June 22, 2016

Friends,

The weather here is hot and rainy.  I should have packed an umbrella! It has been one week in China.  The experience has been absolutely amazing.  Everything site I see and meal I eat is unique and memorable.  I truly feel I am in a different world.  The language and culture of China is beautiful and impressive.  My world has been stretched. 

That said, I am starting to get cravings for American food.  A plate of spaghetti, a dish of ice cream…..  The Chinese have very little sugar and dairy products in their diet.  Lots of salt, meat, seafood and vegetables.  Every meal we eat is a banquet!  Here is a typical spread:

We crossed over the famous Yangtze River in our drive to Suzhou.  We are also very close to Shanghai. 

We are now in Suzhou.  Suzhou (pronounced Sue-Joe) is a city of 10 million with mountains, beautiful gardens and an amazing downtown skyline.  The city is historically part of the ancient Kingdom of Woo.  It is a city known for its fish and rice and classic gardens. 

Today we visited an amazing International school, Suzhou North America High School.  This school has aspirations to be the number one private English speaking school in China.

Uniquely, this school is sponsored by two groups.  First, they have a partnership with North Carolina State.  NC State manages their American curriculum.  Second, the Wuzhong Group heavily sponsors the school.  The Wuzhong Group is a Chinese equivalent of a Fortune 500 company.  This company is currently building a new campus for the school.  We toured both the old campus and the new campus.  The campus is absolutely stunning in design and grandeur.  It rivals a college campus new construction.

Here is a screen shot of the campus currently being built.  The campus even includes apartments for teachers.  It is a gated campus with security guards.

What would it look like in the United States if we had corporations building and funding high schools?  Tuition at this school is 120,000 yuan or approximately $20,000 US.

Suzhou North America High School currently has 102 students and has plans to reach 500 students within 3 years.  They also plan to add a middle school to their school within 4 years. 

SNA School Motto – Aim Higher, Do Better, Viewing the World as One

Education at SNA is about:
•    Building landscape
•    Creating Atmosphere
•    Nurturing Youth

What do you think is missing in their philosophy?

The Chinese are aggressive in new construction everywhere we look. This school is one big example of that.  It appears they have a “build it and they will come” philosophy. SNA is seeking to serve the need to learn English without students leaving the country.

The Chinese school leaders and students we met, are absolutely committed to preparing themselves to go to top American colleges and Universities.  The focus is sharp and the students are diligent and attentive. 

I cannot read any email unless it is in yahoo.  I am sending the posts to Karl Kaemingk via yahoo mail.  If you need to reach me, try:

wayne_dykstra@yahoo.com

 Wayne