I've just gotten back to the hotel after a delicious dinner with some of
the teachers from PS 161, and I wanted to send along a quick note about
our day. After a long morning sightseeing-- Tiananmen Square, Mao's
Tomb, and the Forbidden City, we regrouped and got ready to depart for
our home stays.
We had an exciting group meeting (our guide, David, calls it a
"congress") to talk about our anticipations and concerns. The group
talked about what made them nervous about the home stay-- mostly
communication challenges and knowing how to behave in an unfamiliar
home. They also talked about what excited them-- meeting new people,
practicing their Chinese, and the incredible home-cooked food. There
was a nervous energy in the congress, but our students gave words of
encouragement to each other and reflected on what an exciting
opportunity this is.
Once we arrived at PS 161, our students were welcomed by signs and
banners, gifts, and a quick tour of the beautiful campus. After being
officially greeted by the headmistress and some PS 161 teachers, our
students were quickly taken to be introduced to their new host
siblings-- a few minutes later they could be seen walking around the
campus and chatting. At the end of the school day, each of the Poly
students headed home with their host sibling.
In the morning, we will all meet up back at school for a day of visiting classes and a hutong tour. I'll send another update tomorrow!
--Mr. Donnell
No comments:
Post a Comment