http://www.halldale.org/index.php en jarmentrout@halldale.org Copyright 2008 2008-04-18T15:12:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/sozhoufinal_thoughts/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/sozhoufinal_thoughts/#When:11:30:01Z My stay in Suzhou will end today. I used the time to tour the Humble Administrator’s Garden, a 500-year old World Heritage site, that is renown for beauty and tranquility.  I hope you’ll see that reflected in these final photos. What lasting impressions will I take from China? - this is a country involved in very rapid growth and development - amidst the quickly rising skyscrapers there are still remnants of the past - our world is getting smaller and smaller - our environment is fragile and must be taken care of now > 2008-04-14T11:30:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/the_ssis_team/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/the_ssis_team/#When:12:26:00Z Thursday is our last full day at SSIS for the visiting team, as many will travel back on Friday afternoon to their respective countries.  Pictured here is the team - from left to right: Me - Principal Hall-Dale High School, Maine Mike Methot - Director Languages, Franklin, MA Xiajing - International Academy - China Wang - Western Academy - Beijing Sue Charest - Team Secretary - Bristol / Plymouth, MA Ed Greene - Director International School - Amsterdam Linda Turner - President Urban College of Boston, MA Ron Entwistle - IB Diploma Program Coordinator - UAE Chris Simcox - International School - Thailand Kelley Parades - IT Coordinator - International School in London Chad Walsh - International School - Tianjin, China Urs Junge - IB Dipoma Coordinator - Guangzhou, China Colette Matta - International College - Beirut Simon Taylor - Chair - Yokohama International School, Japan 2008-04-11T12:26:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/day6/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/day6/#When:12:21:00Z . As said earlier, the Suzhou Industrial park is an area of about 30 square miles and it houses vast numbers of international businesses.  Previously farm area and small residential communities, it has exploded in its growth to include skyscraper housing complexes, science and technology firms, and government offices for this province.  The first photo may look somewhat similar to a Manhattan skyline.  It is taken from the front of the school - and I tried to capture the vast growth (in the background) and the upcoming transformation of the former farm land.  This is everywhere within Suzhou. We held an emergency evacuation drill yesterday.  Remember that SSIS has 1420 students and about 200 staff.  Within 7 minutes, everyone had been evacuated and then it was determined that one female Chinese student was unaccounted for. Within 2 minutes, they knew that she had passed the guarded gates, went home to pick up an assignment, and was then “caught” by the school administration. Teachers had the safety drill procedures down to a science. You see in the second photo the SSIS staff who do not have classes in the foreground and in the background are students lined up by class and teacher. The man with the gray jacket and “roadcrew” vest to the left is the Director of SSIS. Lastly, toward the end of the day I went to the main lobby just to relax.  En route, I took this photo to show you the international flavor of the school.  Look at the faces.  The kiosks are displays of student work that change twice a week. 2008-04-10T12:21:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/olympics_censorship_and_school_construction/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/olympics_censorship_and_school_construction/#When:13:29:00Z Earlier this morning before heading to SSIS, I turned on the television to catch up on some news by watching CNN.  In addition to the daily political updates highlighting Obama and Clinton and who is the better bowler, there was a segment on the increasing protests on the Beijing Olympics and the torch procession.  When the segment turned to the clash between the runner and the protesters, my television screen went blank for about 20 seconds. The Chinese government permits such censorship. I don’t have access to a helicopter to help you capture the size of this school. So the first photo is a model of the existing facility (in red) and that planned for construction (in white). They will go from 1420 students to 4000 students in the next several years. Lastly, the wall poster shows the challenges that both students and teachers face in dealing with students who attend SSIS and their primary language is one other than English.  I admire the tenacity of the students to continue to learn - and the professionalism of the teachers to meet their learning needs. 2008-04-08T13:29:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/china_day_3_4/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/china_day_3_4/#When:11:35:01Z I have to combine days 3 and 4 as my “free time” becomes less “my time” as we near the school visit.  So the first photo is a “wish shot,” as I wish I were fishing with these two men rather than taking their photo from my visiting team work room! We visit the school for a tour of the facility on both Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning - a good opportunity before the 1600 students from nursery school right through grade 12 rain down upon us. The facility is one of the largest I have ever seen. You begin to get some sense of its size by looking at the photo of the school lobby as seen from a 2nd floor balcony. Student work is every where and it adds so much color to the building. In keeping with Asian tradition, the grounds are very well-maintained and feature local flora such as bamboo, flowering cherry, Japanese maple, magnolia. (3rd photo) Thinking of my students back at Hall-Dale, I took the photo of the room dedicated solely to playing ping-pong (you can see me taking the photo in the mirrored wall in the back left). But if that isn’t enough of a work out, how about a dip in the full-sized, six-lane, heated pool.  And SSIS plans to almost double its size with new construction in the very near future.  It takes about 20 minutes to drive to the school, and it is surrounded by green spaces and 12-18 story apartment complexes that house workers and their families who man the companies and businesses located in this business park. I’ll update you again shortly! 2008-04-07T11:35:01-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/suzhou_day_2/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/suzhou_day_2/#When:13:59:00Z Day number 2 meant sleeping in a bit, and judging by the ten and a half hour “nap,” jet lag had more of an effect on me than I had expected.  But the morning brought a new person, well-rested and ready to face a new day.  And that meant shopping for gifts to bring to my family back home.  I sought out an area that was away from the mainstream and less dedicated to typical tourists.  We were told we would have some difficulty as today was “Tomb-sweeping Day,” a holiday in China to honor the deceased, and we were warned we would face throngs of people.  But as you can judge by the first photo, Shiquan Jie was an attractive, well-maintained street with many jobs offering anything from silk (for which this area is very well-known) to designer clothes to pirated DVDs - any numerous food shops offering local delicacies.  This is my last full day of playing “tourist” as Saturday will mean an initial visit to the school in preparation for the team’s visit. So here are some helpful hints for upcoming blog entries:  Suzhou is pronounced “Sue -jo” simplified Chinese: ; traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Szhu; ancient name: ) is a city on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and on the shores of Lake Taihu in the province of Jiangsu, China. The city is renowned for its beautiful stone bridges, pagodas, and meticulously designed gardens which have contributed to its status as a great tourist attraction. Since the Song Dynasty (960-1279), Suzhou has also been an important centre for China’s silk industry and continues to hold that prominent position today. The city is part of the Yangtze River Delta region. The GDP per capita was ¥79,406 (ca. US$10,087) in 2006, ranked no. 5 among 659 Chinese cities. I am serving as co-chair of a visiting team that will evaluate and accredit Suzhou Singapore International School (SSIS). This school was built in 1995 to educate the many expatriates who work in the numerous international businesses in Suzhou International Park. My team consists of 14 educators - 4 from the US and the other ten coming from places such as Japan, Netherlands, Thailand, United Arab Emirate, England. Places 2008-04-04T13:59:00-05:00 http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/arrival/ http://www.halldale.org/index.php/hd_hs_stevemacdougall/arrival/#When:14:33:01Z After 5 1/2 hour flight from Boston to London, and an additional 11 hours from London to Shanghai I arrived in China. First impressions:  the people are friendly and cordial and the area is immaculate. Pudong airport is a sight to behold with gleaming floors, courteous and helpful staff, and even parking spots near the terminals themselves that have shiny laminated surfaces where you actually park your vehicle and then attendants clean the area when you leave! On the ride from the airport to Suzhou, the roadway is very attractive with well-groomed and colorful median strips, hedges trimmed along the guardrail areas, and not a bit of paper or trash to be seen anywhere on route. We were greeted at the hotel by very friendly staff who refer to me as Mr. Stephen and go out of their way to accommodate my every needs.  The first photo you see as an attachment is taken from my room and shows the number of new units constructed to house the many, many people who live in this area. You can also see canal work adjacent to the housing complexes - and that is prevalent throughout this area. Note the neatness of the units and the uniformity. Those same canals progress into the inner city and old shopping area of Suzhou - thus the reason it is referred to as the Venice of China.  You can also see that cherry bloosoms are beginning to bloom. Not uncommon to see a KFC next to a temple, as the next photo shows. Don’t walk across any street with looking both ways many times and then being very careful during the crossing - because taxis, cars, busses, and even bikes won’t stop for you. You’ll hear horns beeping regularly - but here it is to remind others to look and be careful - not a signal of anger or frustration all the time! The gentleman I am standing with watched anxiosuly as I was shooting phots and I asked him to join me. His job? He stands watch over the many bikes and motor scooters in the shopping area. People, Places 2008-04-03T14:33:01-05:00