Meadowbank School
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE
Launch their Confucius Classroom
Meadowbank School is the seventh school to open a Confucius classroom in Auckland.
Meadowbank School officially launch their Confucius Classroom
Congratulations to Meadowbank Primary School who officially launched as a Confucius Classroom on 16 June 2015. Visitors at the event were welcomed by the kapa haka group, then principal, Peter Ayson and two very able Mandarin and English speaking MCs.
During the ceremony a variety of items were performed to showcase the achievements of the students in their Chinese journey as well as congratulatory speeches by Ms Song Chenmao, then Deputy Consul-General of the Consulate-General of PRC and Ms Nora Yao, then Director, Confucius Institute in Auckland. Together with Peter Ayson, they also unveiled Meadowbank Primary School’s Confucius Classroom plaque which will sit in the school’s dedicated Chinese classroom.
Click here to visit the Mandarin Classroom at Meadowbank School.
Read the article below from Rose Cawley from East and Bays Courier/Fairfax NZ
Mandarin rolls off the tongues of pupils at Meadowbank School. Principal Peter Ayson says almost 600 students at the school learn the Chinese language. A parent survey in 2011 highlighted the demand for it. The school is now looking to officially open its Confucius classroom on June 16, he says.
“This year we had a speech contest for non-native speakers – it just shows how far we have come.”
The focus is now on establishing and strengthening links between schools. “It is about ensuring there is the opportunity for them to develop their language skills when they move from one school to the next.” Ayson says all of this work has been done out of the school’s budget or with the help of the Confucius Institute.
“We don’t get any funding from the government. We saw a need and made it happen,” Ayson says. Mandarin teacher, Amy Ko, was a classroom teacher before she moved to the school and started focusing on her mother tongue. She says its vital children pick the language up in year 2.
“They aren’t afraid of making mistakes,” she says. “I always say the most important thing in my classroom is that you give it a go, even if it is wrong as long as you are trying to use the language, I am happy.” Those who have been under Ko’s wing for four years are making gains. “I want the students to use the language outside of the classroom,” she says.
“We do very practical lessons so when the children go to a Chinese restaurant or supermarket they can use what they’ve learnt. It really broadens their horizons.”