A delegation of Chinese educators included in their trip to the U.S. a brief visit to Bethlehem Central High School on Monday, Feb. 14.
The group of four educators and 32 students also visited South Colonie, Schodack and Schoharie school districts, as well as Tech Valley High School during their five days in the Capital District. The Chinese school and Tech Valley are working to establish a partnership.
The delegation of educators traveled from Tianjun No. 41 High School in Tianjin Province. The group that toured the high school Monday consisted of Xu Changqun, principal of Tianjin No. 41 High School; Wu Jing, assistant principal; Li Libei, assistant director of the Department of Student Management; Yang Hejuan, coordinator of senior grade one; and Chen Shuching of the Center for Cultural Exchanges, who lives in Buffalo and acted as translator for the group.
Not coming along on the trip to BC were a group of 32 of the school’s students.
The group was on a tight schedule and was only able to spend just over half an hour at BC, but in a whirlwind tour they saw a great deal of the institution. The group stopped in on an ad design art class working with computers, the cafeteria and a chorus class, and also held a brief sitdown with the Lab School’s Stephen Smith and some of that advanced program’s students.
BC also offers Mandarin Chinese as a class, but it was not in session during the visit.
High School Principal Charles Abba said the visit, though brief, was a success.
`I’m just sorry we only had 35 minutes,` he said. `They really wanted to learn as much as the could. That was really impressive.`
BC staff shared information about the district with the visitors, and the delegation in turn presented their own brochures and gave Abba a decorative glass piece etched with the image of Tianjin No. 41 High School.“