China Delegation Members Reflect On The Experience

By Eliza Hallabeck

Newtown’s roughly 20-member delegation, which included students, administrators, and faculty, traveled to the Shandong Province of China from April 13 to 24. This week they reflected on the time spent visiting three sister schools and more.

 “It was definitely the most successful trip we have had,” said Newtown High School Assistant Principal and Program Coordinator Jason Hiruo.

This year was the first year Newtown students traveled to the area. In previous years only teachers and administrators had journeyed to visit Liaocheng Middle School #3, Newtown’s first sister school in the Shandong Province of China. This year two other schools in near Liaocheng Middle School #3 have also joined in the sister school relationship, along with Reed Intermediate School and Newtown Middle School.

Student ambassadors of the delegation were Austin Baldour, Kate Bartel, Nicole Davis, Abbey Doski, Liam Ferguson, Marina Lleonart-Calvo, Hannah Maret, Don Morrissey, Justina Paproski, Madalyn Petrovich, Leah Pinckney, and Kevin Rovelli. In addition to Mr Hiruo, delegates from NHS were psychologist Tom Brant, English teacher Amanda Friedman, special education teachers Katherine Matz and Doug Russell, social studies teacher Martha Parvis, and Assistant Principal Jaime Rivera. From the middle school were science teacher Wendy Bowen and language arts teacher Cathy Cincogrono, and Reed representatives were special education teacher Jeanne Pannone and music teachers Mardi Smith and Michelle Tenenbaum.

For months before the trip, Mr Hiruo had the delegation members studying cultural differences and more with the help of NHS exchange teacher Ding Hong. For Mr Hiruo, seeing the students on the trip have moments of understanding thanks to those lessons was fulfilling. He said excitement was noticeable from the group when experiencing something that had been shared previously as information.

During the delegates’ stay in China, each member attended school and met with sister school representatives to further the existing Newtown China Initiative, but other items were also on the groups’ itinerary, like visiting Qufu, pronounced Choo-Foo, the home of Confucius.

“I think overall, by the end of the trip, we were a complete family unit,” said Mr Hiruo. “It was so rewarding and valuable for the teachers and students to see this.”

Much was achieved during the trip, according to Mr Hiruo. A school in Shanghai, the Jincia Experimental School, expressed interest in developing a professional relationship with Newtown, and Beijing Normal University also showed interest in providing opportunities for teachers. While, these relationships will take further time to develop, Mr Hiruo said, they are opportunities that could lead to further success for Newtown’s students and teachers.

To cover the costs associated with further trips and funding further programs through the Newtown China Initiative, Mr Hiruo has applied for more funding from the Hanban-Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network. This year, like every year in the past, each member of the delegation paid for the expenses associated with the trip.

Renewing Friendships

Reed music teacher Mardi Smith said the trip was “an absolutely fantastic experience.”

“It was a perfect mixture of getting to know the Chinese education system, a chance to renew friendships that we formed when the Chinese delegation visited us in February, and a chance to meet new colleagues who have now become friends,” said Ms Smith. “We got a chance to see some of the most beautiful sights in the world and to gain an understanding of the Chinese culture.”

Like many who journeyed to China in the delegation, Ms Smith expressed a hope to return in the future. She said she hopes to be an exchange teacher there for a monthlong program teaching English.

“This year’s delegation trip was a tremendous success,” said NHS English teacher Amanda Friedman, who with NHS psychologist Tom Brant helps oversee the Newtown China Initiative. “Both adults and students alike were flexible, enthusiastic, and open minded. Visiting Liaocheng for a second time gave me a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with old friends while forging new relationships with administrators and teachers. I hope to return again.”

It was also Mr Brant’s second trip to Liaocheng, and he said his appreciation for Chinese culture, traditions, and academic rigor continues to grow.

“I was very impressed with our student ambassadors, which exemplified everything positive about Newtown High School and the community of Newtown,” said Mr Brant. “I can personally speak to the many realizations that our ambassadors experienced while with their host families. Also, our partnership continues to grow as we try to merge the town of Newtown and the city of Liaocheng into a true partnership which expands past the academic classrooms and into a global community.”

 Reed music teacher Michelle Tenenbaum said she would highly recommend teachers and students alike make the journey in the future.

“We learned about Chinese culture and we experienced the educational system first hand as we participated in a variety of classes,” Ms Tenenbaum said. “There were many opportunities for professional dialogue with our colleagues from our sister school in Liaocheng. Taking these experiences back to our schools and classes in Newtown will surely enrich our roles as educators.”

NHS special education teacher Doug Russell also had positive reflections on the trip.

“This China trip, with the staff and the students, was one of the most incredible experiences of my life and I look forward to going back next year if at all possible,” he said.

NHS junior Madalyn Petrovich said the highlight of her trip was staying with her host family in China for five days.

“I would say that we made incredible relationships with our families. Even though we couldn’t speak with them in their language of Mandarin completely, we were able to understand one another and had fun practicing the language,” said Madalyn. “I would also say that the China experience as a whole has taught me so much and has opened my eyes to the many different cultures of the world and the importance of their influence.”

For NHS senior Austin Baldour, the trip expanded his view of the world.

“My feelings for international culture are that we need to learn more to understand our friends overseas,” said Austin.

NHS junior Hannah Maret also said the trip was successful for all involved and for the Newtown China Initiative.

“I want to go back. It was such an amazing opportunity to learn about and to experience a new culture,” said Hannah.