NEWBERRY — Third graders at Newberry Elementary School said “xei, xei” as they thanked their teacher, Jessica Beam, in Chinese.
Beam collaborated with Becca Eddy, former NES Spanish Academy teacher, to set up pen pals with third graders from First Decision International School in Kunming, China.
“We are excited by the opportunity this networking and teamwork has produced for our students,” said NES principal Reggie Wicker.
Eddy, a Newberry College graduate, now studies abroad to teach students. She approached Beam, her sorority sister, about a pen pal partnership.
Their classes made introductions via the teachers’ emails. The opportunity has excited students and their teacher alike. NES students type letters using pages on their iPads. then Beam collects the letters and emails them to Eddy.
Students have learned some Chinese.
“We have learned how to say thank you — xei xei — and teacher — laoshi,” Beam said. “As letters are being sent and received, students are sharing their favorite words and asking how to say them in Chinese.”
The students’ letters give them opportunities to use correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.
“We are working on complete, strong sentences,” Beam said. “Our students are talking about life. For example, what they are learning, what it is like to live in Newberry, S.C., and what they do for hobbies, etc. We are trying to build a connection by allowing them to talk as friends and share experiences the other may or may not have had.”
The third-grade students are learning to be adaptable because sometimes letters are sent and received at different times during the week. Beam also said her students are practicing the 21st century character skill of self-direction as they read their mail and compose their responses.