Yinghua Post 2022-23

YINGHUA POST

6 | Post-Pandemic Academic Performance

By: Adeline and Olive 8 | Dr. Lien: Profile & Vision for School

By: Kai and Scott 10 | Taiwanese Student Teacher Cohort

By: Scarlett 12 | National Reading Month

By: Aija and Lily 14 | National Speech Contest

By: Crow and Karma 16 | Study Abroad Returning

By: Augie and Colin

20 | Mr. P Profile

By: Victor 22 | What’s Trending

By: Ayva and Maddie 26 | Impact of Playground Removal

By: Ben and Mateo 30 | Yinghua Alum Returning as English Teacher

By: Madison 32 | Alum Q&A: Mira Ho-Chen 34 | Experience for “Midway Students”

By: Carmina and Kirra

38 | Relearning Cafeteria Etiquette

By: Eva 40 | New Teacher Q&A: Ting-Yu Fan 42 | New Teacher Q&A: Alissa Hilleren By: Brianna 44 | PM Homeroom Policy

By: Luella and Adrienne 46 | Yinghua Sees Growth Since Its Inception

By: Sylvia and Matilda

TIMELINE

Sept. 27 GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER

Yinghua reporters meet, get to know Bethel coaches and brainstorm story topics.

Oct. 4 INTRODUCTION TO NEWS

After assigning stories, Bethel coaches start teaching their reporters about the 5 W’s of stories (who, what, when, where, why) and showing them story examples.

Oct. 11 STORY STRUCTURE

Bethel coaches explain structure by using story templates and work with Yinghua reporters to draft interview questions. Yinghua reporters start to arrange times for interviews.

Oct. 18 | INTERVIEWS

Yinghua reporters interview story sources with the help of Bethel coaches. Yinghua reporters continue to reach out to sources for interviews.

Oct. 25 | INTERVIEWS

Yinghua reporters continue to interview multiple sources. Bethel coaches and Yinghua reporters brainstorm visuals to be published alongside their stories

Nov.

1 | WRITING STORIES

Bethel coaches work with Yinghua reporters to process the interviews, pick out direct quotes and start writing stories.

Nov.

15 FINALIZING STORIES

Yinghua reporters and Bethel coaches begin editing the story drafts to prepare for publication, looking at structure, grammar, style, word usage and punctuation.

Nov.

8 | WRITING STORIES

Yinghua reporters and Bethel coaches continue the writing process to come up with the first drafts

Yinghua Academy Continues in Academic Excellence

Chinese immersion school keeps standardized test scores high through the pandemic.

By Adeline and Olive

Yinghua Academy outperformed many other Minneapolis public schools in the MCA standardized test scores during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MCA is a standardized test that is usually taken by students in the spring of each school year to track students’ growth in reading, math and science. The test scores indicated that many Minnesota students struggled in school during the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2021, the average MCA score for Minneapolis public schools dropped 10%. Compared to Minneapolis public schools, Yinghua performed better with test scores showing a higher level of proficiency.

This wasn’t too much of a challenge for the older students who had already developed some of these skills, but for the younger students, online learning was quite the obstacle. This was especially difficult for the kindergarten students who had just gotten used to school in person, then had to switch to doing school on an iPad.

“Kindergarteners had a really tough time in front of the screen, thinking that the teachers were there to play instead of learn because none of them had that skill yet,” Dr. Lien said.

For the 2021-22 academic year, Minneapolis public schools average MCA proficiency level was 44.8% in math, 51.1% in reading and 41.3% in science. Yinghua’s average MCA proficiency level was 77.4% in math, 73.1% in reading and 65.6% in science .

A big part in keeping these scores high was the support system set in place by the school. Executive Director at Yinghua Academy Dr. Luyi Lien oversees many operations at the school and has a firsthand perspective when it comes to academics at Yinghua.

“I am very satisfied with our scores,” Dr. Lien said. “I am very proud of our teachers and students. I really liked how hard we tried during the pandemic.”

In addition, Yinghua created the Summer Extension Program in the summer of 2022 to help those students who needed extra assistance to get back on track. Stian, one of the students who participated in the Summer Extension Program, said he had benefited from the extra support.

“Definitely, [my score] has improved a ton,” Stian said. “I was in core for both classes and falling behind. Summer school helped me because the teachers helped me a lot. It improved my grades and made things clear that weren’t clear last year.”

One of the more difficult things to do during the pandemic was adjusting to being online.

Yinghua Academy has worked hard to keep test scores high since the school was founded in 2006. In 2015, Yinghua Academy won the National Blue Ribbon Award, which recognizes schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Yinghua Academy was one of only seven Minnesota schools in 2021 to be awarded the prestigious honor.

(Edited by Kaden Lamb.)

ADELINE

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: Toca Boca

Q: What’s your favorite video game?

A: Minecraft

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Aerial arts

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: Forks, Washington

OLIVE

Q: What’s your favorite video game?

A: Minecraft

Q: Who’s your favorite author?

A: Rick Riordan

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: Study abroad in Taiwan

“I am very satisfied with our scores. I am very proud of our teachers and students. I really liked how hard we tried during the pandemic.” –

Dr. Luyi Lien, executive director at Yinghua Academy

New Principal Leads with Student-Focused Vision

Dr. Luyi Lien, Yinghua Academy’s executive director, brings a bold vision in response to enrollment decline and teacher retention issues.

By: Kai and Scott

Executive Director Dr. Luyi Lien’s top priority at Yinghua Academy is her students.

“I want to let the community know… we support each other, and we really are thinking, ‘students first,’” Dr. Lien said.

A large part of supporting students is making sure students have enough peers to foster a beneficial group learning experience. Another part is having a reasonable student-to-teacher ratio that provides students enough one-onone attention to advance their learning.

Dr. Lien has been working at Yinghua in some capacity for 17 years, and she said this is the first time that there has not been a waiting list for kindergarten. She has talked to Chinese immersion colleagues across the country and learned that they have experienced the same thing. Dr. Lien said this is partly due to an increase in homeschooling, especially with many parents now working from home and no longer commuting.

She also talked about how the strained political relation between the U.S. and China has been a factor as well. Yet, she is optimistic about future student enrollment.

“I mean short term maybe it’s a student shortage, but for long term I think if we do a good job, the students will come back,” she said.

For the time being, she said they have put out more ads in the neighborhood newsletter and the school newsletter, telling parents Yinghua needs more students. She said they are relying on “word of mouth” to bring in more students.

Along with student enrollment, she has been working to combat the effects of the national teacher shortage at Yinghua.

According to a fact sheet from the Department of Education, “Throughout the pandemic, many districts have faced significant challenges in attracting and retaining teachers, and preexisting teacher shortages in critical areas … have only been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Dr. Lien said it’s been especially hard to find teachers who are qualified to teach at a Chinese immersion school at the elementary or middle school level.

She said bringing in a cohort of teachers from Taiwan to Yinghua has been helping to solve the problem of teacher shortage.

“We are also trying to create a relationship with Taiwan or China … to work with their teacher training program and have them send their interns or send their best teachers to us,” Dr Lien said. “Right now, we have 10 guest teachers from Taiwan.”

Dr. Lien is bringing a new vision to Yinghua to confront a shortage of teachers and a decline in enrollment.

Marcus Pobloske, the dean of students at Yinghua, shares Dr. Lien’s vision to support students, though his focus is a bit different.

“I think the main thing is just to support students in their lives outside of academics,” Pobloske said. “And so that looks different than it does when you look at supporting students through academics.”

Pobloske said he and Dr. Lien work closely together as he organizes retreats, events or activities with the Dragon Life Organization. The goal is to make sure that the school procedures and activities are aligned with her vision for the school.

“I think Dr. Lien is super good at leading the school and has a really strong vision for what the school should be,” Pobloske said. “I think the thing that I’m most excited about and impressed [by] is that she has really, really big goals.”

(Edited by Lydia Gessner.)

KAI

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: Anywhere in Iceland

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: Social studies

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: A secret language used among the kids without my parents knowing.

SCOTT

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: Apple Music

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Swimming

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: New York City

Photo by Amira Graf.

Yinghua Executive Director Dr. Luyi Lien speaks passionately about her vision for Yinghua. Photo by Emily Rossing.

Yinghua Academy Introduces Taiwanese Teaching Cohort

By Scarlett

In hopes of alleviating teacher shortage, Dr. Luyi Lien, executive director of Yinghua, has initiated partnerships with undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing teaching in Taiwan.

Dr. Lien said Yinghua has been experiencing the effects of the nationwide teacher shortage. “It’s really hard for us to get a native Chinesespeaking licensed teacher,” Dr. Lien said.

Yinghua has welcomed 10 teachers from Taiwan as interns to immerse them into homeroom classrooms where they help teachers grade papers and help kids who are having trouble learning specific subjects. When in homeroom classrooms, the cohort teachers are only allowed to speak in Chinese to the students to make sure of an immersion learning environment.

They have also had the opportunity to work in the English language arts second, third and fourth grade classrooms where

they collaborated with ELA teachers to develop a writing unit and taught the writing lessons. The students have enjoyed having additional teachers in their classrooms.

Graduate student Meng-Hsin Liu from Taiwan said she enjoys observing the classrooms. The biggest transition, though, for her has been the weather. She has had to buy warm clothes to prepare for winter.

Ching-Yuan Su is also a graduate student who taught sixth grade before coming to Yinghua. She hopes to take what she learns at Yinghua back to Taiwan to become an English teacher there.

“The way they teach here is very good,” she said. “I want to find the problems that kids have and make their learning better.”

Even though Ms. Su said her English is not as good as native speakers, this hasn’t stopped her from learning a lot of new knowledge. Although she admitted that she misses her family in Taiwan, she has felt very welcomed.

The student teachers feel welcomed not only in the classrooms but also by the parents and surrounding community. They have been provided housing near the school, and they also enjoy homecooked meals offered by students’ families.

Because the student teachers don’t have cars, they rely on the parents to get them around. Ms. Su even got to visit an apple orchard with a student’s family. Both Ms. Su and Ms. Liu said they are very appreciative of the generosity they have received since arriving in Minnesota.

Both plan on going back to Taiwan after their internships come to an end in December 2022, and they hope they can take the skills they learned at Yingua and apply them to their own classrooms in the future.

(Edited by Ella Roberts.)

“It’s really hard for us to get a native Chinese-speaking licensed teacher.”

–Dr. Luyi Lien, executive director at Yinghua Academy

“The way they teach here is very good. I want to find the problems that kids have and make their learning better.”

– Ching-Yuan Su, Tawainese student teacher at Yinghua Academy

Graduate student Meng-Hsin Liu says she enjoys observing the classrooms and that she’s adjusting well at Yinghua. Photo by Yinghua staff

Ching-Yuan Su, who taught sixth grade before coming to Yinghua, hopes to take what she learns at Yinghua to become an English teacher in Taiwan. | Photo by Yinghua staff

Due to teacher shortages, Yinghua Academy has partnered with Taiwan students pursuing teaching.

Character Parade, Classroom Activities Bring Books to Life

By Aija and Lily

Eliana said that reading is important because “it makes your imagination flair and you learn new words.”

What happened on Oct. 28? Why were kids dressed up as their favorite characters from books and walking around outside? And why are all the classes’ homeroom doors decorated with figures and scenes inspired by books? This was because October was National Reading Month!

This year Yinghua did a lot of things to encourage students to read in October.

“Because of this, I am trying to read more and learn more words,” third grader Eliana said as she talked about how the “Drop Everything And Read” activity inspired her.

This is an activity that would happen in the morning during homeroom. The students heard an announcement on the speakers telling them to take out a book and to start reading. After hearing this announcement, they would read until the bell rang for the first period.

Kiera, a fifth grader, also thinks the reading month has a positive impact on her.

“We can learn more about books, [and] read more books,” Kiera said.

Kiera shared that some of her favorite books include “Super Star,” the Harry Potter series and the Mystery Benedict Society series.

Director of English Instruction Danielle Miller said she encourages reading because it opens up so many opportunities for students.

“I think the biggest thing is just to learn to love reading more than anything else,” she said. “Being able to get into a book and be in a whole new world and lose everything outside is the most amazing thing.”

The character parade was one way to bring kids into this amazing world. Almost every student dressed up. Teachers and staff also joined in. Some of the most interesting costumes were the teachers and staff dressed up as “positive yetis.” For example, some said, “I can’t roller skate ‘yeti,’” teaching kids to have a positive attitude in a fun way.

“This helps kids be excited about reading because they get to combine reading with dressing up,” said Ms. Miller.

As the kids walked around the path, people could see them giggling and smiling, some even dancing as they were showing off their costumes.

(Edited by Lydia Gessner.)

LILY

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: Netflix

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: My mom

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Swimming and soccer

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: Chinese or social studies

AIJA

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Hockey

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: Brother - Ansis

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: Camera

Q: Which place is next on your list to visit?

A: Hawaii and New Zealand

“This helps kids be excited about reading because they get to combine reading with dressing up.”

— Danielle Miller, director of English instruction at Yinghua Academy

Ms. Kristin Nordvold, the English Language Arts and Learner Teacher at Yinghua, dresses up as Amelia Bedelia for the Character Parade.

Photo by Yinghua Staff.

Kindergartners get into character during the parade at the end of Na tional Reading Month. Photo by Yinghua Staff.

These fourth graders are all smiles as they walk the parade route. Photo by Yinghua Staff.

Third graders get a chance to become their favorite book characters for a day during the Character Parade as part of National Reading Month celebrations. Photo by Yinghua Staff.

Yinghua Academy celebrated National Reading Month in October with classroom activities, door decorations and a character parade.

Yinghua Students Excel in Chinese Speech Contest

By Crow and Karma

Thirty-four Yinghua students, dedicated to building their language skills to represent Yinghua well, competed for the first time in this year’s National Chinese Speech Contest (NCSC).

“It was a lot of memorization, repetition, but it was a lot of dedication as well because it wasn’t easy to just go every day and practice,” seventh grader Mateo said.

NCSC gives students the opportunity to exhibit their cultural learning via talent-show cultural performances. The first year middle school students were allowed to participate was in 2022. The students were coached by Zhuren Wu, Yinghua’s director of Chinese instruction.

Sixth grader Yile said the key to success was to “practice a lot every day.”

Seventh grader Mateo agreed, “To prepare for the contest, every morning I would go to the teacher’s office and practice, I would practice at recess, and I would practice at p.m. homeroom.”

NCSC was hosted by American Academy of International Culture and Education

(AAICE) on April 9 and 10 and was held online over Zoom. According to a document provided by Mrs. Wu, this contest “consisted of a total of 549 students and 194 teachers from 37 different states.” The contest’s purpose is to showcase these students’ Chinese language skills through three levels of competition.

Among the 34 Yinghua students who competed in the preliminary round, 10 made it to the finals.

Anika, an eighth grader, won first place in her section of the competition. According to the NCSC website, she received a $300 gift certificate.

Mateo also did well. “When I read my speech, I was so terrified,” he said. But from the contest he earned a $50 Amazon gift card and a “lesson that confidence does go a long way because practice can only take you so far.”

Yinghua hopes for more students to join in the competition next year, building on the good record set by their peer trailblazers who competed this year.

(Edited by Maya Phillips.)

KARMA

Q: What’s your favorite subject? A: Math

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: Relate to relatives

Q: What’s your favorite video game? A: Woodoku

Q: Who’s your favorite author? A: Malala Yousafzai and J.K. Rowling

“It was a lot of memorization, repetition, but it was a lot of dedication as well because it wasn’t easy to just go every day and practice.” – Mateo, seventh grade student at Yinghua Academy

Zhuren Wu, director of Chinese instruction at Yinghua Academy, coaches students to help them prepare for the 2022 National Chinese Speech Contest Photo by Amira Graf

Teachers and students meet over Zoom to deliver speeches in the 2022 National Chinese Speech Contest Photo contributed by Zhuren Wu

Students and teachers celebrate Yinghua’s success in the National Chinese Speech Contest.

Study Abroad Gives Opportunity to Advance Language Skills

AUGIE

By Augie and Colin

Yinghua Academy has many different programs and opportunities to improve Chinese language skills, including the study abroad program. In the past five years, Yinghua has been offering the opportunity to travel to either China or Taiwan to advance students’ Chinese.

In 2020, the program was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the summer of 2023, Yinghua is hoping to relaunch the program. Previously, Yinghua would send seventh and eighth grade students to China and Taiwan to get some firsthand experience speaking Chinese. This kind of experience is enticing to many students because it takes their Chinese proficiency to the next level.

Traveling abroad is important to Dr. Luyi Lien, executive director of Yinghua Academy.

“Because we are a Chinese immersion school, I want students to have the opportunity to use Chinese, their learnt language, and immerse in authentic Chinese,” Dr. Lien said.

On the trip, students go to Guangfu Elementary School in Taipei City, a sister school with Yinghua, and stay with host families. According to Dr. Lien, this is better than staying in a hotel because students are fully immersed in the culture. She stresses that this trip is not a vacation.

“[On a vacation,] you probably will go sightseeing and see all the family attractions, but you may not have the opportunity to go into a Chinese person’s life,” Dr. Lien said.

Whether or not a trip to China will happen the year after the trip to Taiwan is still unknown due to China’s Zero COVID Policy. The Zero COVID Policy has two phases. The first phase is attempting to eliminate the virus using aggressive health and safety measures. The second phase is a sustained containment to control the outbreaks before they become widespread.

This policy will determine whether Yinghua will take the trip. It will also affect what events and activities can be planned by Yinghua and the host families.

Many students are thinking about going on the trip this summer to Taiwan. Some of them travel often, while others have never been outside the U.S. Dr. Lien said that this is also what makes the program important – people with a wide range of backgrounds and thus with different expectations for the trip, making for a meaningful and diverse experience.

“On one hand, I hope that the trip is going to be super relaxing and fun, but I also hope that I improve my Chinese,” eighth grade student Victor said.

(Edited by Anna Pearson.)

Photo by Amira

“On one hand, I hope that this trip is super relaxing and fun, but I also hope that I improve my Chinese.” – Victor, eighth grade student at Yinghua Academy

Taipei City

Minneapolis

Taiwan snapshots | Photos contributed by Kristin Sandau, nursing professor at Bethel University

Pobloske Goes From Being a Mechanist to Dean of Students

By Victor

Do you know what a dowel pin is?

A dowel pin is a pin that connects machine or furniture parts together. Yinghua’s Dean of Students Marcus Pobloske started his first job in a machine shop making dowel pins. How does a man go from working in a machine shop to the dean of students in a Chinese immersion school?

Mr. P, as he is known in the halls at Yinghua, was born in St.Paul, Minnesota, but lived in Oregon and Boston before he moved back home to Minnesota in 2019.

When he was 17, Mr. P got a job in a machine shop making dowel pins. That job was followed by a gig of parking cars. After four years of college, he received a degree in graphic design and made commercials.

He then worked at the International School of Minnesota as the dean of students for 10 years and at the University of Minnesota as an activities coordinator for two years.

Mr. P said he enjoyed his first experience of being a dean of students at the International School of Minnesota, so when he saw the job opening at Yinghua,

he applied and then joined Yinghua in February 2022.

He said joining Yinghua in the middle of the school year was challenging.

“It was very strange because I didn’t know any of the students,” he said. “It took me a while to get to know them.”

As the dean of students, Mr. P has worked primarily with the students’ behavior issues. He said the most common behavioral issue at Yinghua is disruptive talking in class. The most difficult to manage among all the behavioral issues, in his opinion, is when students don’t want to be in school.

After almost a full year on the job, Mr. P said that he has gotten to know the students better and has continued to enjoy helping students. He, however, knows that adapting to the Chinese learning environment will take some more time.

“I don’t speak Chinese, so it was kind of difficult to walk into a classroom and not be able to understand what was being taught,” Mr. P said.

He is currently in a Chinese language class and plans on continuing the course.

(Edited by Ella Roberts.)

VICTOR

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: Genshin’s impact

Q: Who’s your favorite YouTuber? A: Myself

Q: What’s your favorite video game?

A: Minecraft

Q: What’s your favorite sport? A: Fencing

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: Social studies

“I don’t speak Chinese, so it was kind of difficult to walk into a classroom and not be able to understand what was being taught.” –

Marcus Pobloske, dean of students at Yinghua Academy

Mr. P joins Yinghua in early 2022 and is learning Chinese to better connect with students.

Marcus Pobloske, dean of students at Yinghua Academy, says the most common behavorial issue is disruptive talking in class. Photo by Amira Graf

Dean of students Marcus Pobloske, who joins Yinghua Academy in the middle of the year, has gotten to know the students. Photo by Yinghua Staff

? ?

What’s Trending

By Ayva and Maddie

Dairy Queen. TikTok. Baggy clothes.

Trends come and go, as people find joy in different things. Yinghua Academy students are no different.

Seventh and eighth grade students were invited to fill out an online survey about their opinions on what is currently “trendy.” Eighty students responded: 42 seventh graders and 38 eighth graders.

From favorite colors to classes, social media apps and the best coffee shops, the students expressed their opinions.

Social Media

At Yinghua, the favorite social media app for seventh and eighth grade students is YouTube, with 41% of students choosing it as their favorite. Adriel, an eighth grader, is one of those students.

“It’s where I enjoy spending my time when I’m bored, as some people keep me entertained,” he said.

TikTok ranked second, with 16% of the votes, half of those who voted for YouTube. There are many trends on TikTok, but the ones that stand out to the middle schoolers are “The Griddy,” “The Corn Song,” and transition videos.

Yinghua Academy students in seventh and eighth grades share their ideas of favorite trends.

School

The majority of seventh and eighth graders selected physical education as their favorite subject. After P.E., students liked social studies best, followed by math.

School lunch, or “hot lunch,” is offered each day and often features orange chicken or cheese burgers, meatball subs and the traditional Friday pizza. Mitchel, a seventh grader, definitely has a favorite.

“I like the meatball subs because a lot of the other meals can sometimes either be cold or hard,” he said. “But if you look on the bright side, it is better than not eating.”

Media

Music tastes vary across students. Overall, the most votes went to Taylor Swift as the best musician, but some students had their individual preferences.

Abigail, an eighth grader, said her favorite artist is Lana Del Ray.

“Her voice is cool and her songs are good,” Abigail said.

Jack, a seventh grader, said his favorite musician is Radiohead.

“The band Radiohead has a very interesting view on songs,” he said. “It can make you emotional for some reason.”

In terms of video games, Minecraft was at the top with 15 votes. Roblox took second with seven votes. Third place was a tie between Genshin Impact and Fortnite.

Students’ opinions on books also had a wide array, with some enjoying “The Hunger Games,”and others “Keeper of the Lost Cities.” The same goes for movies, where 9.1% of students said that “Mean Girls” was their favorite, tying with “Hocus Pocus.”

Lifestyle

Students have different lifestyles, preferring unique clothing trends, restaurants and places to visit. For fast food restaurants, Yinghua seventh and eighth graders selected Culvers and Dairy Queen as the best, tying them for first place. In terms of coffee shops, 32 people voted for Starbucks, making it the trendiest.

The favorite clothing trend is baggy clothes with 25 votes. In second place are high-waisted jeans.

When asked whether they consider themselves trendy, most said they were not. Some even said they hope they would never be trendy. Over half of the students said that they don’t care about it.

“I’m on different trends than others,” Eleanor, a seventh grader, said. “So the thrift store girls, they really like my outfits, but all the lulu lemon girls don’t really like my style,”

Although we all go to the same school, seventh and eighth graders have different preferences for what they believe are trendy. We can guar antee that next year’s trends will be different from this year’s.

(Edited by Molly McFadden.)

In terms of clothing, the largest trend is baggy clothes, with 25 students selecting it as their favorite. In second place are high-waisted jeans, followed by crocheted clothes with five votes. Graph by Molly McFadden

Starbucks rose to the top as the best coffee shop ,with 32 peo ple selecting it as their favorite. Student’s also expressed their like for Caribou and Spyhouse, while 19.5% responded that they do not drink coffee.

Graph by Molly McFadden

The highest ranking social media app is YouTube. TikTok was voted into second place, with “The Griddy,” “The Corn Song,” and transition videos being most popular. Graph by Molly McFadden

AYVA

MADDIE

Q: What’s your favorite video game? A: Minecraft

Q: What’s your favorite sport? A: Track + XC Q: Who’s your hero?

A: Lin Maneul Miranda

Q: What’s your favorite subject? A: PE Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill? A: Be a veterinarian in China!

Q: What’s your favorite video game?

A: Mario Kart 8

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Soccer

Q: Who’s your favorite author? A: Shannon Messenger

Q: Who’s your hero? A: Betty White

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit? A: New York City

Q: What’s your favorite subject? A: Math

“I’m on different trends then others. So the thrift store girls, they really like my outfits, but all the lulu lemon girls don’t really like my style.” – Eleanor, seventh grade student at Yinghua Academy

Yinghua

Yinghua Impacted by Playground Removal

By Ben and Mateo

Two of the three playgrounds outside of Yinghua were taken down in August 2022, leaving some students in disappointment.

The playgrounds have been one of the most important parts of recess time for some – the source of many games, including hide and seek, sandman and tag.

For one eighth grader, who shares the same feelings as other students, it feels as if the removal of the playgrounds has taken away the memories students have cherished.

“I’m angry because why would they destroy both playgrounds?” eighth grader Anna said. “I had so many memories on them for the past nine years.”

The loss of the two playgrounds have affected middle schoolers more because those playgrounds were designated for upper school students. During recess now, some wander around looking for something to do.

Those playgrounds weren’t on school

property, so Yinghua had no influence on the removal. The Minneapolis Park Board decided to tear the playgrounds down in summer 2022 to make room for baseball fields – one of their goals – over the next six to seven years, according to Paul Haller, a Yinghua school board official.

“They’re working on this plan and they’re trying to get a lot of community involvement in it and so it’s not finalized,” Haller said.

In the meantime, there are two empty areas where the playgrounds once were since they were torn down.

“So, at this point in time, they are going to try to get some temporary playground equipment that we could put out there because it’s just kind of sitting empty, and that’s probably the short range plan, and that’s going to happen in this academic year,” Haller said.

“But if they finalized it today, I think they would make a lot of baseball fields right next to the school.”

One of the park board’s ideas was to sell the land to Yinghua, which would give the school the ability to do what they wanted, Haller added.

“That would have been an interesting idea, but after they presented that plan, they kind of took it back,” Haller said of the offer that was withdrawn after a few weeks.

Haller said that he thinks the school would have jumped at the idea.

This playground change hasn’t affected lower school students that much because their main activity area, the dragon playground, remains. But for Abigail, a third grader, she said she feels for the middle school peers.

“I would rather the playgrounds come back because some of my friends are sad that it’s gone,” Abigail said.

Some students, in both lower and middle school, are sad that the playgrounds are gone. But some look to the positive side, maybe soon enough Yinghua will have new baseball fields to play baseball, kickball and whatever else students wish to do.

(Edited by Aaron Heckmann.)

“I’m angry because why would they destroy both playgrounds? I had so many memories on them for the past nine years.” – Anna, eighth grade student at Yinghua Academy

Students have mixed feelings about the Minneapolis Park Board’s decision to tear down playground.

Photo by Amira Graf

Photo by Amira Graf

Photo by Amira Graf

BEN

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Cross country

Q: Who’s your favorite author?

A: Sarah J. Mass

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: Queen Elizabeth

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: Istanbul, Turkey

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: Social studies

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: Travel with it

MATEO

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: TikTok

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Basketball

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: Dad

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Q: What’s your favorite subject? A: Science

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: Translate for people and for traveling

Photo by Amira Graf

Photo by Amira Graf

Photo by Amira Graf

Yinghua Graduate Returnes as Teacher

By Madison

Jane Zheng always knew she wanted to teach. After graduating from Yinghua, she pursued a career in education. When starting out to work in her former school district, Ms. Zheng did not feel a connection with that community. In mid 2022, she was overjoyed to see a job opening at Yinghua. She applied for it right away, and she now teaches English at Yinghua.

She said once she stepped onto the Yinghua campus, she immediately felt welcomed, and the sense of belonging to a community came rushing back.

“I was working at the Roseville school district before, and I just felt like I didn’t connect with the community,” Ms. Zheng said. “The community here is stronger than other schools.”

She said her desire to pursue teaching was affected by her mother and her math teacher in seventh grade. Her mother ran a daycare, so she grew up surrounded by children. She excelled in algebra in seventh grade, so she asked her math teacher if she could teach the class. Her teacher agreed, and from that moment on she has been drawn to teaching and working with kids.

Teaching English comes naturally to her because she loves reading. Ms. Zheng

especially likes teaching the kids writing. She, however, likes math more than English. She said she would be intimidated by the idea of teaching Chinese because she doesn’t speak Chinese fluently anymore.

She said that Chinese language skills have helped her in the teaching of English, especially in coming up with spelling strategies for difficult words. She used the word “salad” as an example. Some students might spell it “S-A-L-I-D,” so she told them that in Chinese you pronounce it “sha-la” and there are two a’s when you spell it in Chinese. This unique way of connecting the dots for students is a huge advantage for an English teacher like Ms. Zheng.

Brooke Darrah-Hage, a fellow English teacher, complimented the salad spelling method. “It is really neat to be able to do that; Not many teachers can,” Mrs. Darrah-Hage said.

Though Ms. Zheng no longer considers herself fluent in Chinese, she encourages students to do everything they can to hang on to the language they have learned.

“Keep practicing your Chinese even after you leave Yinghua,” Ms. Zheng said. “You don’t want to lose the gift that you have practiced for nine years.”

(Edited by Joyce Tsai.)

MADISON

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: YouTube

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Swimming and horseback riding

Q: Who’s your favorite author?

A: Marie Lu

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: Social studies and PE

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: To have better job opportunities

After teaching at a different school and not feeling a connection with that community, Jane Zheng returns to Yinghua to share her passion for English with the students.

Photo by Amira Graf.

“Keep practicing your Chinese even after you leave Yinghua. You don’t want to lose the gift that you have practiced for nine years.”

– Jane Zheng, English language arts teacher at Yinghua Academy

Jane Zheng adds a new connection to her alma mater as the first among the alumni to return as a teacher.

Alumi Spotlight: Mira Ho-Chen

Ho-Chen, 2018 Yinghua graduate, looks back at her time at Yinghua.

By Emily Rossing

Q: Tell me about yourself. What year of school are you in, where are you at, what are you planning to do in the future, and what do you like to do for fun?

A: My name is Mira Ho-Chen, and I graduated from Yinghua Academy in 2018. I’m currently a freshman at Princeton University, and I’m planning on studying ethnic studies and sociology, though I’m still undecided.

I don’t have a lot of concrete career plans, but I would love to work in public radio or as a writer for TV comedies.

For fun, I enjoy playing poker with my friends, watching movies with my family, drinking tea, sleeping in, writing satire, making playlists on spotify and practicing piano.

Q: What was your favorite and least favorite thing about Yinghua?

A: My favorite thing about Yinghua was the amazing faculty. My teachers were the perfect combination of stern yet compassionate, and their guidance helped me cultivate good study habits and pursue my passions.

My least favorite thing about Yinghua was the uniforms. Though I appreciate how easy it was to get dressed in the morning, I wasn’t able to express my personal style.

Q: Do you feel like Yinghua prepared you well for your schooling journey now? In what ways?

A: I think Yinghua prepared me extremely well academically. It’s quite a rigorous school, and I remember having a ton of homework starting in fifth grade. Looking back, it might’ve been overkill to assign so much to a kid, but it definitely prepared me for my heavy high school workload.

Q: What is your favorite memory of Yinghua?

A: My favorite Yinghua memory is definitely having a free class period to do absolutely nothing due to my enrollment in the notorious University of Minnesota Talented Youth Math Program (UMTYMP). I was able to chill out with my friends and drink tea while everyone else had to go to math class during school hours. We were technically supposed to be doing math homework during that time, but since we abided by the shorter university semesters, we always had 2-3 weeks off.

Photo by Emily Rossing

By Carmina and Kirra

“Midway Students” Welcomed at Yinghua

Most of the students that go to Yinghua started their education here in kindergarten or first grade, but what about the unique perspectives of those who join later in their school career?

One such student is eighth grader Titus, who started coming to Yinghua in sixth grade.

“I didn’t know all the things that most people knew, basic things like what subjects go in which folders,” Titus said.

The policy of letting new students into Yinghua is complicated, according to Dr. Luyi Lien, executive director of Yinghua Academy. Yinghua is not a private school, so it cannot require students to have a Chinese background. Yinghua is also required to let any students in if it has space. It is, however, extremely hard for a new student to join the Chinese environment without a Chinese background, especially in middle school.

The unique Chinese language environment is attractive to many families, and some families have to go on the waitlist because of limited

space for new students. When a student has a sibling in a higher grade, that student is given priority to join the school. A student having a sibling in an older grade means that the student will likely have exposure to Chinese before joining. But for newcomers who join midway and who do not have siblings attending Yinghua, “challenging” would be an understatement.

The Newcomer Program is offered to students who don’t have knowledge of the Chinese language before coming to Yinghua. It entails a daily session of Chinese practice time. Its purpose is to gradually immerse the new student into the skills that have already been developed by the other students so that the new student can catch up to their peers.

Students in the Newcomer Program might receive slightly different schedules than the other students so that more time can be devoted to Chinese language skills. The program is essential to chip away at the language barrier, but students can still become frustrated at times, according to Dr. Lien.

“Some students say, ‘When can I be that good?’ To which I would reply, ‘Be patient, you’ll get there,’” Dr. Lien said.

Besides the language barrier, new students are bound to face some social obstacles. There are a few ways that Yinghua students can make new students feel welcome and comfortable. Students can include their new peers in group activities and encourage them to talk about their thoughts and ideas.

“Be friendly and try to explain things to new peers, and help them understand the culture,” Dr. Lien said.

Titus found that through spending time with his peers in after school activities and recess periods, he gradually made social connections. He said this warmness was what helped him feel welcomed when he first came to Yinghua.

“People welcomed me, then we became friends,” Titus said.

Everybody who joins Yinghua midway has a different story, and students and members of the Yinghua community can help to make the change as smooth as possible. A new student joining can be surprising for everyone, and it’s up to the staff, students and families to be welcoming.

(Edited by Maya Phillips.)

“I didn’t know all the things that most people knew, basic things like what subjects go in which folders.” – Titus, eighth grade student at Yinghua Academy

Besides the language barrier, “midway students” also face social challenges of making friends.

Yinghua students socialize with one another during lunch time. Photo by Emily Rossing

Yinghua students and staff spend time during recess.

Photo by Amira Graf

Yinghua seventh and eigth grade students work on a school project. Photo by Amira Graf

Lower School Students Relearn Cafeteria Etiquette

By Eva

From 2020 to 2021 during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, all lower school students at Yinghua Academy had to eat lunch in their classrooms, not the regular cafeteria, for social distancing reasons. Now, all students have returned to eating in the cafeteria.

This transition has not come without large changes for both staff and students. Some of the lower school students, who spent their kindergarten, first grade or second grade years eating lunch in classrooms, are eating in the cafeteria for the first time.

Rohan, a third grade student, said he is happy about the change.

“When you’re in the classroom, you don’t get to sit next to your friends,” Rohan said.

On the other hand, Olivia said she prefers a more peaceful setting to eat.

“I like eating in the classroom better because it’s quieter,” she said.

Helen Hindrawati, the food service coordinator, has noticed some behavior issues, including throwing food, when younger students transition from classroom to cafeteria.

the pandemic, including students leaving a mess in the classroom and making the classroom smell like food all day.

“Kids came back to school, and for lack of a better term, kind of ate the way they would have eaten at home,” Mr. Martin said. “Somebody might have helped clean up after them. Someone might have reminded them a little bit more.”

Mr. Martin said he is grateful that students have been able to reconnect with their friends through eating in the cafeteria.

“There is a certain joy in chaos for adults in schools, and the loudness, and the fun noises; I missed hearing that,” Mr. Martin said.

Ms. Hindrawati also noted the positive side of transitioning back to the cafeteria.

“It’s fun to see the smiles from the students when they come to get their food,” she said.

“They’re excited.”

Many students said they missed their friends in other classes during the pandemic because they couldn’t eat together in the cafeteria. Now that everyone from first grade to eighth grade eats in the cafeteria, students get to sit with their friends, getting to know them more outside of class and spending time socializing.

“I didn’t really see them in the classroom last year, but I think being in a classroom is more manageable than having all grades. It’s a lot. The students’ voices are louder than we want them to be.” – Helen Hindrawati, food service coordinator at Yinghua Academy

“I didn’t really see them in the classroom last year, but I think being in a classroom is more manageable than having all grades,” Ms. Hindrawati said. “It’s a lot. The students’ voices are louder than what we want them to be.”

Andrew Martin, an educational support specialist, however, noticed the problems of students eating in the classrooms during

The opinions may differ, but the cafeteria is back in full swing. Cafeteria staff don’t have to use the carts to bring food to classrooms anymore, the food is warmer, and most students agree that getting to enjoy a meal with their friends has made lunch time better.

(Edited by Anna Pearson.)

EVA

Q: Who’s your favorite YouTuber?

A: Ashley Xu

Q: What’s your favorite video game?

A: Stardew Valley

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: My grandma

Yinghua students smile in the cafeteria at lunch time. Photo by Amira Graf.

“When you’re in the classroom you don’t get to sit next to your friends.” –Rohan, third grade student at Yinghua Academy

Yinghua students return to the cafeteria after years of eating in the classroom due to the global pandemic.

Yinghua students dive into their lunches in the cafeteria.

Photo by Amira Graf

A Yinghua lunch helper dishes food to the plates. Photo by Amira Graf.

New Beginnings

Q: Why did you become a teacher?

A: “If you can get close to your kids, you can teach them well.” This is the teaching philosophy that has persisted in me since I became an elementary teacher five years ago in Taiwan. As I have been assisted by many mentors on my way, I would like to pay it forward. One of the mentors who impressed me the most won the highest teacher award in my country, but in her free time she still helped those students who couldn’t keep up. She never asked for anything in return. I have followed in the footsteps of my mentor: helping children who could not keep up.

Q: Why Yinghua? How did you end up here?

A: As Dr. Lien was interviewing me, I found myself identifying with the education philosophy of Yinghua - providing a safe, nurturing environment for learning. The teachers in Yinghua are professional in combining all kinds of teaching skills in class. Besides, Dr. Lien also mentioned that parents are all supportive, and this is important for a teacher.

This quote could express my philosophy toward teaching, “Little kids with big dreams grow into big people with big missions for life.” Yinghua is a wonderful school for me to fulfill my teaching philosophy, implementing all kinds of teaching strategies, designing challenging tasks for students to grow, and giving students multiple opportunities to discover and develop their own interests.

Q: What are some of your hobbies/ interests?

A: One of my interests is immersing myself in music. In my class, I often turn on classical music to create a peaceful learning environment for students or some pop Mandarin music to create a Chinese immersion environment. I believe that music has no language barrier; it can be understood by everyone with all kinds of backgrounds. (Responses were lightly edited for clarity and brevity by Emily Rossing.)

Q: What is your teaching style?

A: For the teaching strategies, I applied what I learned in my master’s degree– digital learning and teaching, to enhance students’ learning interest through multiple ways such as drill practicing, recording video or digital storytelling. I believe that digital learning not only helps a teacher in implementing differentiated teaching but also guides students in critical thinking.

In the area of interpersonal interaction, I incorporate picture books or board games to lead students to understand themselves and connect with others as well as the world. Through these processes, students would have a broader perspective and be more interested in their own learning.

Q: What have you thought of Yinghua so far?

A: Being one of the members of Yinghua is so exciting. I remember how I was engaged and inspired by the first new-teacher workshop which was full of interesting activities and professional knowledge. Still, it is impossible to get used to a new environment without facing difficulties. Many senior teachers have been willing to listen to me and offer me tons of useful solutions. One of the impressive coworkers is Ms. Aubrecht, the English teacher, who is always standing by me and providing useful suggestions to me. I really appreciate that. Overall, I love this kind of positive and warm interaction between coworkers in the Yinghua family.

In her first year of teaching in the U.S., Ting-Yu Fan sees value in finding creative ways to spark student’s learning. Photo by Emily Rossing

Ting-Yu Fan helps her second grade class with a hands-on learning activity. Photo by Emily Rossing

Ting-Yu Fan, a teacher new to Yinghua this year, answers some questions regarding her experience.

New Teacher to Yinghua

.

By Brianna

Alissa Hilleren is a second and fourth grade English language arts teacher who loves seeing the spark in her students’ eyes when they finally understand what they are learning. Before graduating from college with a teaching degree, she was the director of the Minnesota Farmers Union Leadership Camp

Q: Why did you want to be a teacher?

A I have wanted to be a teacher since I can remember. My sister was my first student. Everyday I would come home from school and teach her what I had learned that day in a makeshift classroom my parents made in the attic of our barn. Watching my students have light bulb moments and seeing their progress over time is something that brings me great joy and makes me want to continue teaching.

Q: Why did you want to teach English?

A: I love all languages. I relish seeing the moment when something clicks in a kid’s head like learning how to read in second grade. That is one of my favorite feelings. I have always been fond of ELA, so it is fun to share something I enjoy with my students.

Q: Why did you choose to come to Yinghua?

A: I was at an English immersion school teaching in Taiwan for two years, so I admire the multicultural environment, and I am a big fan of the immersion model. At Yinghua, I still get to be in that kind of international environment, but I’m much closer to my family and friends.

Q: How do you like Yinghua so far?

A: I feel really lucky to be here. I live in the northeast, so teaching close to my neighborhood is special to me. I am just so impressed with my students everyday, with all of the stuff on their plate and the things they continue to accomplish. I see students being supported in many ways so far.

Q: Do you have any hobbies or interests?

A: I love being outside, hiking, and camping. I like attending any live music, any way I can be outside with friends.

…..

BRIANNA

Q: Who’s your favorite YouTuber?

A: Emma Chamberlain

Q: What’s your favorite sport? A: Track + XC

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: English

She said she has had the warmest welcome at Yinghua, from staff, parents and students. It feels like one big family, and she feels honored to be able to teach at Yinghua.

(Edited by Joyce Tsai.)

Alissa Hilleren appreciates the job that she has at Yinghua because of her love for the multicultural environment. Photo by Yinghua Staff.

Homeroom Policy Change Causes Mixed Reactions

By Luella and Adrienne

Students and teachers of Yinghua Academy have been conflicted with a homeroom policy change this school year, 2022-23. The Executive Director of Yinghua Academy Dr. Luyi Lien has implemented the change which sparked mixed reactions.

Beginning in the fall, students were given a 25 minute homeroom period to complete assignments and work together on group projects at the conclusion of the school day. Unlike last year, students are now required to do quiet work during this time. Teachers and staff have also implemented the rule that during the 25 minute period, students are not allowed in the hallways due to problems with students in the halls in past years.

“I think the new policy is fair because it helps people get their work done instead of fooling around with their friends,” Henry, an eighth grade student, said.

Dr. Lien said that one reason for creating this change is students’ ability to complete work outside of school. It is difficult for some students to get homework done outside of school because they don’t have the resources to do so.

“I thought that it would be good to give students the opportunity to ask questions before they go home,” Dr. Lien said.

Teachers also support this policy.

“The new homeroom time encourages kids to get their homework and assignments done,” said Pamella Stommes, a math teacher.

“I like the new homeroom policy because it allows me and my friends to get our homework done, but sometimes it can be too strict,” Sophie, an eighth grader, said.

Aija, an eighth grader, also said that she hopes the policy could be more flexible.

“I think that the policy can be a problem sometimes because it is too strict and students are expected to sit at their desk when the bell rings,” Aija said.

The policy change was put into place because of feedback from parents and students, according to Dr. Lien. She added that there is a chance Yinghua will reevaluate the policy if necessary, so that everyone’s opinion is considered.

(Edited by Molly McFadden.)

ADRIENNE

Q: Who’s your favorite author?

A: Jody Lynn Anderson

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: My dog Harry Potter

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: Honolulu

LUELLA

Q: Who’s your favorite YouTuber?

A: Emma Chamberlain

Q: What’s your favorite sport?

A: Track + XC

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: English

“I think that the policy can be a problem sometimes because it is too strict and students are expected to sit at their desk when the bell rings.”

– Aija, eighth grade student at Yinghua Academy

“I think the new policy is fair because it helps people get their work done instead of fooling around with their friends.” – Henry, eighth grade student at Yinghua Academy

Students and teachers at Yinghua Academy are conflicted with changes occurring this past fall.

Teacher passes out new books in a section of the eighth grade p.m. homeroom. | Photo by Luella

Yinghua Sees Growth Since Its Inception

“A big change is having our own science room where we have the most science. We used to just go to the homerooms and just take a cart around.”

– Andrew Scheid, science and technology teacher at Yinghua Academy.

SYLVIA

Q: What do you want to do with your Chinese language skill?

A: Write short stories

Q: What’s your favorite app?

A: Pinterest

Q: Which city is next on your list to visit?

A: Florence, Italy

MATILDA

Q: Who’s your favorite author?

A: Edgar Allen Poe

Q: Who’s your hero?

A: Mother

Q: What’s your favorite subject?

A: Social studies

By Sylvia and Matilda

Yinghua has grown quite a bit over the years in several areas after the school’s concept became a reality in 2006 and has developed into a large K-8 Chinese immersion school since.

The major places the school has seen growth are enrollment, science and technology. The programs have also improved in many ways, according to Executive Director Dr. Luyi Lien.

One of the major ways Yinghua has changed is its sheer numbers. Yinghua has added a significant number of both students and staff since its founding in 2006.

Shu-mei Lai, a Chinese teacher, mentioned that when she first started at Yinghua about 15 years ago, there were only 78 students, and now there are over 800 students.

This could be because Yinghua’s presence has become more visible. Yinghua has a lot to offer, including the immersive Chinese language and culture experience for the families who choose to enroll.

The staff has increased dramatically, too, from four teachers when it started to the current staff of 58 teachers, according to the school. Dr. Lien said this could be related to what the school has to offer and the positive things about the school.

Yinghua has also experienced changes within the science department. Most notably, the school built a new science lab as part of Yinghua’s Expansion Project between 2013 and 2014, according to the school’s official website.

“A big change is having our own science room where we have the most science,” Science and Technology Teacher Andrew

Scheid said. “We used to just go to the homerooms and just take a cart around.”

Having the lab at Yinghua has helped the three science teachers have their own space to experiment, which has led to more opportunities for excitement in the kids about learning science.

Mr. Schied said the lab space also comes with more expectations “to get connections to the state science fair or more national recognition for the students.”

Along with growth in both enrollment and the science program, changes in technology have had a larger imprint in the school since its inception.

“We didn’t have things like the computer carts and when I first started working here, things like students getting iPads and laptops in middle school were not a thing,” Bradley Byykkonen, English language arts teacher, said.

The technological advances affect Yinghua teachers as well. Now, teachers can utilize digital learning tools in their lesson plans, such as online activities and websites.

Another byproduct of Yinghua’s growth has been the increase in grades after starting with K-2, more cultural events and more rooms that have helped the school grow.

“[We want a] more comprehensive program focused on Chinese,” Dr. Lien said. “We want our students to be bilingual and multicultural.”

Families can expect to keep seeing changes in the future – the enrollment and faculty continuing to grow, as well as access to resources such as science labs and technology.

(Edited by Aaron Heckmann.)

Yinghua sixth graders try science experiment in the Science Museum. Photo by Yinghua Staff

The Chinese immersion school has experienced evident growth in several areas.

Yinghua fifth and sixth graders have retreat at the Science Museum. Photo by Yinghua Staff

Yinghua has increased in grades from K-2 to K-8.

Photo by Amira Graf

Yinghua students use laptop computers in the classroom.

Photo by Amira Graf

EDITING STAFF

Editors would like to thank the following people for their assistance or financial support in making The Yinghua Post happen:

Yinghua Academy

1616 Buchanan Street NE Minneapolis, MN 55413

Executive Director Luyi Lien luyi.lien@yinghuaacademy.org

Bethel University

English and Journalism Department 3900 Bethel Drive St. Paul, MN 55104

Professor Yu-li Chang Zacher y-changzacher@bethel.edu

• Yinghua Academy students and staff

• Yinghua Academy Director of English Instruction Danielle Miller

• Yinghua Academy Executive Director Luyi Lien

• Bethel graphic design student Anna Goldstrand

• Rick Berkner and the staff at North Star Media, who printed The Yinghua Post

• The Johnson Center, founded by Kathy and Gene Johnson, which helped fund student reporters’ notebooks and printing of newspapers

• Johnson Center Director Dave Kansas

• Bethel University Dean of Academic Programs Barrett Fisher

• Bethel University Provost Robin Rylaarsdam and President Ross Allen