Category Archives: Multilingual Education

01.31.25
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TNCS Rings In Year of the Snake with a “Scaled Up” Lunar New Year Event!

As a multilingual school offering instruction in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese, The New Century School honors the Lunar New Year in high style each year. Celebrating the new year and observing many of its rich cultural traditions is not only wonderful fun for TNCS students and highly anticipated each year, it also finds them eagerly speaking, reading, and writing in Mandarin Chinese—as will be revealed.

This year’s Chinese zodiac representative is the Wood Snake, which heralds a year to explore, get inspired, and share your light—a nice respite from the challenging Year of the Dragon just passed. TNCS students did just that in the Lunar New Year Event held Thursday, January 30th: they explored, they got inspired, and they shared their lovely light with packed audience.

TNCS Community Sees Red!

As in, marveling at all of the beautiful red Lunar New Year decorations gracing the auditorium! Many of these decorations are actually projects that students in all divisions worked on throughout the month of January. You’ll see Chinese penmanship, history, lore, and more!

This event was planned and executed by Yan “Eve” Lui, who has lots of event-planning experience:

The whole Chinese teacher team helped a lot. Ms. Steffan and Ms. Simonetti played key roles in the planning and operating of the event. Ms. Steffan sent emails to parents for volunteers, and the parent volunteers helped so much during the event. Ms. Arelis helped to search the leftover materials from previous years. Mr. Mike helped with the decoration and the equipment setting and training for me.  Here are some key points that helped a lot during the planning:
• I asked Ms Jia for the experiences that she had during the celebration last year.
• During the planning meeting with Ms. Steffan and Ms. Simonetti, we talked about my ideas and how we should adjust and suit the best expectation to current parents. There are cultural differences and social norm differences, and it is the communication that helped us to combine my former knowledge and experiences in China with the TNCS school and parent preferences.
• Ms. Simonetti also has experience in event planning. She took care of the layout of the stands in the consideration of the queueing directions. She organized the student hosts scripts and prepared a stand for putting the scripts of the hosts. She also tested the volume of the microphone to make sure that it was not too loud. She organized the shop stand to make it look appealing. She brought table cloths from home to make the table look neat and nice. She basically took care of the control of the whole operation and many details to make sure it went well.
• I intentionally encouraged more students to participate in the event. I talked to their teachers and organized them to volunteer. They were the hosts, the helpers, the photographers, the video designers… This is part of education, which is to provide real situations to practice what they have learned at school and gain experience and real knowledge. They practiced self-confidence, communication, team work, trust, courage, offering help, performing on the stage, skills of design, and so much more. One minor intention is to make sure that they all come to the event. Since they were involved they and their family had to come. This is to make sure more people come to the event, and we did attract around 120 people that night. This is a big success because all our performances are to show how much we have taught our students Chinese language and culture. (The performances, the happy new year greeting videos, and the posters on the wall are all presentations.)

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TNCS Head of School Ann Marie Simonetti gave opening remarks, introducing the event and thanking attendees:

Xīnnián kuàilè—Welcome and Happy New Year! It’s wonderful to see so many of you here as we gather and welcome in a new year filled with growth, unity, and endless abilities. . . one that we hope brings joy and meaningful connections for all of you and us. We’re excited to share this special evening with you. I hope you enjoy the performances and all of the lovely things that our students and faculty and staff put together for you as well as, most importantly, the spirit of community that makes this event so meaningful here at TNCS. Thank you for being a part of our celebration this evening.

The audience was then treated to some video footage of TNCS preprimary students practicing their Chinese lessons with Liu Laoshi (Jia), who also teaches Chinese to TNCS middle schoolers.

Next, a video of TNCS K–2 students!

Then, some older TNCS students danced onstage in traditional Chinese clothing.

A group of 6th- through 8th-graders then demonstrated “pi ying xi,” which is a traditional Chinese puppet show using paper cutout puppets and shadows to create a beautiful effect. See for yourself!

After the performances, attendees had multiple activities to choose from, including traditional craft stations, games, and food—and even an auction for merchandise! Oh, and don’t forget the photo booth!

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About the auction, Eve Laoshi explained:

We purchased products that have unique Chinese cultural features, and then it came to us that we needed to introduce those cultural features via the products to the parents as well as to generate more revenue and create an exciting atmosphere for the event as well. We also chose good causes for parents to bid on and to support our Language Immersion Program at TNCS. That is why we decided to do the auction. We had a shop stand as well to sell all other products, and most of them were sold out that night. Ms. Simonetti has experience in auction operations, and it is her wisdom to put some items together and to carry out a casual auction that suited the situation at the event. She decorated the items gorgeously on the plates and had me show the plates around the audience during the auction.

Said Ms. Simonetti:

The event was a beautiful display of community and a reminder of the transformative power of coming together. Our staff, students, and volunteers brought the space to life with beautiful artwork, traditional decorations, delicious smells, and masterful performances. But beyond that, I felt like the presence of staff, alumni, students, and families—spanning multiple generations—truly transformed the space, creating a palpable sense of connection and belonging.

Happy New Year, everyone! 新年快乐! Xīnnián kuàilè! Honor this time to renew your goals, embrace changes that align with your true self, and shed your old skin!

Did you know that TNCS is partway through its second full turn of the Chinese zodiac? And that this is TNCS’s second snake year? TNCS launched in the Year of the Tiger, 2010. Since then, TNCS has marked many a Lunar New Year in a variety of ways!

Immersed had not yet met the world for the Lunar New Year of 2012, but you can be sure that Year of the Dragon was one to behold.

10.18.24
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Hispanic Heritage Night 2024: Around the Spanish-Speaking Globe!

On Wednesday, October 15th, The New Century School held its annual Hispanic Heritage Night (HHN) celebration, timed to align with the culmination of Hispanic Heritage Month. Observed from September 15 to October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate the rich cultural contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to our society. For TNCS K–8 students, this celebration offers a unique opportunity to learn about diverse cultures, histories, and languages that have shaped our nation.

Hispanic Heritage Night Celebration

This year HHN was planned, executed, and emceed by TNCS Spanish and PE teacher Rafael González. Manuel Cueva helped with the menu and cooking. “Putting the event together was both exciting and challenging,” said Sr. Gonzalez. “It involved balancing planning, rehearsals, and guiding the students, but their enthusiasm made it all worthwhile. I’m very proud of how they embraced the process—not only learning about different cultures and dances but also growing in confidence and teamwork along the way.”

The evening began with remarks by Sr. González on the theme of how and why cultural awareness and multilingualism benefits students. As we’ve explored in multiple Immersed posts on the subject:

    • Exposing students to Hispanic cultures broadens their worldview and fosters empathy and understanding.
    • Students learn about the significant contributions of Hispanic Americans to our country’s history, science, arts, and more.
    • Hispanic and Latino students feel recognized and valued, while non-Hispanic students gain appreciation for their peers’ backgrounds.
    • Celebrating diverse Hispanic cultures helps dispel misconceptions and promotes a more inclusive environment.
    • Learning multiple languages enhances problem-solving skills, creativity, and mental flexibility.
    • Bilingual and multilingual individuals often have advantages in the job market.
    • Speaking multiple languages opens doors to deeper cultural understanding and connection.
    • Multilingual students are better equipped to engage with diverse communities and contribute to global conversations.

In short, by embracing Hispanic Heritage Month and promoting multilingualism, we prepare our students to thrive in a diverse, interconnected world. We cultivate not just knowledge, but also empathy, respect, and a genuine appreciation for the rich tapestry of cultures that make up our global community.

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Following the introduction, excited TNCS students took the stage. K–2 students recited “El Llano” (on ode to the Colombian plains) and then—to the audience’s sheer delight—mounted their brave steeds to dance “el joropo”!

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Around the World

After the departure of the little “vaqueros,” TNCS elementary and middle school students took the audience “around the Spanish-speaking world” in a series of informative and entertaining performances combining geographical facts with cultural flourishes in the form of dance. This approach was not only a brilliant way to beguile the audience, it also meant that students had a great time, while also learning about the representative countries and practicing their Spanish proficiency. Well done, Sr. González!

First stop: Spain!

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España Y El Flamenco!

El Salvador Y La Marimba!

Mexico Y La Bamba!

Nicaragua y El Solar De Monimbo!

Cuba Y El Zapateo Cubano!

Venezuela Y El Popurri!

Ecuador Y Palomita Cuculi!

Argentina Y El Tango!

Closing Out the Evening

Traditional Hispanic food was available for purchase after the show, a feast pulled together by Sr. Gonzalez and Sr. Cuevas, with help from TNCS students.

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And Sr. Gonzalez’s thought on the evening? “The night was a true celebration of the student’s efforts, and I couldn’t be prouder seeing how they enjoy being part of the Hispanic Heritage celebration,” he said.

09.13.24
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Ann Marie Simonetti is TNCS’s Head of School!

Heading into its 15th year, The New Century School made some “strategic” changes. A big one is Ann Marie Simonetti’s new role as Head of School and Director of Strategic Initiatives. Ms. Simonetti is not new to TNCS, however, having served as TNCS Admissions Director since 2021.

With her extensive background in nonprofit education, she brings a strategic approach to her role, emphasizing the importance of planning in various aspects of school management, including enrollment, marketing, family engagement, and financial sustainability.

It’s All About the Strategy!

As part of her Director of Strategic Initiatives, er, strategy, Ms. Simonetti is focused on aligning TNCS’s initiatives with its Core Values and Portrait of a Graduate.

She aims to create a shared understanding of the school’s objectives among leadership, faculty, staff, and the newly formed steering team. This approach ensures that everyone is working toward common goals, both short-term and long-term. “I think everyone must be tired of hearing me say the ‘S’ word—strategic,” she joked. “But, in all seriousness, the purpose of strategic initiatives is to serve our families’ needs as they evolve and ebb and flow.”

Organizational Approach

The school has recently adopted a more collaborative leadership model, moving away from a traditional hierarchical structure to a flatter, more circular organizational approach. This shift aligns with the agile philosophy, which emphasizes transparency, flexibility, and shared responsibility. To implement this approach, Ms. Simonetti uses a Kanban board—a visual management tool that helps track tasks, their progress, and who’s responsible for each item.

The newly formed steering team is another initiative aimed at increasing stakeholder engagement. This team, composed of families, faculty, and staff (with potential for student ambassadors in the future), provides a platform for sharing ideas, discussing successes, and addressing areas for improvement. It serves as a continuous feedback loop between the school community and leadership. Ms. Simonetti describes it as “giving families and faculty and staff, depending on what we might be working on or toward in a given season, a venue to bring ideas to the group, share successes, and what areas might need improvement.”

The 3 Cs” Communication, Community, and Connection

Communication is a crucial aspect of Ms. Simonetti’s strategy. The school has implemented a structured communication system, including daily reports for preschoolers, weekly newsletters for different grade levels, and a monthly “Third Thursday” update. Ms. Simonetti also writes a Head of School newsletter, which she sees as an opportunity to connect with families and share important information and reflections. “I see it as another way to connect with the community and do that in a really purposeful way,” she explained.

Ms. Simonetti emphasizes the importance of community and connection in her leadership approach. This was exemplified in a recent staff development activity in which the team walked the school’s labyrinth as a mindfulness exercise and sang together, setting an intention for the upcoming school year: “The way we come together as a group reflects the way that we’ll be able to bring students together in our school community.”

Customer Centricity

More Cs! Ms. Simonetti has also introduced a customer-centric model to TNCS, drawing inspiration from the Ritz-Carlton’s renowned customer service approach. During a staff development week, she used Ritz-Carlton training materials to help the team understand how to create positive experiences for students, families, and the broader community.

This approach ties into the Montessori philosophy, which emphasizes sensory experiences and mindful interactions.

Through these various initiatives, Ms. Simonetti aims to foster a connected, engaged, and purposeful school community at TNCS, where everyone understands their role in contributing to the school’s mission and success. “I start with the mission statement every time,” she said, “even if it’s for a group of people familiar with it because it’s the why. It’s why we are here in the first place.”

Ann Marie Simonetti—here’s to a great year with you helping steer the ship!

01.19.24
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From Bogotá to Baltimore: Rafael Gonzalez Joins The New Century School!

At the start of 2024, The New Century School welcomed a new Spanish teacher—Rafael Gonzalez! With language learning at the heart of TNCS’s academic approach, Sr. Gonzalez’s arrival is an exciting new development. Let’s get to know him a little better!

Meet Rafael Gonzalez!

Sr. Gonzalez, pictured here with the Statue of Liberty in the background, officially started his new position as TNCS K–8 Spanish teacher on January 8th, marking the next step of his teaching career. His first 2 week have gone well, he says, despite the snow-related disruptions that kept him and his students out the classroom for a couple of days. Somewhat surprisingly, he had only arrived in the Unites States less than 2 weeks prior, on December 28th. He has nevertheless adapted beautifully to his new country and his new job in that short span of time. “Let’s start a new year with a new life! And it’s going well,” he said. He was proactive about his upcoming transitions, securing lodging before coming, so he could immediately settle in and prepare for the new school year once he arrived. His positive outlook is serving him well.

Educational Background

Sr. Gonzalez is from Bogotá, Colombia—a detail he shares with his predecessor.  There, he earned a 5-year French, English, and Spanish teaching degree at the University of La Salle, which a group of institutions around the world originally created in 17th-century France by St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. He obtained a master’s degree (also from La Salle) in Language Didactics in 2020, further enhancing his expertise in language education.

Although Sr. Gonzalez originally thought a career in social communication or journalism was his calling, his parents reminded him how good he was at teaching, which he started doing in high school on the weekends during religious activities. When he saw that La Salle offered a degree that included French, a language he had not then mastered, his interest was piqued. But when he started learning about teaching and its transformative impact, his fate was sealed. “Teaching can change people’s lives,” he said.

Professional Background

His teaching career officially began in 2020, he had prior experiences as an intern, teaching French in public schools. At Liceo Americano, a private institution that provides private classes for foreigners in Colombia, he taught English and French to students from 9th to 11th grades. During the pandemic, he continued teaching privately through the school. Next, at Liceo Feminino Mercedes Mariño, he taught French to 3rd- through 5th-grade and 7th- through 9th-grade students. Subsequently, he taught at SMART Training Academy, where he taught French and English.

Sr. Gonzalez at TNCS!

With this robust foundation, Sr. Gonzalez brings his knowledge and passion for languages into the TNCS classroom. He teaches five groups of students across different grade levels, from K/1 in the morning to the 6th- through 8th-graders. Managing various age groups presents its challenges, but, in keeping with TNCS’s mixed-age classroom approach, Sr. Gonzalez leverages the knowledge of the more proficient students to support the learning of others. He says to his students, “OK, you already know this, so you can explain it to the others in the way you understand it. I can do it my way, but you guys can take it further.” This collaborative approach emphasizes mutual support and shared learning experiences.

In terms of his own teaching philosophy, Sr. Gonzalez embraces interactive and kinesthetic learning styles. Incorporating games, role-playing, acting, and singing into the classroom creates an engaging environment where students can thrive. “I focus on addressing students’ needs, ensuring that they learn language skills in contexts relevant to their lives.” This approach resonates with the authentic language learning philosophy of providing practical, real-world scenarios for students, much as TNCS Chinese program does.

I love playing. When you’re in a game, you have a little bit of pressure to do well, and your mind works faster. I believe this is a better methodology than having students sitting in front of a board, copying what I’m writing there. I can teach them a lot of vocabulary, but what’s the objective of learning it? If they’re learning something, it should be because they need it for communicating. In what context are they going to use this? So, if they’re learning about their body parts, why do they need it? Well, maybe someday they are traveling to Costa Rica and they need to go to the doctor but the doctor doesn’t speak English. So how do they communicate, for example, ‘I have a backache’? So, they need to learn ‘la espalda,’ for ‘back’. I want them to learn the things that they need to learn for their lives.

Not surprisingly, TNCS students have welcomed Sr. Gonzalez warmly, after getting over a bit of initial anxiety about acclimating to a new teacher in mid school year.  Their receptivity has made the experience smoother for everyone.

When he isn’t teaching, Sr. Gonzalez is exploring Baltimore. He has joined a gym, attended a Ravens game, and celebrated the New Year in the Harbor, for example. He gets around on a bike borrowed from a TNCS parent and wants to delve into Baltimore’s history by visiting the library and the city’s many historical sites. , a bike to explore the city. Despite the differences in climate between Bogotá and Baltimore, he has been adapting well. (Bogotá’s high altitude means its cold every night and warm every day, with only two seasons—summer and winter, which means rainy!)

In his spare time, Sr. Gonzalez is an avid flag football player and has joined Volo to find a team, eagerly anticipating spring for outdoor training. Although he loved all sports in Colombia and cared more about the matches themselves than who was playing in them, here in Baltimore, he has embraced the Ravens, fervently hoping along with the rest of his adopted city for a Superbowl victory.

We are glad you have joined our TNCS team, Sr. Gonzalez! Welcome! ¡Bienvenido! Huānyíng (欢迎)! And, bienvenu!

Look for Flag Football as an upcoming Summer Camp activity . . . and possibly even some French-related extracurricular activities!

11.03.23
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Check-In with TNCS’s Elementary and Middle School Mandarin Chinese Program!

Multilingualism is a cornerstone of academics at The New Century School. The Mandarin Chinese program is therefore a “jewel” in the school’s crown, along with the Spanish and ELA programs. Speaking of jewels, the current TNCS Chinese team has the ongoing support of Xie Laoshi—aka “Jewel! Xie Laoshi is a veteran TNCS instructor, having led the classroom and multiple summer camps, including StarTalk! Xie Laoshi is very pleased to have mentored the newest member of the elementary/middle school Mandarin team, Jia Liu (“Liu Laoshi”).

Meet Jia Liu!

Liu Laoshi came to the United States in 2021 to pursue a master’s degree in Music Education at the University of Auburn. After graduating, she moved to Baltimore with her partner. As luck would have it, her neighbor turned out to be TNCs’s K/1 Mandarin immersion teacher Cui Laoshi, who recommended she apply at TNCS for the 2023–2024 school year. Xie Laoshi was immediately impressed with her work ethic, and she is now fulfilling what is known as Optional Practical Training during her time at TNCS.

Liu Laoshi is originally from Luoyang, an industrial city in central China’s Henan province, where evidence suggests Chinese civilization originated.

She plans to bring her musical prowess into the Chinese classroom in various ways to make learning fun and well-rounded for her students. Although she teaches Mandarin Chinese at TNCS, she has a rich background in teaching music—her family owns a music school (Golden Vienna Academy of Piano) in Luoyang, and Liu Laoshi still helps run it long distance.

Mandarin Chinese Curriculum

Together, the Mandarin team (that also includes Cui Laoshi in K/3 and Wang Laoshi in preschool) have ensured that the curriculum is up to date and effective. As before, Xie Laoshi’s approach aligns with that of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). ACTFL continues to promote the 5 Cs—an ingrained part of the Mandarin program at TNCS from the very beginning, but they have adapted and innovated over the last decade to promote additional effective language instruction and assessment practices that align with current research in education and language acquisition. Among these, two prominent instructional approaches are “backward design” and “project-based learning” (PBL).

Xie Laoshi explained these two approaches in detail and how the Mandarin Chinese team implements them in the classroom.

Backward Design

The essence of backward design is to start with the desired results (end goals or objectives) and then design instruction and assessment to achieve these goals. This ensures that educators first identify the desired outcomes and proficiency levels for students, then they design the learning experiences and assessments to achieve these targets. ACTFL’s standards emphasize performance goals, which align well with the backward design model. By first determining what students should be able to do in the target language, educators can then plan meaningful instruction to help students reach those performance goals.

Project-Based Learning

In PBL, students work on a project over an extended period, which challenges them to solve a real-world problem or answer a complex question. PBL encourages authentic language use in meaningful, real-world contexts and promotes the integration of the three modes of communication (interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational). It encourages students to research, collaborate, communicate, and reflect in Mandarin Chinese, which makes the learning experience more engaging and relevant.

Part of PBL is the “can-do” statement: these are performance descriptors that articulate what language learners can do in terms of communication at various proficiency levels. They offer a clear way to describe language skills in the domains of speaking, listening, reading, and writing. They also serve as benchmarks for assessing a learner’s progress and growth over time; they help educators and learners to understand where a student is currently and what they need to work on to reach the next level of proficiency. In essence, can-do statements act as a bridge between the theoretical framework of the proficiency guidelines and the practical application in the classroom.

Want to see PBL in action? 

For their first-quarter project, TNCS students were asked to create characters and elaborate on who these characters are and what their lives look like. To familiarize students with what they were trying to achieve, Xie and Jia Laoshi used teaching language proficiency through storytelling (TPRS). They start with a one-word image and collaboratively build on that (such as with a name, gender, age, personality, and so on) to tell a story. Their launch visual was “door.” “Each day you circle around the image, building first maybe the appearance and continuing from there,” explained Jewel. Lots of repetition happens, and students start understanding grammar patterns and how to use conjunctions. They love this character, so they want to keep talking about it.”

Then, they were let loose to create their own individual characters! Part of the genius of this TPRS project is that students had to read, write, and think in Chinese, and they also had to present their characters to the rest of the class. As one student described it, “I thought it was a really fun project. It was really great to make our own characters. I learned a lot, and it helped improve my comprehension.” This student, by the way, is learning Mandarin Chinese for the first time! (Xie Laoshi credits the prework they did as a class as well as the concept of “comprehensible input”—a linguistic theory that states that second language learners need to be exposed to linguistic input slightly above their current language level so that they can understand new inputs—for this student’s success so far).

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And here is a sample presentation!

 

Other projects that TNCS students have been working on are what Liu Laoshi calls “mini Chinese dramas.” Fortunately, she is an accomplished videographer and captured one on film for us.

 

All in all, Mandarin Chinese class is a highpoint of TNCS students’ day. Xiǎngshòu nǐ de xuéxí, TNCS students! 享受你的学习