Dear Parents,

To our new parents, Welcome to Ding Hao Chinese School! To our returning parents, Welcome Back! The Ding Hao staff and teachers have met many times during the summer, and we have been working hard to prepare for the new school year.

 

WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE FIRST DAY

Classes will begin promptly at 9:30. Please be sure to arrive early enough to enable your children to reach the classrooms before classes begin.

On the first day when you come to the second floor, you'll see the registration table and display board, which will have student lists and room assignments. At 10:00, the teachers will escort their students to the auditorium, and we would like parents to join us. The auditorium is also located on the second floor across the hallway. We will hold a welcoming assembly, and you will have the opportunity to meet all teachers and staff.

New students will receive the Ding Hao 200 Characters List, as well as textbooks. Returning students should be reminded to bring their summer homework and textbooks. Please make sure your child is supplied with pencils, scissors, glue, and washable markers. Be sure all your child's belongings are labeled with his or her name.

The first day of school also coincides with the Chinese Moon Festival. Special arts and crafts will be provided to the students to celebrate the festival, and we will be serving moon cakes.

Please visit our web site links, for Ding Hao FAQ's ,  Parents' and Students' Guide .

 

CHANGES FOR THE 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR

We felt it was very important to reorganize the classes this year. The classes were arranged based upon the needs of the student body. And while the classes are still “titled” numerically, those designated class numbers have changed and no longer correspond to academic levels. I have contacted most parents by phone to explain the changes made to some of the students' class assignments.

We hope you all understand the reorganization was necessary to make sure that all classes were balanced. With all the late registrants and newcomers in the lower level classes, we are doing our best to place your children in the most suitable classes. Please bear with us in this process, and remember that if you do not think the placement is working, the school will work with you to do what’s best for your child. Please have your child try the class for the first and second weeks. If a change needs to be made, please discuss it with your child’s teacher AND Mrs. Betty Foo or Mrs. Barbara Yuan. Please do not have your child change classes until you have discussed it with our staff.

 

We also moved all children’s classes to the second floor. This allows for more teaching opportunities and interactions between the students.

This fall, we have a number of new students who are older (8 to 15 year olds) and want to start learning Chinese. As a result, we have created a class called Pin Yin for these students. This class will be taught by both Xu Lan and Jennie Meng. Ms. Xu is a language PhD candidate for Penn's Graduate School of Education, and Ms. Meng has taught at Ding Hao for many years. Together, they'll make a great team for these new students.

 

We are also very excited to announce that there will be a Chinese class for our Ding Hao parents. The class will be led by Dr. Mei-Ping Kung, a professor at Penn, and Mr. Tim Frey, a Ding Hao parent who speaks fluent Chinese. We have had previous classes for parents, but this time we have a native speaker as well as a second language learner who can relate to the challenges that students face.

 

The library and coffee hour will now be located on the bridge. The parents' room has moved to Room 414, and the adult class will be in Room 412. Both are on the fourth floor. You may use the elevator next to the bridge or the stairways located in the hallway.

On the website, you will find the Ding Hao Fall Calendar, teacher lists, floor plan and  room assignment -  School Staff .  Please mark your calendar for the upcoming parent meeting on October 1^st, when we will discuss the Ding Hao curriculum.

 

I look forward to seeing all of you.

Sincerely,

 

Betty Foo

Ding Hao Principal