On February 10^th, fourteen students in grades three, four, and five from Beijing, China will start school at Rocky Mount Academy. Chinese New Year is in January so they will be with their families celebrating with plans to travel to the United States shortly after this big holiday. Spearheading the partnership between Rocky Mount Academy and Haidian Foreign Language School (Hai Wai as they call themselves), the students will integrate into the classrooms and the community that is Rocky Mount Academy while also experiencing the culture of our area in North Carolina. Their teachers will travel with them to the United States and become a part of our campus as well. There will be a Chinese teacher in every class with Chinese students to help with any translation discrepancies and to help them understand, as this will be a major adjustment for them. In case you need assistance with translation there are experts and you will need their help. However, these students have been learning English since they were four years old, so their English will be very well developed. The students will have their typical Chinese lessons after school each day to ensure that they are staying on the course of education that they followed at their school in China, and to maintain some element of home. Beijing Haidian International School was awarded as the 2015 Best Private School in Beijing for both their primary and secondary schools by The China Association of Private Education and Beijing Academy of Education Science private education research institute.

There have been multiple trips to visit the Beijing Haidian International School by Headmaster Beth Covolo and other staff members including: Mrs. Hadley Gross (Head of Admissions), Mrs. Katherine Bryant (Head of School Development), Mrs. Mary Scott (third grade teacher), Mrs. Wimberly Braswell (Lower school music and Spanish), and others. Also, teachers and staff of the Beijing Haidian International School have traveled to Rocky Mount Academy and toured the school to experience a typical day at Rocky Mount Academy. In Beijing on March 5^th, 2015, Ms. Covolo signed an agreement between Rocky Mount Academy and Beijing Haidian International School officially instating them as sister schools. Greenfield School of Wilson also partnered with the Chinese school who will be sending students there as well. During this visit, students from the school performed for the guests an English fairy tale show, sang English songs, demonstrated calligraphy writing, and played Tai Chi. Also at the signing ceremony, Principal Huang Ruihua said “I believe that the signing ceremony will open a wider field of vision and provide a richer choice for our children”.

Be sure to welcome the new students and teachers when you see them in February!