Teacher Monica Zhang finds Red Deer a breath of fresh air.
“Something very normal for you is very different for me,” said the 25-year-old from China.
“The air is very fresh and the sky blue.”
Arriving just weeks ago from Chongqing, a city and area of 28 million people, Zhang splits days between Westpark and Eastview Middle Schools’ new Chinese cultural and language programs.
Her two-year term will establish them to feed students into Hunting Hills High School.
On Thursday, she translated for nine administrators and teachers from her home Yuzhong school district who toured three Red Deer Public District schools.
Deputy superintendent Stu Henry said this first Chinese visit reciprocates two by Red Deer Public in their two-year-old partnership.
“They don’t want the big gala,” he said, adding their goal is to match Alberta’s high international educational test rankings.
“They want to see what it’s really like. They’re very determined.”
Henry hopes to partner three city elementaries with Yuzhong schools at the Chinese educators’ request.
Zhang ended the day translating at a banquet for the visitors before they return after a week in Canada.
She returns to the classroom, and her Alberta adventure, today.
“Canadian people are wonderful. They’re giving me a lot of help.”
Red Deer Catholic School District also has a second-year Chinese teacher and a first-year Japanese teacher, both at Notre Dame High School.
rfiedler@www.reddeeradvocate.com