Click
to
Access
AMOYMAGIC SITE from
OUTSIDE China
Click
to Access AmoyMagic
Site from
INSIDE
China
TRAVEL LINKS
Xiamen
Gulangyu
Jimei
Tong'an
Jinmen
Zhangzhou
Quanzhou
Wuyi
#1Fujian
Sites!
Fujian
Foto Album
Books
on Fujian
Readers'Letters
Ningde
Zhouning
Longyan
Sanming
Putian
Bridges
Travel
Info,
Hakka
Roundhouses
Travel
Agents
MISC. LINKS
Amoy
People!
Darwin
Driving
Amoy
Tigers
Chinese
Inventions
Tibet
in 80 Days
Amoy
Vampires!
Dethroned!
Misc.Writings
Latest
News
Lord
of Opium
Back
to Main Page
Kung
Fu
|
Copyright 2001-7 by Sue Brown & Dr.
Bill Order
Books Xiamenguide
Forum
Homeschooling
in Amoy,
by Joann Hill
Forward
by Bill B: Educating
our sons Shannon and Matthew was a challenge in the early days.
Xiamen
International School,did not start until 1997,
so we first tried Chinese kindergarten and primary school, but eventually
switched to homeschooling. Sue used Calvert
School for grades 1 thru 8 and Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, High School
program for grades 9-12. Calvert has been around since the 1890s!
Dr. Woodward, who married Sue and I in Taipei, Taiwan in 1988, used Calvert
as a child, as did the remarkable Caldwell
family, who lived in Fujian from 1899 until 1950 or so. And
Joann Hill, who was born in Hope Hospital on Gulangyu, grew up in the
Amoy area, and returned to Tong'an with her physician husband in the 1940s,
used homeschooling. Joann shares her experiences...
My
Experience of Home-Schooling (by Joann):
My mother had used Calvert for a year or two with my brother
(older than me by 4 years) when I was ready for school. She had a difficult
struggle with him -- still don't know just what the problems were but
he did not take well. So he was sent up to Shanghai American School starting
with the 5th grade.
I think I was a bit more eager and ready. My earliest memory was the day
I learned to spell my name--J o a n V e e n s c h o t e n. (Nothing simple
like Bill Brown!!) All during afternoon siesta I kept rolling it through
my mouth! Loved the "taste" of it.
I know she used the Calvert system (using the materials from my brother's
class) the first year. I remember the phonics sort of ladder-tapestrip
especially. Unfortunately it didn't stick very well as far as spelling
goes. I'm the world's most original speller! (Thank goodness for Word-Spelling
check!!!)
Apparently even in my early schooling she often had piano & voice
students as well as a stream of callers even in the morning, so that even
in the early grades she would give me my assignment to do in my "class-room"
on the upstairs porch, while she taught down-stairs at the livingroom
piano. If I had a question I just went downstairs and got instructions
or whatever. That year's schooling was finished when my birthday came
around the middle of May. Then my reward was to have my best friend who
lived on Kulangsu ( and was taught by her mother with the Calvert system)
came to spend a week with me, or I went down to Amoy to spend the time
with her! I think the only difference in what I was learning was that
she had some FineArt (pictures) study that I didn't -- and sort of missed.
My 4th grade year was spent in Holland Michigan at Washington School.
I don't remember whether I was excited about going there or not. I was
a "loner" even then, though I had a couple of friends, mostly
neighbor kids nearby with whom I played. I remember one occasion when
we were assigned seat-work. I settled down and got on with it, only to
be sharply brought up with "Joann, stop your whistling". And
then made to go up to the front of the class and sit at a table. Embarrassing!
I hadn't realized that I was whistling -- I was concentrating on what
I was doing. Must have done that alot when I studied alone. Needless to
say I was just as glad to get back to ChangChow. By that time my mother
was getting her school materials from Shanghai American School and I was
looking forward to going there with the "big kids", which I
did starting in the 8th grade. By that time my brother was a Senior at
SAS and looked out/after me! and, on the whole, I appreciated it.
During the following summer, things heated up politically in North China
--Mukden Incident (I think, tho hazy). Anyway the US Consulate strongly
recommended that american wives and children return to the States. Many
of our RCAers did, except my mother and Alma Vandermeer and buddy missionary
friend in the same station. Based on their experience with the politics
of war-lords, they decided to go to the Philippines --Baguio where there
was an episcopalian boarding school: Brent. We were enrolled as day students.
Six months later, things had calmed down and my mother and younger sister
returned to Changchow, but I stayed on with "Aunt Alma". Classes
were small at Brent --we had 4 or 5 in our nineth grade class. I found
that I could maintain my ranking as 2nd in the class with almost little
extra effort! What a lovely discovery!
My 10th and 11th grade uneventful years were spent back at SAS --careful
to maintain at least a "C" in all subjects so I'd not have to
go to study-hall in the evenings. Great motivation! I did earn pin-money
working for the laundry --putting clean clothes in student boxes. Got
really quite good at shooting rolled-up sox into owner-boxes! Also found
out I was not competative at sports, but did enjoy music and singing --even
played for Wednesday evening chapel.
The summer of 1940, my folks went on furlough to stay in a mission-house
in Holland,MI. I graduated from Holland High -- not particularly well
integrated into the culture. Just happy to get it over and proceeding
to Wayne U. in Detroit, as a pre-med student, and where my brother entered
Wayne Medical School. My mother set up housekeeping there because the
US Gov't wasn't allowing wives and children to go to China, tho my father
did and got caught on Kulangsu before he was able to get transportation
to ChangChow in "free China". The year was 1941 and Pearl Harbor
was December 7th!
Regarding Home-schooling in the Philippines-- we investigated a correspondance
course(out of Chicago, I think) for our oldest son when he was ready for
7th grade and Brent seemed too expensive. The Cebu American (Elementary)
School, where our 5 children went, used the Calvert system to start with.
Don't know what arrangements they made with Calvert to use their materials.The
classes were very small and it was a good experience for our children.
This saga extends far beyond home-schooling! But it gives you some perspective.
This is more than you probably wanted to know!!
As ever, Joann
Please
Help the "The Amoy Mission Project!" Please
share any relevant biographical material and photos for the website and
upcoming book, or consider helping with the costs of the site and research
materials. All text and photos will remain your property, and
photos will be imprinted to prevent unauthorized use.
Thanks!
Dr. Bill
Xiamen University MBA Center
E-mail: amoybill@gmail.com
Snail Mail: Dr. William Brown
Box 1288 Xiamen University,
Xiamen, Fujian PRC 361005
Click
to E-mail
Readers'Letters
Last Updated: October 2007Return
to Main Page Back
to Top
Google
Search
|
AMOY
MISSION LINKS
A.M.
Main Menu
RCA
Miss'ry List
AmoyMission-1877
AmoyMission-1893
Abeel,
David
Beltman
Boot
Family
Broekema,
Ruth
Bruce,
Elizabeth
Burns,
Wm.
Caldwells
DePree
Develder,
Wally
Wally's
Memoirs!
Douglas,
Carstairs
Doty,
Elihu
Duryea,
Wm. Rankin
Esther,Joe
& Marion
Green,
Katherine
Gutzlaff,
Karl
Hills,Jack
& Joann
. Hill's
Photos.80+
..Keith
H.Homeschool
Hofstras
Holkeboer,
Tena
Holleman,
M.D.
Hope
Hospital
Johnston
Bio
Joralmans
Karsen,
W&R
Koeppes,
Edwin&Eliz.
Kip,
Leonard W.
Meer
Wm. Vander
Morrison,
Margaret
Muilenbergs
Neinhuis,
Jean
Oltman,
M.D.
Ostrum,
Alvin
Otte,M.D.Last
Days
Platz,
Jessie
Pohlman,
W. J.
Poppen,
H.& D.
Rapalje,
Daniel
Renskers
Talmage,
J.V.N.
Talman,
Dr.
Veenschotens
. Henry
V.Stella
V.
. Girard
V.
Veldman,
J.
Voskuil,
H & M
Walvoord
Warnshuis,
A.L.
Zwemer,
Nellie
Fuh-chau
Cemetery
City
of Springs
(Quanzhou, 1902!!)
XM
Churches
Church
History
Opium
Wars
A.M.
Bibliography
YMCA
Volunteer!
XICF
Fellowship
TemplesMosques
Christ
in Chinese
Artists'
Eyes
DAILY LINKS
FAQs
Questions?
Real
Estate
Shopping
Maps
Bookstores
Trains
Busses
Car
Rental
Hotels
News
(CT)
Medical
& Dental
Expat
Groups
Maids
Phone
#s
EDUCATION
Xiamen
University
XIS(Int'l
School)
Study
Mandarin
CSP(China
Studies)
Library
Museums
History
DINING Tea
Houses
Restaurants
Asian
Veggie
Junk
Food
Chinese
Italian
International
Visas
4 aliens
RECREATION
Massage!
Beaches
Fly
Kites
Sports
Boardwalk
Parks
Pets
Birdwatching
Kung
Fu Hiking
Music
Events
Cinema
Festival&Culture
Humor&Fun
Fotos
BUSINESS
Doing
Business
Jobs!(teach/work)
Hire
Workers
Foreign
Companies
CIFIT
(Trade Fair)
MTS(Translation)
Back to Top
|