NHS Takes Steps Toward Adding Chinese To Curriculum

By Eliza Hallabeck

Newtown High School may soon offer instruction in a new language for students. As the second step to creating a better link with a school in Liaocheng, China, two of the school’s educators took a trip across the world.

Two months after 20 educators from the Shandong Province, China, came to visit NHS, Assistant Principal Jason Hiruo and social studies teacher Martha Parvis traveled to meet them and to understand the roles and responsibilities of the schools’ teachers, students, and administrators.

Through the Ministry of Education in Liaocheng, Mr Hirou and Chinese administrators negotiated an agreement that will bring Chinese educators to NHS to initiate a Chinese language program. Eventually, according to Mr Hiruo, a teacher exchange program will be created and a student exchange program could follow.

“Before the students can start to communicate, before the teachers can communicate, the leaders need to communicate,” said School Superintendent Janet Robinson, who has also visited the area.

Dr Robinson said the State of Connecticut selected the sister school for the district. According to Mr Hiruo, Connecticut has more contracts with China than any other state.

“We are trying to prepare our students to work in a global economy,” said Dr Robinson.

Dr Robinson said there is a special agreement that if the town provides housing and transportation to the visiting teacher then the school in Liaocheng will provide a teacher.

“They’re just as excited as we are,” said Mr Hiruo.

According to Mr Hiruo, the initiative will prepare students to have international skills. An appreciation of diverse culture, the ability to understand cultural and national perspectives of other, proficiency in technology and world languages, and literacy in global trade are some of those skills.

Dynamic changes in world economies, concern for the global environment, expansion of international legal institutions, and increased migration, according to Mr Hiruo, are concerns facing American students.

Communications will begin this year, according to Mr Hiruo, to bring a teacher from Liaocheng here to teach at NHS.

“Right now it’s ongoing dialogue,” he said.

The Sister School Program is a joint project managed by the Connecticut State Department of Education and the Connecticut Principals’ Center of the Connecticut Association of Schools. Based out of The Division of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, the China Initiative received nominations for a Connecticut delegation in February. Delegation candidates are nominated at a district and regional level, according to Mr Hiruo.

“The future success of our students in the United States will depend upon on our ability to focus efforts on international skills and individual experiences that prepare students for a connected and integrated world,” said Mr Hiruo. “Our students and teachers can develop these skills through a diverse educational exchange partnership at Newtown High School.”

According to Mr Hiruo, a visit from the Liaocheng educators is expected for this fall.

Mr Hiruo said a student exchange program is expected for the 2009 school year.

“Adding Chinese would be fantastic,” he said, regarding adding it as the school’s newest language taught in the curriculum.