The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Bridging the Cultural Divide
Milan students write to pen pals
By Sue Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: April 3, 2008
Six thousand miles and a world away in Bayling, Mongolia, schoolchildren on a dusty playground held small, handmade books that gave them a glimpse into the lives of American "rock stars."
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These celebrities, they discovered, were not so different from themselves. They go to school and play games with their friends. They have pets and help their families at home. They like animals and books.
The "rock stars," are students at Paddock Elementary School who wrote letters, drew pictures and created autobiographies for their pen pals at the small school in Bayling, north of China.
"The students at the school were so excited when they got your letters," retired Milan schools speech therapist Mary Underwood told students at Paddock a few weeks ago. "They consider you all like rock stars."
Underwood had delivered the letters from Milan on her summer trip to Mongolia and shared slides of her experience with students last fall at a special party where she delivered return mail from the pen pals.
This is the third year Milan elementary school students have had the opportunity to write about themselves with the help of their "buddies," high school students from the before-school mentoring program and reading classes.
Milan High School student mentors organized a letter-opening party and invited Underwood to attend. Then, earlier this month, Underwood hosted staff and friends from Mongol Kahn Expeditions on their visit to Milan schools.
The four Mongolian visitors came dressed in ceremonial costumes.
"One Symons' student froze when she saw them walking through the cafeteria and responded by pointing at them and exclaiming, 'Awesome,'" said teacher Elaine Briggs, coordinator of the mentoring program.
"Students were especially impressed with the beautiful video of Mongolia and were surprised to learn there are four times as many animals in Mongolia as there are people."
One visitor, a professional musician, performed unusual throat singing in which he hummed a low tone deep from his throat while humming a second melody simultaneously.
The guests had lunch at Milan High School with the leadership class who helped them navigate the lunch room, introduced them to students and provided a tour of the building.
"Your students must be very grateful for all that they have here," said Bodio, co-owner of Mongol Khan, a cashmere dealer who was most impressed with the auditorium.
Briggs said she hopes the experience helps bridge the cultures.
"Learning about another culture will hopefully help the students realize how much they do have and be grateful for living here in Milan," she said.
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