The first student delegation of eight students and one teacher from Chile will arrive Jan. 12 to begin a stay filled with visiting classes, seeing the sites of the Dallas area and participating in a community service project.  They will represent Colegio Santa Ursula Vitacura in Santiago, Chile.  As is usually the case, visiting students will stay with Ursuline students in their homes.

     Shortly after on Jan. 14, two teachers and 12 students will arrive from Colegio Santa Ursula in Lima, Peru.  Their agenda is similar to that of the Chileans, and both will join the Spirit of Uganda, the performing tour group of Empower African Children, and Ursuline students in a festive campus parade on Global Celebration Day.

     Watch this spot for more information and plenty of pictures from this triple global treat which is coming soon.

“Now that we have advanced Chinese language classes, students can better interact,” Ms. Nipp said. With fewer language barriers, students freely chatted with each other.

Besides sharing language, students also shared their love of singing. During the Chinese students’ stay, the language classrooms were filled with the high pitched yet melodic voices of the Huaxia girls. Students from both Huaxia and UA came together to sing several songs, perhaps most importantly, the Beijing Olympics song.

This song describes the open arms in which Beijing welcomes world visitors into its country. It also emphasizes harmony and reminds us that friendship is key between our two countries, the United States and China.

Ursuline girls served as hosts, helping the Huaxia girls adjust to life in the United States; from the school life to the culture and even the food. When visiting the State Fair, the Chinese students were surprised by the different foods. Several refused to eat fried chicken because of its “ugly” appearance.

During school hours, the Huaxia girls enjoyed the more carefree environment of Ursuline. Over the course of their stay, students from both schools became more open to showcasing their talents. At the end of the Huaxia girls’ stay, they presented their talents in music and dancing to Ursuline.

One student masterfully played the pipa (a plucked Chinese instrument with four strings and a pear shaped body) and another sang Taylor Swift songs. Ursuline girls applauded even more when the Huaxia girls showered them with Chinese candies and small gifts. And with that happy note, the Huaxia exchange trip ended.

“It was a big success,” said Ms. Nipp.