The first Chatham-Shanghai Exchange will began on Sun., Jan. 22. On Mon., Jan. 23, twelve Chinese students attended Chatham High School with their American hosts and shadowed their host students for the whole week.

On the evening of Jan. 27, which was Chinese New Year’s Eve, all Chinese classes, both from middle school and high school, the CHS Chinese Club, and the Chinese host families celebrated Chinese New Year together in the cafeteria of CHS from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Chinese students then attended a workshop at CHS on the following Sat. on the processes and steps of applying to U.S. colleges. The workshop was taught by Menghao Zhao, one of the founders of an online school, Golden Key Access, and an adjunct professor at New York University. After the workshop, the Chinese students began a tour of famous places, as well as colleges, on the east coast of the United States.

While the Chinese students visit classes at CHS, teachers will fully incorporate them into their courses, giving them any handouts, quizzes, or assignments that they would normally give to their regular students.

The exchange was arranged by CHS Chinese teacher Yanfei Li-McGurrin, and the host students are Victoria Ankel, Filip Bahunek, Kacper Bardecki, Thomas Barrett, Noelle Bessette, Luke Ciccarelli, Peter Duffy, Natasha Greeve, Pietro Marino, Ritika Ramprasad, Elizabeth Stuart, and Zoe Heard.