Mandarin classes in Lincoln next fall

LINCOLN - A new partnership with the Confucius Institute at Bryant University, which is devoted to the study of Chinese culture, means Lincoln students will soon be exposed to Chinese history, language and culture.

Lincoln School Superintendent Georgia Fortunato also announced that as part of the partnership, she and three other administrators will attend a three-day conference in Beijing in December where they will visit local schools. Lincoln High School Principal Kevin McNamara, Saylesville Elementary School Principal Margaret Knowlton, and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Melinda Smith will accompany Fortunato.

At Saylesville Elementary School and at Lincoln High School, rooms will be designated as Confucius classrooms.

Two $50,000 grants will provide resources for each of the classrooms that would perhaps include video conference equipment. Part of the high school's proposal is to develop a "sister school" with a secondary school in China and hold video conferences with students.

On the elementary school level, officials propose providing teachers with resource kits to support the integration of Chinese culture and language units of study across the curriculum.

"The partnership is probably one of the most exciting things that has happened" in the school district, and is going to be "a wonderful thing for our students," said McNamara.

The principal especially likes the idea of offering Mandarin Chinese 1 as an elective next fall.

"With the world as it is today, we'll be using Chinese in the future," he said, adding that exposing students to the Chinese language and culture will give them a jumpstart.

"One of the things we have been working on is trying to expand our world language program at Lincoln High School," said Smith, who noted that a high school student signed up for a virtual high school course in Chinese this fall.

"It's a major accomplishment for schools to be able to offer Chinese, an up-and-coming language," said McNamara, who anticipates more students will take advantage of taking Chinese Mandarin 1 now that it will be offered at the high school.

"Exposure to Chinese language classes will help students later when they compete in a global society," said the superintendent.

Chinese instructors would teach the language class as they have done in Smithfield, the only other school district in the state offering free, Chinese after-school programs and language classes.

According to a spokesperson at the Confucius Institute, the China Institute opened at Bryant University in 2005, with the addition of the Confucius Institute in late 2006. Two years ago, the Confucius Institute began offering free Chinese after-school programs in the Smithfield school district, including a beginner's level Chinese language and culture course at the town's schools.

Before- and after-school enrichment programs on Chinese culture and language, as well as integrated art, music and physical education programs will be offered to 240 students in grades 2 to 5 at Saylesville Elementary School by the Confucius Institute staff.

Other elementary students in the district would also be afforded the same opportunity, said Fortunato, who said those students could come to the free Chinese after-school programs at Saylesville Elementary School.

Community offerings could include dance, calligraphy and Tai Chi, she said.

"The beautiful piece about this partnership is that the community can also be a part of it," said Fortunato.