NEWS
Cohoes schools welcome contingent of students, educators from China
Jan. 19, 2012— A brutal winter wind did
little to damper the enthusiasm of students, faculty and staff at
Cohoes Middle School and Cohoes High School as they played host to
29 students and 7 educators from Tianjin No. 41 High School on
January 18. The educational and cultural exchange with local schools was the
basis for the foreign delegation's five-day visit to the Capital
Region.
The Chinese group, guests of Tech Valley High School, arrived at Cohoes Middle School for a morning reception in the library, where they were greeted by dozens of students, administrators and guests including Superintendent Robert Libby, Assistant Supererintendent Peggy O'Shea, and Cohoes Mayor John McDonald. Student artwork featuring American and Chinese flags, created specifically for the Chinese guests, lined the walls as CMS student ambassadors greeted the visitors at every turn as they made their way to the library.
"Our doors are open to you," said Superintendent Libby. "We are pleased to share a glimpse of how we educate our students here in Cohoes and we are just as interested to learn about your schools in Tianjin. It is a valuable exchange I can only hope will continue across the miles and for many years to come."
Board of Education president V. Mark Pascale and board member Matt Nolin both welcomed the foreign visitors, with Mr. Nolin offering a special greeting in the group's native language. Nolin told the crowd he had spent a semester studying in China while in college.
"The air is cold, but our hearts are warm thanks to your fine welcome," said Chen Tianshun, a co-principal of Tianjin No. 41 High School, who was accompanied by six colleagues, as well as BOCES Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Kathryn Gerbino and Questar III Assistant Superintendent Diana Conroy. "We look forward to seeing more of your schools and your classrooms."
Click here for slideshow of day's activities>>
The visit is the latest exchange between Tianjin High School No. 41 and Tech Valley High School, who signed a pact last February to create an educational exchange between the two schools as well as other schools in the region. For the students, it was their first visit to the United States, where they are spending 14 days. They depart the Capital Region on January 20 and return to China on January 27.
Following the morning reception, the students divided into two groups to observe classroom instruction at both schools. Seventeen students observed an English Language Arts class at the middle school while 12 to the high school to tour several project-based classrooms. The Chinese teachers and faculty were provided special tours of both schools, led by Principal Dan Martinelli at the middle school; and by CHS Assistant Principal Tom Kostrzebski at the high school.
At the middle school, ELA teacher Joe Sullivan demonstrated how he often starts his class with a conversation starter and creative writing tool he calls a "bell ringer."
"When I was in eighth grade, I loaned my best friend five dollars after he promised he would pay me back," recalled Mr. Sullivan. "Time passed and not only did he not pay me my five dollars, I saw him spending money on other things...my money!
To get his students thinking, Mr Sullivan offered his Bell Ringer: "What do you think I did after that?" The students, with their Chinese counterparts, were encouraged to use their imaginations to complete a story and highlight the moral of that story.
At the high school, the group visited numerous classrooms, including new project-based rooms in the recent high school addition. They also observed a biology class; an art class; and toured the gym, auditorium and the music room, where Tianjin High School No. 41 principal Chen Tianshun tried his hand at the drum kit.
After departing Cohoes, the group was set to have lunch at the Career and Tech Center of Capital Region BOCES. followed by a visit to the Guilderland School District. During their stay in the Capital Region, where they are staying with host families, the group also attended a Section II basketball game, an Albany Devils hockey game. They plan to complete their American visit with a trip to Disneyland in California.
