NHS And Chinese Sister School Program

Coordinator Reflects On April’s Visit

By Eliza Hallabeck

Looking back on the April break trip to Newtown High School’s sister school in Liaocheng, in the Shandong Province of China, Assistant Principal Jason Hiruo said recently, the visit was a successful one.

After returning, multiple teachers and administrators in the 25-person delegation, who all paid their own way, reflected on the trip in the May 7 edition of The Newtown Bee.

“Coming back to Newtown after the trip was incredible,” said Mr Hiruo.

Within a week of returning, Mr Hiruo, the program’s coordinator, had already begun talks concerning a 2011 trip to Liaocheng Middle School #3. He also met with Reed Intermediate School administrators and teachers to discuss implementing a partnership between Reed and a matching school in Liaocheng.

While the high school partnership is preparing for an eventual student exchange program, Reed school would only be participating in a teacher exchange, due to the age of students. Next year, Mr Hiruo said, high school students may accompany the visiting delegation to China.

Mr Hiruo said the dynamic staff at Reed Intermediate School showed strong support for bringing the program to the fifth and sixth grade school.

More time was the only thing missing from the April trip, Mr Hiruo said, and next year’s trip will have it.

The delegation left for China on Friday, April 16. During its stay, the group toured the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China, the US Embassy in Beijing, and had a meeting with the US ambassador to China.

Joining Mr Hiruo on the trip were NHS Principal Charles Dumais, Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Linda Gejda, and NHS teachers Tom Brant, Jennifer Davidson, Tim Dejulio, Jennifer Dellasala, Candace Dietter, Jason Edwards, Kristen English, David Foss, Amanda Friedman, Lori Hoagland, Jeanette Manfredonia, Doreen Marcucilli, Susan McConnell, Norm McConnell, Rachelle Myllymaki, Edward Obloj, Carol Pelligra, Amy Repay, Daria Richardson, Kristin Violette, and Elizabeth Ward DeLeon.

Multiple departments from the school were represented within the delegation, including social studies, art, science, culinary, foreign language, and English.

For Mr Hiruo the program began in the spring of 2008 when he and NHS social studies teacher Martha Parvis visited Liaocheng Middle School #3 to further a relationship Dr Robinson had begun in November 2007, before she started her position in Newtown.

Since then, multiple delegations from Liaocheng Middle School #3 have visited Newtown, and another visit from the school is scheduled this summer. Other school districts have also contacted Mr Hiruo to discuss how to form sister school relationships of their own, he said.

The trip in April brought high school staff closer to people in other departments they may not work closely with on a day-to-day basis, according to Mr Hiruo.

“And the school saw how serious we are, because we brought that many people,” he said.

The cultural experience of the trip was also a highlight for members of the delegation, he said, and the group came together as a family for the ten days they were out of the country together.

“The people that went over are an exceptional bunch of people,” said Mr Hiruo.

A year’s worth of preparation went into planning the trip, according to Mr Hiruo, and more was accomplished beyond furthering the sister school relationship with Liaocheng Middle School #3. Along with visiting the school, teaching classes and touring the area, Mr Hiruo said he and other administrators on the trip were meeting with representatives of Peking University and members of the Ministry of Education. Doing this, he said, will expand the Chinese connection for NHS.

Partnering with Columbia University and Yale University was also discussed, and possible future programs for NHS may include having students from the universities tutor NHS students.

Mr Hiruo said he is proud of the accomplishments the partnership has made so far.

The relationship has been as successful as it has been because of the support it has received from the community, including First Selectman Pat Llodra, he said.

“There are so many things we can benefit from,” he said, reflecting on the relationship.

Mr Hiruo said the trip was successful overall, and will continue to build as the years continue.