Food is always a good way to spark interest! So as part of their long-standing Chinese programme, St Peter’s College (SPC) recently organised a dumpling-making activity in their Chinese classroom for over 220 students from Year 7 to Year 13. The event took place over two days – 2nd and 3rd of May – as part of SPC’s Chinese language and culture programme.

During the event, students had the opportunity to learn how to make dumplings and use chopsticks, as well as acquiring new vocabulary and conversation skills. Ms Bingmei Zhang, SPC’s Chinese teacher and Ms Chen, the Mandarin Language Assistant (MLA), together with other teachers from the Chinese community, led the activity and made it a hit with students and a number of SPC teachers who also participated and showed great enthusiasm.

As one of the Confucius Institute in Auckland’s network of schools, SPC has been running its Confucius Classroom since 2014, providing students with an ongoing programme and unique opportunities to learn about Chinese language and culture. With ‘delicious’ events like the dumpling-making activity, students can develop a better understanding and appreciation of other cultures while also having fun, learning new skills, and possibly being hungry for more!

Students enjoying dumplings

​A special experience for New Zealand students

 A group of New Zealand secondary students shared their special memory of the China Culture Camp 2020 with culture performances, dances, group speeches and fun games on Friday.

The China Culture Camp 2020 was organised by the Confucius Institute (CI) in Auckland in partnership with the North Asia Centre of Asia-Pacific Excellence, the University of Auckland.

The annual China Study Camp organised by CI usually saw New Zealand students travelling to China for a two-week study and exchange experience.

However, this year’s China Study Camp was replaced by a domestic Chinese Cultural Camp to award outstanding secondary students with a Chinese language and culture immersion experience to practice what they have learned and to improve their Chinese communication skills.

The students spent a week having fun Chinese class, visiting businesses in the New Zealand China bilateral trade and learning Chinese culture.

Year 11 student Te Auraki Fraser from Fairfield College in Hamilton performed Chinese culture dance at the final sharing on Friday.

Having learned Chinese for two years, he found that he really likes the language. Although it’s a pity that he was not able to go to China this year, Fraser wished to go to China to study one day.

“I started studying Chinese because I have a passion for languages, ever since I was young I have tried to learn many different kinds. I was given the opportunity to start studying Chinese and I committed to it. For the future I wish to go to university to study Chinese and perhaps be given the opportunity to go to China and study overseas,” he said.

Nora Yao, director of the Confucius Institute in Auckland, the University of Auckland, was pleased to watch the students’ performances and sharing.

“It was the first year we do the China Camp domestically in New Zealand. We wanted to give a special memory to the students even though they cannot personally visit China. So our camp program this year focused on how important the Chinese language is to our bilateral relations and business and our future generation,” said Yao.

Around 20 secondary students whose native language is not Chinese from Auckland, Waikato, Northland regions schools attended the week-long China Culture Camp 2020.

Source: Xinhua News

Learning from each other

Deputy Party Secretary and Guangdong Coordinator for the exchange Yu He Gao (Gavin) says students from both countries learned a lot about each other’s educational system and cultures.

“From the moment you got off the bus, all our students began to cheer and welcome you from the teaching buildings. They were all eager to make friends with your students. They have shown greater passion for English learning than ever before, asking their English teachers for help on how to express themselves in English, looking up the words they need to talk with your students,” he says.

“This exchange is not only a chance for you to experience Chinese culture but also an opportunity for our students to get a better understanding of Nelson New Zealand and find a motivation to learn English.

“Your students are brave and independent and what deeply impressed us most is their creativity and willingness to learn new things.”

The exchange between Nelson and Yangjiang was awarded the runner-up placing in the Sister Cities New Zealand Awards’ Best Project Youth or School category in May this year.

“The children value and enjoy the Chinese culture classes. It is challenging and stimulates curiosity and inquiry learning. They also study other cultures represented among the students at our school. All this opens doors to the wider world,” Greg says.

Doors of another kind are about to open for the school – new classroom doors. New Lynn is one of Auckland’s high-growth areas, with its population rising fast due to intensification, so the school is about to get a brand-new, modern classroom block.

The eight-classroom building project has been managed by the Ministry of Education and is now almost complete. The block has flexible learning spaces and 21st-century facilities. Greg says the upgrade will advance educational opportunities as well as allow for future roll growth for the school.

“The learning spaces will allow different settings that suit different learning styles and processes.

“There’ll be a strong emphasis on digital technology to empower our students to self-manage and shape their own curriculum. e-Learning skills and digital literacy are the key to lifelong learning, which is a key goal. All of our teaching is underpinned by technology.”

Jamie and other students from St Peter’s College had a great time on a study trip to China in 2017

Robert Herewini from Whakatane Intermediate joins in the school’s morning exercise.

The experience of actually going to China raised awareness of the country’s rich heritage, its diversity, its rapid progress and the importance of promoting Chinese programmes in schools to prepare students for a future that China will dominate.

Elaine Herbert, principal of Glenavon School said she was “amazed at how modern China was and how fast it was moving.”

Gerald Koberstein, a first time visitor to China, said, ”It has developed in me a desire to find more and to further build my understanding of China to help our children to appreciate and understand this part of the world we live in – Asia.”  Maria Heron, principal of Mangere Central School,  made a similar comment,  “I’m now a keen student of Chinese history and culture and this is already influencing our school curriculum.”

Principals visit the residence of late Rewi Alley