1. I want to say thanks to those parents who gave me precious suggestions on the difficulty level of the homework. I will improve it. Should you or your children have any confusion or suggestions please let me know. I will listen and do my best to improve it.
2. For those who did not turn in weekly homework because of different excuses, I want to insist that you should follow the homework requirement to get credit. Since this is the beginning of the semester, I will allow you a week of grace. After September, I hope everything will be on track so we can focus on learning. :)
3. For 7th and 8th grade students and parents, there is a Michigan China Quiz Bowl organized by Confucius Institute at Wayne State University in April every year. You can use google search, simply just type in"Michigan Quiz Bowl" to read about it. It is difficult to compare with those students who take 5 lessons of Chinese per week, but if you are interested we can still plan for it. For example, we can do extra practice on Thursdays and Fridays during the lunch time. The students can have lunch in the Chinese classroom. This way, we can prepare for the competition. I need input from both parents and students. If the interest is high and every one is supportive, then I will ask the principal for advice. Please e-mail me at [email protected] to let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
4. September 30th is the day of Chinese Mid-autumn Festival, I plan to bring real moon cakes to the class and introduce the culture on 9/27 and 9/28. The students are welcomed to have a taste. All students need to know if they are allergic to anything. You should let me know beforehand to avoid an incident. Thank you for your attention.
5. Even though it is still far away, I want to plan the "Chinese Dumpling Day" now. This event will be held in my house, I will offer a free lesson and materials on how to make Chinese dumplings. The 7th and 8th grade students will do the event this time. I want to know how parents and students feel about this. The parents will help as the chauffeurs. Please also e-mail me at [email protected] to let me know if you are interested, the suggested date, and if you could help drive. I will decide based on the most interest and proceed the detailed planning.
The tentative schedule will be January 5th, 2013 or January 12th, 2013. Please pick one that you mostly can come and e-mail me. Thanks.
6. The last but not the least, please do your homework and bring your Chinese binder to Chinese class. 5-8the grade students also bring the textbook and workbook. Thanks.