Author, Da Chen visits Bolton, Connecticut!

Reserve Monday evening,
September 14 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM
to meet author,
Da Chen

at the Bolton Senior Center.

This event is free and open to the public.

Chen is the autor of the memoir, Colors of the Mountain, required summer reading for Bolton High School students during the summer of 2009 and the choice of the "One Book, One Community" reading selection for the town of Bolton.

Author, Da Chen will spend time at Bolton High School on Tuesday, September 15 beginning early in the morning!

8:00 AM - Writer's Workshop

9:00 AM - Grade 5 students meet the author

10:00 AM - All BHS students in an assembly with the author

11:30 AM - Lunch with the author in the high school Library

Don't miss the opportunity to meet Da Chen!

Visit the website: www.dachen.org

Visit the school's webiste: www.boltonpublicschools.org

Greetings China Travelers!

Reminder:

September 1, 2009 - $1250.00 per traveler is due.

Please make checks payable to “Bolton High School.”

You can drop the check off to Paul Smith at the BOE Office or mail it directly to Bolton High School, 72 Brandy Street, Bolton, CT 06043 or Bolton Board of Education, 108 Notch Road, Bolton, CT 06043. We are able to accommodate anyone who was on the waiting list at this time. However, it is important for us to know exactly who is going so we can make flight arrangements and get the best price. Please be prompt with your checks.

Our guests from China, Sima Yinan his daughter, Hongze arrived in Bolton last Friday, August 21. We have them settled and comfortable. Over the last several days, they have tried American foods including hamburgers, pizza, pulled pork sandwiches, pancakes, and bacon! They have been excited to try all foods, though they are most fond of vegetables and fruits. Mr. Sima has a rental car and an international drivers permit, so he and his daughter have mastered their way to Bolton High School and Bolton Center School, where she is a 4th grade student in Mrs. Sullivan’s class.

Sima is researching Grade 9 students and classes at Bolton High School as part of a grant from the Shandong Provincial Education Department. He is the first person from the Shandong Province to be given a grant for this extended period of August – January to study an American school. Prior visits by Shandong officials have lasted two weeks, similar to the visit we had last January of the educational researchers from Shandong. We are honored that Bolton was selected for this opportunity.

Mr. Sima and Hongze live in the capital city of Jinan and he is very familiar with our sister school and its principal, Mr. Wang Pinmu.

Mr. Sima, will be offering Chinese lessons to anyone interested! Those traveling to China are urged to attend his Chinese lessons. In addition, he will give us information on Jinan and Taishan, home of Mt. Tai, which are both part of our April 2010 agenda. He will also help all of us with a few phrases to remember while in China. A schedule of events will be posted soon.

Don’t forget our September 14, author visit by Da Chen at the Senior Center at 6:00 PM. Da Chen, author of Colors of the Mountain, will visit us on the 14th and spend the day at BHS on Tuesday, September 15. The Bolton Community Education Foundation and Bolton Women’s Club have both helped to make this visit possible.

Please check out the school’s new website: http://www.boltonpublicschools.com/.

CHINA information now on Twitter!

You are invited to keep up with details on our CHINA events!

Find Paul K. Smith on Twitter.com

To find out more about Twitter, visit the link below:


http://twitter.com/pksmith427

It's time to get ready for CHINA 2010!

Greetings CHINA participants!

A couple of details as we begin actively preparing for our CHINA experience in 2010.

1. I have sent you an invite to follow CHINA details and other little tidbits on Twitter. You can follow the instructions on the separate Twitter e-mail or simply ignore.

2. The Swine Flu over-reaction on the Chinese side is starting to calm down according to our travel arranger, Peng. I have been e-mailing him as I do not want our group to be quarantined like other American and British visitors to China have been! We will watch the news carefully and we will see what happens with H1N1 in the fall and winter. I do not see that this will be a concern next April when we are traveling.

3. People have asked about upgrading through United from Economy to Business Class. The answer is “Yes!” You can use accumulated mileage to upgrade the flight. But you will need to check with United to see how much mileage is needed to upgrade from Economy to Business. It is also necessary to pay more for the Economy Class ticket to be able to upgrade with accumulated mileages. Peng is guessing that you will need to pay around $1000 more in order to purchase the upgradable ticket. It will be necessary to make this decision well in advance or you may have difficulty getting an upgrade. I will need to know this before December 1st.

4. Medical/evacuation insurance is strongly suggested for everyone. I shared this at the April meeting and will give you details in the future. You may wish for trip-interruption insurance, and I will also share information with you very soon!

Reminder: September 1, 2009 $1250.00 per traveler is due. Please make checks payable to “Bolton High School.”


Mail to Paul K. Smith, Bolton Public Schools, 108 Notch Road, Bolton CT 06043 or bring the check to the BOE office at the Center School or give to Cindy Carvalho in the main office of the high school. We cannot accept credit card payments. Personal checks, money order, etc. are fine!

Intinerary for Bolton High School CHINA TOUR 2010 announced

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Depart Hartford for Beijing

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Arrive Beijing
Tiananmen Square at Night
Hotel in Beijing

Friday, April 16, 2010

Excursion to the Great Wall and Summer Palace
Hotel in Beijing

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Visit Antique Market, Forbidden City, Hutong Family Visit, Temple of Heaven
Peking Duck Dinner
Evening: Chinese Kongfu Show
Hotel in Beijing

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Morning: Visit Olympic Venues
Afternoon: Depart for Jinan via express train
Evening: Jinan City Square
Hotel in Jinan

Monday, April 19, 2010

Group divides for two days –

Students: Sister School activities, classes, and meetings - Jigang School
Adults: Tour of Sister School, city tour in the afternoon: Baotu Springs and Daming Lake

Students: Home stay with local families / Dorm stay with students
Adults: Home stay with local families / Hotel in Jinan

Tuesday, April 20, 2010
­­­­
Students: Sister School activities, classes, and meetings - Jigang School
Adults: Travel to Qufu visiting Confucius Temple and Palace

Students: Home stay with local families / Dorm stay with students
Adults: Home stay with local families / Hotel in Jinan

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Group re-unites: Adults and students travel to Mountain Tai together
Students and Adults: Hotel in Jinan

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Fly to Shanghai in the morning
Visit Yu Garden and Old Town, Shanghai Bund, Nanjing Commercial Road
Boat Cruise on the Yangtze River at night
Hotel in Shanghai

Friday, April 23, 2010

Excursion to Suzhou-the most famous ancient garden city in China
Visit Liu Yuan Garden, Wangshi Garden, Silk Factory, Boat Cruise the Grand Canal, Old Town

Hotel in Shanghai

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Morning: Shanghai Museum
Afternoon: Depart from Shanghai to Hartford

Arrive in the US on the same day

We have less than one year until our tour begins. As of this date, we have approximately 60 travelers made up of students, parents, teachers, and community members. A special thank you to the members of the Bolton Community Education Foundation who have agreed to help with our logistics and who are also planning Chinese cultural events throughout the 2009-2010 school year!

For further information, contact Bolton High School in Bolton, Connecticut.

China re-measures sacred Mt. Taishan

See information below on one of our APRIL 2010 CHINA TOUR sites. Just south of our sister school is one of China's five sacred mountains, Mount Tai (Taishan). This impressive mountain will be a highlight of our visit to the Shandong Province!

JINAN, July 8 -- China has launched a survey to find out the precise height of Mount Tai (Taishan Mountain) that is dubbed as the most preeminent of China's five sacred mountains, following the re-measurement of the world's highest peak of Mount Qomolangma last year.

Mt. TaishanIt is the first time for Taishan to be measured with modern tools including global positioning systems, said Lin Hai, an official with the Shandong provincial department of land and resources.

The current altitude of Taishan is known as from 1,533 meters to 1,545 meters, while the 1,545-meter height is the most often seen in various documents although nobody knows how or when the figure came into being.

Chinese surveyors measured the mountain as 1,533 meters and 1,536 meters high in the 1950s and the 1980s respectively with simple and crude methods, which made the figures unreliable.

Thirty experts arrived on Tuesday in Tai'an, east China's Shandong Province, to start the measurement.

Modern surveying technologies would help achieve a high precision, with the range of error below two centimeters, Lin said.

Meanwhile, the survey will also find out whether Yuhuangding (a.k.a Jade Emperor Peak) or Guanrifeng (a.k.a Sun View Peak) is the highest peak.

The results of the measurement are expected to be released in October.

China re-measured the Mount Qomolangma's (a.k.a Mount Everest) summit last year as 8,844.43 meters, 3.7 meters shorter than the last measured figure 30 years ago.

Dubbed as "the most preeminent of China's five sacred mountains," Taishan was listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1987 as a world natural and cultural heritage for its magnificent scenery and splendid culture.

The other four mountains are western Huashan, southern Hengshan, northern Eternity and central Songshan.

The Taishan Mountain is a symbol of loftiness and grandeur. In ancient times, emperors used to ascend the mountain to pray and say thanks to heaven and earth for peace and prosperity. High-ranking officials, noted scholars and commoners have followed suit since.

(from CHINA DAILY - www.chinadaily.com.cn)

An international opportunity for the community of Bolton!

Bolton High School has the opportunity next fall to host an education official (Mr. Sima Yinan) from the Shandong Provincial Education Department for 6 months. This will be the first time that one of the researchers visits Connecticut for an extended period of time. Dan Gregg, contact at the CT Department of Education, has contacted Bolton first about pioneering this relationship.

Mr. Yinan is a colleague of Mr. Wang Fuhai, one of our visitors in January 2009. As part of this program Mr. Yinan will be grant funded and will purchase a car once in the United States so transportation will not be an issue. He will have funds to pay rent, but would like a rental room or apartment that is connected with a family experience to allow for more of a “home stay” relationship. He has young children so an apartment or room with a family is certainly appropriate.

Mr. Yinan will spend his days in classes at Bolton High School and will have an office at the CT Department of Education. He will likely immerse himself in school activities, events, and family experiences in Bolton. He will be a huge help as we prepare for our own voyage to China and we will reconnect with him in Jinan.

If anyone (especially among our travelers to China in April 2010) is interested in housing or renting a room to Mr. Yinan, please contact Mr. Paul K. Smith at Bolton High School (paulk.smith@boltonct.org) as soon as possible.

Mr. Yinan will be arriving in late August 2009 and staying until mid-January 2010.

April 2010 Tour Meeting - on Wednesday, April 29

On Wednesday evening April 29, 2009 we will hold our next meeting for all interested in the April 2010 China Tour. The meeting will be held in the Bolton High School Library at 6:30 PM.

Information will be shared with all students and family members who have expressed an interest in being part of the April 2010 China Tour. By this date, an exact itinerary will be shared and decisions on several possible excursions will be discussed. If you missed the fall meeting, please join us for this event. All confirmed participants should attend as well!

(Please note that it has been necessary at this time to start a waiting list for the trip as we have reached our capacity of 55 travelers.)

Pictured above: Structure on island on Daming Lake, Jinan - Shandong Province

Spending time meeting with students was a priority for our visitors from the Shandong Province.

Bolton High School grade 9 students share information Geng Shuai.

Geng Shuai presents a gift to BHS student who acted as a guide to classroom visits.

Wang Fuhai shares information on the Shandong Province with classes.

Geng Shuai, He Chengjin, and Wang Fuhai enjoy dinner at the Smith house one evening.

Inside Hartford's Capitol

Representative Pam Sawyer shows Mr. Fuhai, Mr. Shuai, and Mr. Chengjin her seat in the House and brings them to the podium!

Welcome to our Capitol in Hartford, CT!

Our Chinese delegation got the royal tour of our state capitol with Representative Pam Sawyer.

Bolton High School Chinese Delegation meets Connecticut's Lt. Governor

While touring Hartford, Representative Sawyer arranged for the delegation

to meet Lt. Governor Mike Fedele.

From left are: He Chengjin, Rep. Pam Sawyer, Wang Fuhai, Lt. Gov. Mike Fedele, Geng Shuai and Bolton High School principal Paul Smith.

The Chinese Delegation enjoyed a tour of M.I.T.

Diplomacy over Cannolis!

Enjoying canolis from Mike's Pastry in the North End of Boston,

it is clear that any group can come together and enjoy each other's foods, customs, and traditions!

Visiting the Old North Church in Boston

A trip to Boston for our China Delegation

Lunch at the Olde Union Oyster House.

At the lobby of the Mandarin Oriental Boston.

At the reflecting pool of the Christian Science Center with the Prudential complex in the background.

Chinese Delegation at Bolton High School

We were honored to greet our guests at the front door of our school:

Mr. Wang Fuhai (Foreign Affairs Office, Shandong Provincial Department of Education, Section Chief), Mr. He Chengjin (Zaozhuang Teaching Research Office, Senior Teacher), Mr. Geng Shuai (Weifang Education and Science Research Institute, Researcher)

Principal Smith exhanges gifts wtih Section Chief Wang Fuhai.

The Seniors present them with gifts from the Class of 2009.

Meeting with English teachers to gain insight on American teaching techniques.

Our Chinese delegation with the Bolton Board of Education.

No school on day one of the visit, but we still had fun!

In spite of the fact that snow and ice cancelled school for the day, our Chinese delegation still experienced U.S. culture.

Time was spent at Cabella's and at Rein's Deli! The snow and ice only added to the whole New England experience.

Join the Bolton Community Education Foundation in welcoming our Chinese delegation!

The Bolton community is invited to a reception to welcome educators from China who will be visiting the town as part of a “sister school” collaboration. The reception will be held Thursday, January 15, 2009, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Bolton Senior Center, 104 Notch Road. Light refreshments will be served at the reception, sponsored by the Bolton Community Education Foundation.

The three Chinese visitors – Mr. Wang Fuhai, Mr. He Chengjin, and Mr. Geng Shuai – will be spending 10 days in Bolton as part of the collaboration between their school system and Bolton High School. (The itinerary for their visit is included in the posting below this invitation.)They will visit classrooms, meet with teachers and students, dine at local restaurants, have dinners at private homes, take a trip to Boston, and attend school activities such as sporting events and the annual “Mr. BHS” contest.

The Connecticut Principals' Center of the Connecticut Association of Schools and the Connecticut State Department of Education have collaborated on a Connecticut-Shandong Province (China) Principal Shadowing Project as part of the Connecticut-Shandong Sister School Initiative. The goal of the project is to build partnerships between school administrators, promote mutual intercultural understanding, and create opportunities for professional development.

The town of Bolton is expanding this opportunity even further by exploring educational programs and opportunities to share information with residents about Chinese history, culture, and lifestyle.

The January visit by the Chinese educators will be followed by a trip in April 2010 where up to 50 Bolton residents will travel with Principal Paul Smith to China to tour Beijing and visit Bolton's sister school in Jinan, the capital city of the Shandong province.

There is no cost to attend the January 15 reception, but in order for food to be planned, attendees are asked to register by calling BCEF Chair Beth Harney at 649-1331 or via email to info@BoltonEdFoundation.org.

A special thank you to the Bolton Community Education Foundation for organizing this event and for their assistance in making our Chinese visitors feel welcome to our community!

Itinerary for the Chinese Delegation visit to Bolton High School

Bolton High School is eager to welcome our visitors from the Shandong Province of China who arrive on Tuesday evening, January 6, 2009.

Mr. Wang Fuhai (Foreign Affairs Office, Shandong Provincial Department of Education, Section Chief), Mr. He Chengjin (Zaozhuang Teaching Research Office, Senior Teacher), Mr. Geng Shuai (Weifang Education and Science Research Institute, Researcher) will be our guests from January 7 – 16 and we have an action-packed itinerary for them!

Please note: This itinerary is subject to change.

Tuesday - 1/6/2009
4:30 PM Pick up delegation - Fairfield Inn Wallingford, 100 Miles Drive, Wallingford, CT
5:30 PM Arrival at host family - Dinner and rest
6:30 PM (Optional activity: Meeting at BHS with Principal)
7:00 PM (Optional activity: Bolton High School Boys' Basketball Game at BHS)

Wednesday - 1/7/2009
8:15 AM Arrival at BHS
8:20 AM Pictures at front of School (Smith, Wiedie, Winzler, Stille, Harney)
8:23 AM Introduction to student guides (Gudmundson, Walsh, Vezina)
8:25 AM Student Council greeting from front entrance to Gym
8:30 AM Welcoming program in BHS Gym
8:50 AM Reception in Main Office
9:11 AM Period C Classroom Observation: Pre-Calculus Honors (Mr. Kiser)
9:57 AM Period D Classroom Observation: AP European History (Mr. Smith)
10:43 AM Period E Department Meeting: English Department
11:29 AM Lunch - Bolton High School cafeteria
12:00 PM Period F Classroom Observation: English I Honors (Mrs. LaRochelle)
12:47 PM Period G Classroom Observation: World History and Cultures I Honors (Mr. Verner)
1:33 PM Period H Classroom Observation: English II Honors (Ms. Bavier)
2:16 PM Break
2:30 PM Tour of building with student guides
2:45 PM Observe Girls' Basketball Practice
3:15 PM Meeting with Principal
4:00 PM Depart to host family - Dinner and rest
6:00 PM Excursion to Buckland Hills, Evergreen Walk, Coldstone Creamery

Thursday - 1/8/2009
8:00 AM Arrival at BHS
8:18 AM Period B Classroom Observation: Science 9 Honors (Mrs. Cordero)
9:11 AM Period C Classroom Observation: UCONN Biology (Mr. Dilworth)
9:57 AM Period D Classroom Observation: Spanish IV Honors (Mr. Ruiz)
10:43 AM Period E Classroom Observation: Chemistry Honors (Mr. Jankowski)
11:29 AM Lunch - Excursion to Shady Glenn
12:47 PM Period G Classroom Observation: English III (Mrs. Teed)
1:33 PM Period H Department Meeting: Science
2:16 PM Break
2:30 PM Crepe-making with the French Club
3:45 PM Meeting with Principal
4:00 PM Depart to host family - Dinner and rest
6:30 PM Bolton Board of Education Reception and Meeting

Friday - 1/9/2009
7:30 AM Arrival at BHS
7:32 AM Period A Department Meeting: Math, Music, Art
8:18 AM Period B Classroom Observation: Algebra II Honors (Ms. Salvas) and Concert Band (Mrs. Desrosiers)
9:11 AM Period C Classroom Observation: French III (Ms. Pinette) and Beginning Foods (Ms. Scott)
9:57 AM Period D Classroom Observation: Intro to Communications (Mr. Carvalho) and PE 11/12 (Mr. Humiston)
10:43 AM Period E Poetry Out Loud! BHS Poetry Reading Performance/Competition
11:29 AM Lunch - Bolton High School Bakeshop Class and Beginning Foods Class
12:00 PM Period F Classroom Observation: AP Calculus (Mr. Kiser) and Biology Honors (Ms. Carvalho)
12:47 PM Period G Department Meeting: Related Arts (Scott, Carvalho, Adler, Humiston)
1:33 PM Period H Classroom Observation: Geometry Honors (Mr. Turgeon) and Art (Ms. Argenta)
2:16 PM Break
2:30 PM Meeting with Principal
3:00 PM Depart to host family (optional)
4:00 PM Dinner - Excursion to Bellini's
7:00 PM Bolton High School Girls' Basketball Game at BHS

Saturday - 1/10/2009
8:45 AM Depart host family for Excursion to Boston-Legends Limousine
- Prudential Tower, Prudential/Copley Place
- Portions of Freedom Trail as weather permits
- Quincy Market
- North End
- MIT or Harvard (as time allows)
5:00 PM Depart Boston for Bolton
7:00 PM Mr. BHS Competition at Bolton Center School

Sunday - 1/11/2009
10:00 AM Depart host family for Mohegan Sun
- Lunch and tour
3:00 PM Depart Mohegan Sun for Bolton
4:00 PM Bolton Education Foundation Reception at the Catanese home

Monday - 1/12/2009
8:30 AM Depart host family for Rectory School
- Tour of campus
- Meeting with Headmaster
- Meeting with Chinese boarding students
- Lunch in dining room
- Meeting with administrative staff and admissions office
4:00 PM - Dinner with Bolton Administrators at the Smith home

Tuesday - 1/13/2009
8:00 AM Depart host family for Hartford
- Tour of Capitol - John Vamos (contact person for Representative Pam Sawyer)
- Tour of Legislative Office Building
- Lunch in Hartford
- Tour of Hartford as weather permits
3:00 PM Starbucks (Rest and tea/coffee)
5:00 PM Dinner with Board of Education at the Hambrook home

Wednesday - 1/14/2009
8:00 AM Arrival at BHS
8:18 AM Period B Department Meetings: Social Studies, World Languages
9:11 AM Period C Program Observation: Virtual High School
9:57 AM Period D Classroom Observation: English II (Ms. Mitchell) and Science 9 (Mr. Wolek)
10:43 AM Period E Classroom Observation: Latin IV Honors (Ms. Ryan) and Word Processing (Ms. Adler)
11:29 AM Lunch - Excursion to Pepe's Pizza
12:47 PM Period G To be scheduled based on interest of delegation
1:33 PM Period H To be scheduled based on interest of delegation
2:16 PM Break
2:30 PM Meeting with Principal
3:00 PM Depart to host family - Dinner and rest
7:00 PM Bolton High School Open House

Thursday - 1/15/2009
8:00 AM Bolton Center School Tour and Classroom Visits
12:00 PM Bolton Congregational Church Tour
1:00 PM Bolton Library Tour
2:00 PM Meeting with Bolton Public Schools Director of Curriculum and Instruction
3:00 PM Meeting with Bolton Public Schools Superintendent
4:00 PM Bolton Education Foundation Community Reception for Delegation

7:00 PM Depart to host family for packing.

Friday - 1/16/2009
9:00 AM Informal Breakfast Reception at Bolton High School with BHS Faculty and Students
9:30 AM Tour of Bolton High School Midyear Exams in progres
10:00 AM Department Meetings: Guidance and Special Education

12:00 PM Lunch - Excursion to TBA
3:00 PM Return to Fairfield Inn Wallingford, 100 Miles Drive, Wallingford, CT