Ambassadors seek inspiration

6ad75cdb-2b23-4a97-832e-dcf353a69d7b-PLEE67(December 14, 2012) — Chinese ambassadors and principals toured Clark’s campus Nov. 20 to analyze US teaching practices and how they can be implemented to improve schools in China.

Eighteen ambassadors from Beijing visited during snack and 4th period, meeting students and teachers as they observed several classrooms.

ASB members escorted the ambassadors to several different classes, such as physics, US history and math analysis. Principal Doug Dall introduced the ambassadors to the faculty during snack, and displayed the new Blue Ribbon School banner for the first time.

“We always want professionals working with our kids,” Dall said to the ambassadors. Juniors Gregg Chang, Amanda Lieu and senior Karen Wong, all of Chinese descent, greeted the ambassadors as they arrived in the main office. The students served as translators as well as tour guides for the ambassadors.

“Personally, I think it’s amazing that we get to meet people from the other side of the world,” Wong said of greeting the ambassadors. Wong said that the ambassadors told her that they had visited several other schools in the US, but thought Clark was the best due to its robotics and marine biology programs. Chang also appreciated the ambassadors’ visit. “I’m glad they found Clark a high-standard school that other countries want to compare their schools to,” Chang said.

The ambassadors expressed their opinions of the school in a post-visit email. “The campus and academic environment have very distinctive scientific and technical characteristics,” the ambassadors said. “The principal is very dedicated and enthusiastic, and we are very touched by it… and [the school] reflects the principal’s spirit of hard working.”