news-record.com

HIGH POINT — Classes at three Guilford County schools have started getting a taste of Chinese.

The faculty this fall at Northwood Elementary, Ferndale Middle and High Point Central High schools each boast a new teacher from China teaching Mandarin Chinese.

Wu Cai Xia, Xia Ou Yang and Cao Hong arrived in the United States on Aug. 3 as part of the international Chinese Guest Teacher Program.

The program, sponsored by the College Board, is designed to teach Chinese language and culture in schools across the country.

Guilford was one of three districts in the state selected to participate. The teachers will work at the schools for two years and can sign on for an additional year after that.

The school system picked the three High Point schools because it plans to incorporate Chinese classes into pre-International Baccalaureate programs feeding into High Point Central.

Wu Cai Xia is teaching at Northwood Elementary; Xia Ou Yang has joined the Ferndale Middle team; and Cao Hong is the new Mandarin Chinese teacher at High Point Central High. All three are living with host families here.

Northwest Guilford High also is participating in the Chinese Guest Teacher Program; its teacher has not yet arrived.

Mandarin Chinese is also taught at Hairston Middle through a Visiting International Faculty member.