Tag Archives: host family

02.01.19
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TNCS Hosts Interns from China!

In China, the weeks leading up to the Lunar New Year, culminating on February 15th this year, are generally a time off for many Chinese. For the past few years, The New Century School has hosted many visitors from China coinciding with this break, with 2019 seeing the largest overall numbers of visitors yet (see last year’s visit here).

As Guest Teachers at TNCS

The first group comprised six university students, who clearly wanted to have a good time in addition to learning about TNCS’s unique educational approach. They had fun and made sure everyone around them did as well. Yanfei Wang (“Fei Fei”), Xinyu Liu (“Stella”), Leyi Jin (“Xiao Jin”), Jun Zhou (“Abbie”), Ajing Wang (“Janice”), and Shuyin He (“Shu Yin”) all came from Shanghai, being students at Shanghai Normal University, and they made a very lasting impression on TNCS students as well as the families who opened their homes to them.

Their visit started with an orientation presented by their Exchange Coordinator (“handler”), Candace Moore, who, though having only very recently joined TNCS, jumped in with both feet—as well as her extraordinary organizational skills—and made sure their visit went smoothly. She also gave them a presentation on Social_Emotional Education, her specialty. After that, into the classrooms they went!

 

TNCS students fell immediately in love with their six new friends, and the sentiment was very much reciprocated. They played lots of interactive games together, including math games, Go Fish!, and a Chinese New Year character game. The interns lavished attention on the students and shared their wealth of talent, too.

As Guests in a Host’s Home

The Eib family once again generously hosted and played their roles, as always, graciously and with a desire to expose the interns who stayed with them (Fei Fei and Xiao Jin) to as much U.S. culture as they could during their brief visit. They were also kind enough to share their experience (and their photos!) with Immersed. During the school week, the interns joined in, cooking and eating together (mmmmm . . . hot pot . . . ) and experiencing family life.

During any school breaks and on weekends, they explored Baltimore and made satellite trips to neighboring cities. In Baltimore, they toured Penn Station, Federal Hill on a cold and windy day, Hampden, and downtown Baltimore at night. They dined at various restaurants and stopped in at Hampden’s must-have ice cream shop, the Charmery. (“We had ice cream almost every day!,” joked Mr. Eib). They went to Annapolis to see the Maryland State House and the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Philadelphia was next to meet up with a friend and see Reading Terminal Market and City Hall.

They also traveled by train to Washington, D.C. to see Union Station and the National Portrait Gallery and have bubble tea and the famous double patty burgers at Kramerbooks and Afterwords in DuPont Circle. However, it just so happened that this trip took place during the historic government shutdown that lasted 35 days, so the interns got to know American government in an entirely unexpected way.  “We got to experience the government shutdown firsthand,” said Mr. Eib. “Everything was closed, including the National Portrait Gallery—thus the long faces siting outside. Instead we went to the Phillips Collection and saw Xiao Jin’s favorite painting!”

 

Farewell, Dear Friends!

On their last day, January 25th, they gave TNCS students gifts and thank-you cards.

 

Abbie also kindly shared her thoughts on the experience:

It was super great luck for me to have been given the chance as an intern in such a nice school so as to interact with the loveliest students and the greatest teachers. Through my internship at TNCS, my scope of knowledge was expanded as I was able to apply what I acquired at TNCS back to China. Also, I was eager to learn firsthand several advanced and innovative teaching methods in a multilingual school such as:

  • Differentiated Instruction, as I saw every teacher give special tasks to each alternating group.
  • Cross-Age Mentoring, as I attended the class in which 4th- and 5th-grade students came to read stories for those who are at 2nd grade. (I really love this part!!)

Another big thanks to the amazing school headmaster, teachers of all grades, and teachers who gave presentation to us, which led us to a brand new world of how to develop emotional intelligence and how to give authentic praises. Also, putting ourselves in students’ shoes, I think, is probably the best way to be more attached to students.

Thanks to brilliant and truly outstanding students in TNCS, too. It was always a pleasure coming to school with them, so lovely and willing to explore.

Last but not least, I would like to thank aftercare teachers for their patience, staff for preparing healthy and delicious meals, and my five close friends as a group for their cooperation. I remembered the first day when I came to aftercare classes, I happened to meet three 1-year interns and saw how they communicate with kids with love and care.

Less is more. Two weeks for us student-teachers was brief, but the activities which teachers offered were quite full and meaningful. We attended ELA, Art, Math, Science, Chinese, Global Studies, PE, Music, and Spanish. In this independent school, we were glad to help mentors at class and check homework after class. We even had the first overseas teaching experience to share our Chinese culture (especially the Spring Festival) with students all over the world. Thus, more connection is coming.

Not only was it an unforgettable experience to meet kids from 1st to 8th grade, but I was lucky enough to stay with Calvin Eib’s family as well. “Cultural Shock,” which I heard from one of my friends actually didn’t happen at all. Honestly, I enjoyed every minute with my host family and every person at TNCS.

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning. Hopefully we’ll meet next time! Thank you so much! Gracias! 谢谢! By the way—WELCOME TO CHINA!!

TNCS will miss you six wonderful women!
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09.14.18
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TNCS Hosts Chinese Teaching Interns, Summer 2018

To start off the 2018–2019 academic year, The New Century School hosted a group of 12 university students visiting from China to gain some intensive training in how to teach. In addition to sharing their talents and gaining insight into the American education system, they also wanted to experience what typical American daily life is like and were happy to be placed with host families to participate in cross-cultural immersion. Wenya Liu, Leisi Ye, Xiaohan Fang, Lihui Xie, Jianping Wu, Huizhu Gu, Bixia Wang, Yidong Fu, Buqing Sun, Ziyu Long, Qi Wang, and Xiao Ma, from Shanghai, China arrived at TNCS on August 22nd, and, although their visit was brief, they made a lasting impression on TNCS students.

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For their initial tasks, they assisted teachers with classroom setup and new-student orientations. TNCS Chinese teacher Wei Li (“Li Laoshi”) was always on hand to provide guidance and help with acclimatization. In fact, she provided many of the photos in this post—xiè xiè (谢谢), Li Laoshi!

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When school began on August 27th, the interns supported TNCS teachers inside the classroom.

Toward the end of their 2-week program, they were given free reign during Chinese class to take over. The videos below show them instructing TNCS middle school students in some games—the Chinese charades was especially fun to watch!This is the second annual hands-on training program that TNCS has hosted for the start of the school year. Last year, a group of nine college sophomores and juniors majoring in teaching were the first group to have come out of this partnership with a Chinese organization and the University of MD. Other similar groups (interns, teachers, families, etc.) visit regularly throughout the year.

Working at the school is only part of their overall experience, however. Equally vital and enriching is what they do outside of the school day, and that’s where the host family comes in. One component of the TNCS identity is cultural exchange, so, multiple times throughout the year, TNCS families have the opportunity to be hosts to students and/or instructors.

Hosting exchange students is a wonderful way to engage the entire family in a cultural exchange, and these relationships can last a lifetime. For this particular program, hosting families received a per-student stipend to cover any associated expenses like food and travel. The interns partook in daily activities during regular school hours on and off site. Outside of school activities, host families provide any number of enjoyable excursions and recreation.

Veterans at hosting, TNCS families like the Eibs and others curate activities to give their guests authentic and meaningful experiences true to the setting. To provide a taste of Baltimore, for example, they took interns to Oriole Park at Camden Yards for some good old American baseball. For some good old American history, they traveled to Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, to see actual the United States constitution, perhaps the single most important symbol of this country. (See TNCS Hosts Education Training Program for Chinese Interns! for more fun from last year.)

Said Mr. Eib:

We took our interns to Philadelphia to see Independence HalI; to Washington, D.C. to visit the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, the National Gallery, the Washington & Lincoln Memorials, and to my favorite bookstore in the world (Kramer’s in DuPont Circle); and, in Baltimore, to see the Orioles take on the Yankees, the zoo and the Baltimore Museum of Art, to Hampden to experience a local neighborhood for dinner and bubble tea, to Great Wall Market to show them that we can actually get a few Chinese food items, and to Blue Pit Barbecue for a nice divey dining experience where (probably) no tourist has ever visited before.

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The big thing on every visitor’s mind, is, indeed, usually food. The best way to experience a new place is to sample its cuisine, and sample they did!

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September 5th was their last day at TNCS, and the closing ceremony, moderated by TNCS Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder Roberta Faux with assistance from TNCS Chinese teacher Wei Li, was held in their honor. The group was awarded certificates earned for completing their training; they also gave and received speeches of gratitude that provide a peek inside what the interns’ days were like at TNCS as well as how valuable the experience was for the teachers they helped support, the students they interacted with, and for themselves. In the words of Yidong Fu, “it’s so wonderful to see what American school is like–it’s completely different from what we have in China! We have had an amazing experience!”

For TNCS, too, Fu Laoshi, the experience was unforgettable, having an incalculable impact on students’ cultural learning. You all will be missed! Until next time, zài jiàn 再见)!

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09.08.17
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TNCS Hosts Education Training Program for Chinese Interns!

Last week, The New Century School held a very special closing ceremony for a group of interns visiting from China. TNCS Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder Roberta Faux said, “We partnered with a group in China and University of MD to bring over nine college sophomores and juniors who are majoring in teaching for a hands-on training program. They spent a few days at UMD doing course work and then supported instructors at TNCS beginning August 23rd. They were each assigned a classroom and assisted the teacher with classroom set-up, new student orientation, and one-on-one teaching.”

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September 1st was their last day at TNCS, and the closing ceremony, moderated by Mrs. Faux with assistance from TNCS Chinese teacher Wei Li, was held in their honor. They included: Tingjing Zhu from Si chuan province, Wenmei Xu from Shan xi province, Tan Cheng and Feifei Xu from Shang hai, Yufeng Wang from An hui province, Yao dong from Ning xia province, Yaqian Ji from Zhe jiang province, and Ran an from Gansu province.

Mrs. Faux started off the fun with a game designed to illustrate the differences between fixed ways of thinking and creativity. What does it matter if you can recite the 100th digit of pi (9) or rattle off the word with the most consecutive consonants (Hirschsprung, as in the disease) if you can’t solve real-world problems as they arise in the moment? Even when she invoked the hallowed name of education guru Sir Ken Robinson, however, the Chinese interns did not buy it—they almost unanimously would have “hired” the guy who knew his facts. But they are probably all still pondering this interesting exercise!

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The group was awarded certificates earned for completing their training; they also gave and received speeches of gratitude.

Some transcribed here, these speeches provide a peek inside what the interns’ days were like at TNCS as well as how valuable the experience was for the teachers they helped support, the students they interacted with, and for themselves.

From Primary Teacher Maria Mosby: It was such a beautiful experience having the students from China visit, especially our dear friend, Ann Laoshi. They were warm, helpful, excited to learn, and we learned so much from them as well. Ann Laoshi is a natural Montessorian with a quiet grace that children and adults alike are drawn to. We wish her and all of the students much success.

From Primary Teacher Yangyang Li: Thank you so much for your hard work and support. Wish you all a happy and prosperous future! Best wishes!

From Upper Elementary Teacher Jon Wallace: It was really nice to have a caring, helpful, and curious person in the classroom. It made for a really fantastic week!

From Lower Elementary Teacher Barbara Sanchez: We will miss “Anna” very much. It’s like she knew what I needed her to do even before she asked me. She always helped the students in their small groups. The students and I will miss her very much.

From Lower Elementary Teacher Megan DeMatteo: My intern was really good at assessing the students’ needs and jumping in where she was needed. The kids loved her!

The ceremony ended with Tingjing playing a song on the ukulele and the students responding with a choral performance, followed by a reception with refreshments.

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Working at the school is only part of their overall experience, however. Equally vital and enriching is what they do outside of the school day, and that’s where the host family comes in. One component of the TNCS identity is cultural exchange, so, multiple times throughout the year, TNCS families have the opportunity to be hosts to students and/or instructors from other countries (or even from around the United States, as in the case of the recent American Music System summer camp). “It’s been a joy to host our house guests. [Our daughters] have had so much fun!  We will miss you,” said Mrs. Faux. Other TNCS families also hosted and were kind enough to share some of their experience with us.

Said host parent Calvin Eib: “The interns are a great group. Our son has been having a blast with the two interns staying with us! It’s actually made for a great first week at New Century!” As has happened during other hosting opportunities (see Hosts with the Most, Parts 1 and 2 and TNCS Hosts Winter Exchange Program), the Eib family took hosting very much to heart.

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“It was so interesting getting their perspective on working at New Century,” said Mr. Eib. “They came home absolutely exhausted after school each day!” (Welcome to the U.S. student!) “In addition to what you can see in the pictures, we took them to the Aquarium, the Shake Shack, and so on.” The Eibs learned their likes and dislikes (very popular: sushi, blue crab, taco night at home, hot [not cold] water to drink, Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups, eggs and rice, evening showers. Not popular: coffee, beer, cold water, pizza at the school [sorry!], and Western-style food multiple meals in a row) and exchanged cultural experiences.

Continued Mr. Eib: “Ting Jin was a wonderful singing partner with [our son]—everything from 1,000-year-old songs to modern Chinese pop. He taught her songs and numerous games (thumb wars, that clapping “concentration” game).”

“They really took time to get to know each of us and we did the same,” said Mr. Eib.

03.10.17
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Hosts with the Most, Part 2: Interns!

As promised, this week Immersed brings you what the hosting experience is like from a slightly different host family experience: hosting The New Century School interns!

Meet the Interns

First up, let’s meet the interns! “Rocky” and “Carlson” (nicknames) are both from Beijing, China and attend (Rocky) or attended (Carson) Beijing Normal University, although they did not know each other back home. They served as TNCS in-class assistants from January 17th through February 15th. Both had wonderful experiences and were thrilled to have been at TNCS. They loved every minute of it! As you will very quickly see, TNCS was incredibly fortunate to have welcomed them. They are two very special people and were universally loved by staff and students alike during their stay.

img_0710Rocky, age 23, was in Kiley Stasch’s kindergarten and 1st-grade classroom and also helped Wei Li (“Li Laoshi”). A graduate law student in his first semester, he naturally organizes his thoughts and draws logical connections. Thus, he describes the three aspects of his visit to the United States that made it so meaningful to him:

The first is travel. I used my free time to visit places around the United States, like New York City, Philadelphia, and New Haven to visit Yale University law school. I also went to a lot of museums. The second is the time I spent with my host family. They are so nice and so good. They provided a lot of resources for us and a lot of help. [Ed. note: Awwwwwwwww!] The third part is the volunteer experience. I’m enjoying this time with the children very much. It’s hard to express how much knowledge I learned from this experience, but I can say that it was a very valuable time for me and for my life. I will never forget it. It’s going to be a very beautiful memory.

You might be wondering how and why a future criminal lawyer ended up volunteering in childhood education. Rocky explains, “The answer is very easy. As an undergraduate, I majored in physical education.” Not surprisingly, then, one of his favorite teaching moments at TNCS was when he got to teach t’ai chi to the elementary and middle school students. “I’m so happy they liked it!” he said. As it turns out, Rocky is a national champion (and now the origin of his nickname starts to become clear) of t’ai chi in China.

Regarding the students, he found them “open” and “full of energy,” qualities that he found both endearing as well as helpful. Communicating and interacting with them was very easy, he says, whereas Chinese kids of the same age are generally pretty shy. “They don’t want to talk. They’ll just work by themselves. I was glad to find that Ms. Stasch’s students had no trouble asking for my help or to play games.”

After departing Baltimore, the two interns were headed to Chicago. From there, Carlson headed home and Rocky made one final trip to Los Angeles to visit some Chinese friends studying at UCLA before returning to China by February 25th to resume graduate school studies.

img_0714Carson, age 25 and a postgraduate in child development psychology, interned in Mr. McGonigal’s 2nd- and 3rd-grade homeroom. Although not his first time to North America (he was once an exchange student in Canada), this was his first visit to the United States. He describes his experience this way:

During this month, the experience has been very special and a chance to compare the characteristics of Chinese and American educational systems. I think they are very different. American students are very active, especially in the class. In the classroom I volunteered in, the students are so open. The answers they gave to questions from the teacher impressed me. They are very clever and very cute.

Carson found that the lack of reserve he saw in TNCS students led them to make intellectual discoveries and be receptive and curious. This was a very positive aspect of American education in his estimation. On why he wanted this volunteer experience, he says, “I wanted to learn more about the characteristics of children and the differences in the psychology between American and Chinese students. It’s interesting and useful research for me in my future career.”

He also enjoyed traveling to various cities around the country, with the museums in Washington, D.C. being a highlight for him. “It was amazing for me to learn more about American culture,” he said.

Carson says he will miss a lot about his experience once he has returned home, but one thing he will remember fondly was celebrating Chinese New Year abroad for the first time. “It was a very special experience for me,” he smiled. Top of the list, though, is his host family [Ed note: Awwwwwww!].

Meet the Host Family

As described, a huge part of the richness of both interns’ exchange experience was their host family, the Browning/Desais. After reading TNCS Admissions Director Dominique Sanchies’ email describing the need for wintertime host families, they thought hosting would be a lot of fun for their three children. “The process through the agency was very easy,” said Ms. Browning, “we just filled out a 1-page form and were sent a 25-page handbook. The agency checked in with us after the first day and went over everyone’s roles and responsibilities.”

We wanted two interns,” she explained, “and that worked out really well. They did their homework [assigned by their agency and related to their volunteer program] together, hung around together, compared notes, etc.”

Fun for the children happened in spades, but Ms. Browning was pleasantly surprised by how much she and her husband also enjoyed hanging out with Rocky and Carson after the kids went to bed. “They were super interesting to talk to,” she said, “and we all had a lot of fun together.”

It was clear to the Browning/Desais that the interns were reaping a lot from their exchange experience. “They were so nice and so grateful to be here. Everything was an honor for them, they said—even washing the dishes, which we did not expect them to do! That was an added perk!” she laughed. They lent their helping hands frequently—and, with two students to get to TNCS plus a baby (and a cello), Ms. Browning was appreciative of their innate desire to be of service in small ways such as holding doors open for her.

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Besides the fun it promised, the Browning/Desais had another impetus for becoming a host family. The saw it as a way to make a statement about welcoming people from other countries: “We want to show our kids who we are and what this kind of ‘mini-activism’ can do” she explained. Hosting also ties into TNCS’s ethos, and the Browning/Desais have been part of the TNCS community for years.

“We got to experience Chinese New Year (Rocky is a rooster in the Chinese zodiac and Carson a goat, by the way) with them, and that was great. We went to D.C. to see the celebration at the Sackler and Ripley Center at the Smithsonian, which was spectacular. Rocky and Carson then took the “wheel” and escorted them to Chinatown for a hotpot meal, a new experience for the Browning/Desais and featuring such exotic ingredients as cowtail.

As other host families have similarly described, time together was precious, and there never seems to be enough of it. “They traveled around some,” said Ms. Browning,” “but when they were in Baltimore, they were with us 100%.” Other outings they enjoyed together included TNCS’s night with the Baltimore Blast. Rocky and Carson had never seen a soccer match, let alone a live one, and they were amazed. They also got to watch their first Super Bowl, but Ms. Browning reports that despite the excitement of that game, they were much more impressed by Lady Gaga’s halftime show. (Of course, things would have been different had the Ravens been playing.)

“Other than that, we spent a lot of time just hanging out,” said Ms. Browning. Both interns liked to work out, and Rocky gave some more personalized t’ai chi lessons to the Desai children, which the kids not only loved but was also a great way for them to expend energy before bedtime!

The difference in personality between the two interns also played well with the Desai children. “Rocky was the energetic, playful one, and Carson was the love-bug,” said Ms. Browning. The two complemented each other perfectly, she said. Another unexpected benefit was hearing about their kids’ academic performance, especially regarding their Chinese language ability, from the interns’ unique vantage point as classroom volunteers and native Chinese speakers.

Once again, feeding their interns proved to be one of the biggest surprises the Browning/Desais met with, but not in the same way that some of TNCS’s other host families have described (see Hosts with the Most, Part 1). They happily ate whatever was served to them (spaghetti was not a breakfast requirement!), but, given his energy expenditure and to maintain his muscle volume, Rocky has to eat four times the amount of protein an average adult male consumes. Ms. Browning quickly adjusted and quadrupled every recipe she cooked, and she made sure she prepared a wide variety of foods so they could try lots of new things, such as tacos and lasagne. “It was a real ego-booster—they even took pictures of the meals.” Fortunately, the Browning/Desais got stipends for hosting each intern that covered the cost of room and board. Also, whereas the younger exchange students were not accustomed to eating cold meals, Rocky and Carson fell immediately in love with sandwiches. Chili was Rocky’s favorite, though, which they ate for the first time while watching the “Big Game,” and sweets also were a big deal, because at home he’s always training and has to avoid sugar altogether. They also enjoyed a visit to MOM’s organic market and were amazed by some of the unfamiliar vegetables, let alone the section of sustainable proteins (colloquially known as the “bar of dead bugs”).

The Browning/Desais also hosted a student age 7 during the Winter Exchange Program and so have a dual perspective on hosting. The student’s stay overlapped with Rocky’s and Carson’s, but she was shy and did not interact much with the interns. The Browning/Desais are emphatic that they would host again but feel that having interns rather than students was a better fit for their household, at least for the time being.

Carson sums up the experience he and Rocky shared with the Browning/Desais with these heartwarming words:

In my homestay, something very good happened. They are very nice and made me feel at home. I have many words to express, but it’s very difficult. In one word, I would say, “unforgettable.” If I have any opportunity to come again, I definitely want to. It was very special.

02.10.17
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TNCS Hosts Winter Exchange Program for Visiting Chinese Students

For 10 days last month, The New Century School welcomed some very special visitors all the way from China—24 students ranging in age from 7 to 13 years old, and their 2 chaperones Bella (a teacher) and Mark (an education administrator). The group represents the first Winter Exchange Program TNCS has hosted (other similar programs have taken place during the summer).

The program was designed to immerse Chinese students in a Western experience, so they attended school at TNCS and were hosted by a Baltimore family, who opened their homes to the young visitors and made them feel truly welcome. Host families were given helpful tips for how to ease their guests into their new environment, such as:

  • Identify a safe place for students to store passport and cash sums of money
  • Have a quick conversation about safety in the city (e.g., do not leave the house without asking, no playing in the street)
  • Let them know how you will wake them up in the morning, and at what time
  • Keep in mind they will be jet-lagged and may have trouble sleeping the first few nights
  • They are not accustomed to drinking cold water; room temperature or warm is preferred
  • They will prefer hot meals; please limit sandwich type meals
  • Cut fruit is a great snack, but cut vegetables will likely be unappetizing
  • They do not eat extremely spicy food

(Ever wondered about hosting an exchange student? Read Why You (Yes You!) Should Consider Becoming a Host Family.)

Itinerary

Each of the 10 days was action packed to make sure that the students were getting the fullest possible experience. Bella kept her own blog, which you can view here in English or Chinese. Kerrigan Dougherty acted as TNCS Program Coordinator and escorted the group on their various excursions. She describes the program in her own words:

This exchange was an opportunity for some friends from China to come over and spend some time in an American school, both to see what classes are like, what meals are like, as well as to see landmarks and classic monuments, as we’ll be spending part of our 10 days in Baltimore and a couple of days in Washington, D.C. The kids came from a variety of schools in China, but all are affiliated with the Rise Centers [see post], which are after-school and weekend programs that provide additional schooling. Although the first 48 hours were tricky due to the physical adjustments the kids’ bodies need to make to be on our time, once they did so, everything has gone very nicely. And they are really enjoying the program! They have been pretty easy to manage overall—just like any kid, they need to eat and to be warm, and they don’t like sitting still for too long. They all have different likes and dislikes, so we make sure there are quite a variety of activities. Sometimes they are in class with their American buddies; sometimes they go out on independent trips, such as for hot chocolate or visiting local shops. There’s a lot of joy and fun, and the level of engagement definitely increased steadily as the days went on. I’m so grateful that they made the trip here.

On Monday 1/16 (MLK, Jr. Day), they had an orientation session at TNCS, received special backpacks, and then jumped right in. They enjoyed a cooking class and spent lots of time in the gymnasium playing with the Imagination Playground and climbing on the Gerstung equipment, as you can see above.

The next day was an actual school day, so the Chinese students attended classes alongside TNCS elementary and middle school students and then enjoyed some extracurricular activities like LEGO camp and FutureMakers. It was gratifying to see how quickly they adapted to their new surroundings, and they did not suffer from shyness!

Wednesday was drumming day. Program coordinators had the brilliant idea of forming a “Bucket Band,” and Chinese and TNCS students alike absolutely loved this experience. From here on out, this became a frequent pursuit, with “Mr. Yoshi” leading the band.

Likewise, on all school days, the students were given lots of opportunity to brush up on and review their English-language speaking skills.

On Thursday, after some classroom time, the students got out to explore Fell’s Point as well as Fort McHenry to do some historical sightseeing.

Then, on Friday, 1/20, the group traveled to Washington, D.C. to attend the inauguration of the United States’ 45th president—what a treat! They got to see just about the most American thing possible!

The weekend that followed included trips to the National Aquarium in Baltimore and the Smithsonian Institute back in D.C.—oh, and lunch at the Hard Rock Café.

Once the school week started back up, the students hit some local spots like Pitango Bakery and Brick Oven Pizza (B.O.P.) where they even got to prepare food at both locations.

16179181_1774154272906283_2434889102240593646_o They closed out their last couple of days bonding with their new TNCS friends and playing games such as Ping Beep Beep, a math game.

On their penultimate day, they attended a graduation ceremony and after party at a neighbor’s house. TNCS bade them farewell on Wednesday, January 25th, and the parting was difficult, as it’s easy to imagine after such intense bonding had taken place.

TNCS’s graphic artist Yuyin created a slideshow to commemorate the occasion. View it here.

This 2017 Winter Exchange Program was a huge success. Bella and Mark attested that their students had the time of their lives and were very happy with the experience. Fortunately, this promises to be the first of many!