Linden Students Say Farewell in Mandarin to 11 Teachers From China

According to Linden Public Schools' announcement.

The welcome came in Mandarin, and so did the goodbye. Songs, poetry and farewell wishes closed out a week of shared learning between Linden students and 11 English teachers from China.

The teachers visited Linden Public Schools from Monday, Oct. 5, through Friday, Oct. 9. Their stay ended with a Community Partnership Celebration in the Linden High School television studio. About 20 students performed in traditional Chinese attire, with boys in tang zhuang and girls in qipao, according to the district.

The performers were students in teacher Linlin Hu's Chinese I and Chinese II Honors classes. They sang "Where Are My Friends?" and recited the poem "Thoughts in a Quiet Night." During the week, the visiting teachers split into three groups at Schools No. 1, 5 and 8, McManus Middle School and Linden High School.

Superintendent Dr. Atiya Y. Perkins thanked Highland Park Mayor Elsie Foster, who coordinated the exchange through Aunt Elsie's Homestays & Educational Services, the district reported. "I have been doing this since 2010," Foster said. Perkins also credited the support of Union County Interim Executive County Superintendent Kyle Anderson.

"This is all about connections," Perkins told the gathering. She described the visit as a chance for educators and students to learn, grow and give back.

Guests included Linden Mayor Derek Armstead, Assistant Superintendent Annabell Louis, Human Resources Director Dr. Kayla Lott, Linden High School Principal Charles Koonce, School No. 5 principal Rachelle Crawley, Board Member Brianna Armstead and district multilingual director Danie Orelien. Anderson and Foster also attended.

During the week, the visiting teachers observed Chinese language classes, instructional methods, classroom management and student engagement, the district said. Orelien invited the teachers to come back, and Foster pledged to pursue more programs with them. The district did not say which schools or cities in China the teachers came from, and it did not list a contact for questions about the exchange.

For the students who performed, the farewell put their classroom Mandarin to use.

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Source: Linden Public Schools

Photo: Feng Zou / Pexels