Saturday, March 23, 2024 | 2 a.m.
During his first visit to the United States, Taiwanese fifth-grader Leo Chen noted feeling the warmth of the sun on the football field in Las Vegas.
He also brought laughter to a room full of educators by saying he was shocked the American students ate chips in class.
“I’m surprised at some of the things (they) eat. So many different kinds of food (we) just don’t have,” Leo said.
He and his classmates from Kang Chiao International School in Taiwan this week visited The Meadows School in Summerlin to meet with friends they’ve only known through letters.
The pen pal program was created by a graduate of The Meadows School who now lives in Taiwan and works at Kang Chiao International School. The program is in its second year, and the current students have been using Google Docs to exchange letters and photos since August.
The visit included a little of everything, including time outside playing kickball, soccer and football — a sport the visitors had no experience with. Ethan Liang, a fifth-grader at The Meadows School, said a highlight of the trip was teaching his pen pal friend Leo “how to play American football. Not like the other football, soccer.”
The Taiwanese students gave a presentation about their country, including their culture, wildlife and night markets. Needless to say, they left a strong impression.
“It was nice to see that even though they live so far away, they still love to play the same games. They laugh at a lot of the same things. We all love boba tea,” Lynda Newman, The Meadows School assistant director of Lower School, said with a laugh.
The language barrier was diminished by Kang Chiao’s bilingual education program. Half their lessons are taught in English, and the other half in Chinese with a Taiwanese curriculum. And in Las Vegas, they sat in on a Spanish class together with The Meadows students.
The visitors spent three days here, closing their visit in true American fashion: with a pizza party.
“It’s been a pleasure,” Newman said. “It’s been so joyful to see the joy on the students’ faces.”
The Meadows won’t be making a return trip, but the pen pal program and friendships will continue. That’s invaluable for the development of the children in both countries. It’s also pretty significant for the teachers, who say they are also learning about new cultures and traditions.
“I think it’s important that they have that global awareness that children like to laugh and have fun and play no matter where they live,” said Kathy Brennan, the teacher of the fifth-grade class at The Meadows School.
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