Written & Published by Denzel Washington School of the Arts
After a year of communications with students from Jingling Primary School in China, Denzel Washington School of the Arts sixth graders finally met their Chinese counterparts via Zoom on Wednesday, April 17, 2024.
Through One World’s Global Connections program, students at DWSA have completed various activities alongside Chinese students at a One World sister school in China. The Zoom meetup was the culmination of their lessons. DWSA students greeted the students in China with, “Nǐhǎo!” and the discussions began.
Throughout the school year, students have worked on several projects with the students from Jingling Primary School. They created “all about me” projects, where the students introduced themselves to each other. DWSA students designed life-sized portraits to share with the Jinling students.
“The students had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a culture in ways that maybe the internet or reading in a textbook wouldn’t allow,” said Michelle Atterberry, sixth grade teacher at DWSA. “They were able to learn something that they wouldn’t necessarily get to do on their own.”
DWSA students also created Chinese restaurant concepts and menus, shared videos of their stage performances, and wrote to the sixth graders at Jingling. On the Zoom, students from both countries commented on the work and performances of their sister school and asked questions about life in the other country.
The students at DWSA saw similarities and found common ground when speaking about activities they like. Some of their shared interests included K-pop and video games. When a Chinese student said the K-pop band they like, the classroom at DWSA erupted with students in agreement. One student at DWSA also played the same game, Hongkai Star Rail, as a student at Jingling. Two students from the different schools also shared their love for guitars with each other.
“It was a once in a lifetime experience to interact with the kids from China, and it was really nice to learn about their culture and what they like,” said Camryn Chisolm, sixth grade student at DWSA. “I saw that a lot of them love performing, but they also have stage fright. I’m pretty sure a lot of us, including myself, at Denzel Washington have stage fright, but we still push through it just like them. And they’re very creative just like us.”
Students and teachers alike ended the Zoom expressing their hopes for a continuation of the partnership next year and a potential in-person meeting in the future.
