A blossoming bond: Exchange project connects Catholic and Taiwanese schools

St. Joan of Arc School students Jalen Love, left, and Marianne Gaebler come bearing gifts for Liu Shu-Chen, right, a principal from Taiwan who visited the north-side Indianapolis school on Oct. 14-15. St. Joan of Arc principal Mary Pat Sharpe also welcomes Liu. Liu’s visit to St. Joan of Arc School was arranged by the Indiana Department of Education as part of its international exchange project to build friendship and cooperation between schools in Indiana and Taiwan. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

When she saw the Halloween decorations at St. Joan of Arc School in Indianapolis, Liu Shu-chen immediately thought of “Ghost Month” in her homeland of Taiwan.

Besides signaling the “trick or treat” day, the Halloween decorations were another reminder to the visiting principal from Taiwan of the similarities and differences between the United States and her part of the world.

“During Ghost Month, you can’t go swimming or go fishing or go far away for traveling,” Liu explained with a smile. “The elders will tell you that the ghost will catch you if you do. You can’t get married or move into a new house, too. We use Halloween as a teaching topic for English. Halloween and Christmas are very popular.”

Liu shared those thoughts as she spent two days in Indianapolis visiting and observing St. Joan of Arc School on Oct. 14 and 15—a visit that was arranged by the Indiana Department of Education as part of its international exchange project to build cooperation and friendship between school communities in Taiwan and Indiana.

“It’s been a great experience,” said Mary Pat Sharpe, the principal of St. Joan of Arc School. “Each year, we study an area of the world and we connect it to our curriculum. This year, it’s Asia. Having someone from Taiwan just makes it so much more real for our students to learn about their culture. She’s talked a lot about the area and the type of families at her school. The students were real interested in the comparisons of the schools.”

St. Joan of Arc School is in an urban setting, drawing a blend of students who are Hispanic, white and African-American, students whose families range from low- to high-income.

Guangsing Elementary School is a public school in a rural setting, with most of its students from lower-income families.

“We have an official curriculum and some after-school programs,” Liu noted. “One is violin classes. Our children learn three languages. One is Mandarin, the official language. We speak Taiwanese at home. We treat English as an international language. We teach English from the third to sixth grade. We teach English for the future. The world is becoming smaller.”

If the reality is that the world is getting smaller, the hope is that the international exchange project will form closer connections and better understanding between schools in different countries. The students, teachers and staff members at St. Joan of Arc School did their best to create a favorable first impression that will lead to a lasting relationship.

They welcomed Liu with a prayer and gifts, including a rosary from Father Guy Roberts, the pastor of St. Joan of Arc Parish. The school’s band also performed for her. And they treated her to a lunch of pasta and fruit on the first day of her visit. In return, she presented a slide show that focused on her school and the 77 students there.

“The teaching way is a little different,” Liu said, noticing the interactive exchanges between students and teachers at St. Joan of Arc. “In Taiwan, the teacher is always speaking and the student is always listening. Our students don’t work in groups. We teach that ‘Practice makes perfect,’ especially in language arts.”

The lunch routine is different, too.

“They stay in the classroom to have lunch,” Liu said. “We have a chef who cooks for students and teachers. We usually eat rice, some chicken and pork, and vegetables and soup.”

Liu was touched to see a corner of the St. Joan of Arc library dedicated to Taiwan. She was also inspired by the banners that hang in the halls of the school, banners that connect a Bible verse to the self-discipline skills that the students are learning.

“I also take some verse from the Bible—usually from Proverbs—something that’s good for the children to think about,” Liu said. “I hang it in the hallways.”

The connections are part of the blossoming bond between the two schools. On Oct. 15, Liu and Sharpe took part in an Indiana Department of Education meeting in which they pledged to be “sister schools” to each other. Sharing e-mails between the students of the two schools will be one of the first steps in that effort.

“Our school mission statement asks that we foster respect for self and others,” Sharpe noted. “One of the ways we can do this is by learning more about others and having a better understanding of other cultures.

“This stresses the importance of global learning to our students. This is another way to show the diversity in the world.” †