This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Patapsco High Students, Teacher Travel to China

The 27 students, including three from Patapsco High, and three educators comprise the largest Baltimore County Public Schools group to participate in an exchange program with China.

Twenty-seven Baltimore county high school students and three teachers embarked on the cultural opportunity of a lifetime Wednesday, a three-month exchange with Tie Yi School in Xi'an, China.

The group gathered at the Baltimore County Schools Educational Support Services Building along with parents and county administrators to bid farewell.

“A great deal of our economy is coming out of Asia—globalization is a real concept,” said Baltimore County Public Schools Superintendent Joe A. Hairston. "The experience these students will gain from this is immeasurable and will prepare them to interact on the business, social and cultural level with their peers on this planet.”

Find out what's happening in Dundalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To make his point about globalization to the students, Hairston told them to be on the lookout for condiment packages manufactured at the McCormick spice plant in Hunt Valley.

The 27 students and three educators comprise the largest group ever to represent Baltimore County Public Schools in its cultural exchange program with Tie Yi School, a combined middle and high school in Xi'an, China with approximately 7,000 students.

Find out what's happening in Dundalkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Mara Rochon, a Chinese teacher at Patapsco High; Cheryl Milligan, an art teacher at Towson High; and Lauren Magnuson, a library/media specialist at Perry Hall High accompanied the students on their trip.

After receiving her undergraduate degree from Eastern Michigan University, Rochon spent a year teaching in a Chinese high school, where she began learning the Chinese language. When she returned to America she continued to take the classes as a hobby before catching the eyes of school administrators who encouraged her to pursue her hobby and earn her degree.

Now she teaches Chinese language full-time at Patapsco.

“The first time I went to China I went with the English Language Institute China,” said Rochon. "They gradually introduced us to the culture and lifestyle. I think the kids are in for a shock, especially when you consider the amount of time the Chinese put into their studies—sometimes they are in classes until nine at night.”

Through the BCPS Chinese Cultural Exchange Program, each year since 2007, BCPS and Chinese students and educators have spent time visiting each other's schools, attending classes, staying with area host families, and touring nearby attractions. This year, the students from Dulaney, Hereford, Owings Mills, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Towson and Randallstown high schools will return to Baltimore County on July 17.

While in China, the students will be staying with families of Chinese students who stayed with their families earlier this spring.

Two days each week, the students will take field trips. When the students are in school, they will take English classes with Chinese students as well as classes in Chinese language, art, cooking, music and physical education.

“I can't wait to see my Chinese brother Kang Dong,” said Cassidy Webb, a sophomore at Patapsco. "When he was here all he wanted to do was shop for clothes. It was amazing. He was definitely into fashion.”

Patapsco students George Karagianopoulos and Elias Clinton are also part of the exchange program, leaving yesterday with Webb and their teacher, Rochon.

Chinese is offered at four BCPS middle schools and 10 high schools: Dulaney, Eastern Technical, Hereford, Kenwood, Owings Mills, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Towson, Randallstown and Woodlawn high schools and Hereford, Perry Hall, Ridgely and Windsor Mill middle schools.

“I just finished Chinese 2,” said Alex Yarkony a student from Towson High School. “I'm pretty confident in my knowledge of the language.”

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?