FARMINGTON — A group of Chinese students, mostly middle-school age, laughed and talked among themselves while using their smartphones Tuesday in the Food Court at Mt. Blue Campus, waiting for the next step of their visit to Regional School Unit 9.
Families in the district are hosting the Chinese students, teachers and other representatives during this week’s visit that includes Mt. Blue Middle School.
It is part of RSU 9’s goal to create partnerships with Chinese schools and other representatives in China. A group of students from Mt. Blue Campus will visit China in April.
The partnership is under the leadership of Lisa Dalrymple, a Mt. Blue Campus world language teacher and director of the International Student Program. The goal is to bring tuition-paying Chinese students to Mt. Blue Campus.
The purpose of the district’s program is to bring in revenue to re-establish the elementary school world language program and create a stronger world language program overall.
A math teacher at Mt. Blue is in the process of getting certified to teach Mandarin, Superintendent Tom Ward said.
Many of the Chinese visitors spoke little English, and an interpreter helped bridge the language barrier.
“It is good for our students to learn that not everybody speaks English,” Dalrymple said.
It wasn’t long before the group, along with RSU 9 representatives, walked down the hall to Bjorn Auditorium.
Music teacher Steve Muise was in the midst of conducting an orchestra class on stage.
Principal Bruce Mochamer asked Muise if he minded being interrupted, and Muise said no.
The aspiring musicians turned their chairs to face the visitors in the auditorium.
“Everybody here is very nice,” said Yuan Ding, addressing students in the auditorium. “We love you. Do you love us?”
Mt. Blue students answered with a resounding “yes.”
Ding, a teacher whose American name is Fiona, invited Mt. Blue students to visit them in China, where they would teach them to talk and write Chinese, she said.
The Chinese students did a short performance of “Do Re Mi,” best known as a song from the movie “The Sound of Music.” They danced to the song, winding their way through the aisles.
The visiting students presented Dalrymple and Ward with a banner written in Chinese.
Fiona said it meant that “Every day, we should apply and reflect on what we learn today.”
A group of Chinese students, teachers and other representatives visit the Mt. Blue Campus in Farmington on Tuesday. Yuan Ding, standing center left, explains the banner’s message: “Every day, we should apply what we learn today.” Lisa Dalrymple, director of the district’s international program, holds the banner with a teacher from China and RSU 9 Superintendent Tom Ward.
Check out a video of students from China performing Tuesday at Mt. Blue Campus in Farmington on www.sunjournal.com.
Students from China use their smartphones in the food court at Mt. Blue Campus in Farmington on Tuesday.