletter sent to the Highlands Community:
Dear Parents,
I am writing this letter to you from a hotel room in Beijing, China! Highlands School's participation in the NAIS program called "China Connection" is what has brought me here. My goals during this trip are to gain a better understanding of Chinese education and culture, to meet educators who may wish to partner with Highlands via the internet or for visits in the future, to practice my few words of Mandarin, and most importantly to hire an excellent teacher to lead Highlands' exploratory program in Chinese language and culture next year. Our delegation from the United States consists of six heads or principals coming from various parts of the United States including Maine, California, Colorado, and Alabama! Highlands is the only school in the South to be participating this year, and I am the only female head participating this year as well. I did meet a man today who is teaching math to American students while they are having a year abroad. His grandfather was Edmund Pettis, the man whose name is shared by the bridge in Alabama.
I have been in China one week now and have visited with middle schools, high schools, and a university, not to mention many cultural and historical sites. Today, we met with Hanban, the non-government organization that is funded by the Chinese government with the mission of teaching the Chinese language to others in the world. Tomorrow, we will begin the interviewing. There are eighty-eight teachers who are interested in teaching in the USA. By the end of Thursday, we will know which teacher is coming to Highlands!
I am honored to be here, and I am thankful to those people who have made it possible for me to participate in this fantastic program. I know that you are in good hands with Amy and Kage as your leaders this week.
I look forward to sharing more with you when I return. Please continue to read the blog, but I must warn you that my internet connections have been less than reliable, so my blogging has not been as regular as I had hoped.
I will return Saturday night, and I look forward to saying "Ni-hao" to you on Sunday at the Spring Fling!
Kathryn Woodson Barr
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