NICE Report Highlights Progress And Upcoming Efforts
NICE Report Highlights Progress And Upcoming Efforts
By Eliza Hallabeck
Newtown High School Assistant Principal and Newtown International Center for Education (NICE) coordinator Jason Hiruo gave a report to the Board of Education during its meeting on Tuesday, September 18, updating the board on NICE efforts.
Students and district delegates have been selected to travel to France this school year, Mr Hiruo said, and other students and delegates will be traveling to China in April, either to Shanghai or to Liaocheng. Mr Hiruo also asked the school boardâs permission to travel to both Shanghai, to ensure the continuing support of the Asia Society through a $10,000 grant, and to Boston to represent the school district at a conference there.
Mr Hiruo said NICE is working on promoting International Education Week, November 12 to 16, with each of Newtownâs schools. Different learning experiences will be highlighted at each school during the week, he said.
NICE Nights
Mr Hiruo also cited the development of NICE Nights, planned evening events that will incorporate cultural workshops followed by a movie. Participants, Mr Hiruo said, will be encouraged to bring dinner to eat during the event.
The first NICE Night is set for Wednesday, October 3, and will highlight Japan. The event will start at 4:15 pm and will include a language and origami workshop, followed by a movie showing at 5:45 pm.
All NICE Nights are free and open to the public. The movie scheduled for the October 3 NICE Night is Castle in the Sky, an animated movie by director Hayao Miyazaki that follows the story of a young girl and boy in search for a floating castle.
Mr Hiruo also noted during the meeting that host families are needed for a guest teacher who is set to teach at Reed Intermediate School this school year. Wu Tong is an international language specialist with expertise in Mandarin, according to NICE, and she is sponsored by The College Board and Hanban, the Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network. She will be working at Reed Intermediate School. For more information about becoming a host family e-mail nice@newtown.k12.ct.us.