Principal Maria Kelly of Nativity School in Burke has been
welcoming foreign exchange students into her international
student program for the past eight years. Students come from
a variety of Asian, European and South and Central American
countries.
The students are selected by exchange agencies that screen
children for the program. Most of the students are in the
upper grades, but Kelly said over the years she has accepted
a few younger children into the program. With the younger
students, a parent usually comes along and stays with the
host family. Kelly said the students are not all Catholic,
but most are Christian. They usually are fluent in English,
but some do need extra help.
The children adapt. Kelly said that last year a Chinese
student had a smartphone app that he would use to translate
difficult words.
Students stay with sponsor families. The duration of the stay
varies from a few months to an entire semester. The purpose
of the program is for students to learn about different
cultures and build international friendships.
This year, Nativity is hosting five students from South
Korea: Guang Hyun Lee, 10; Kyun-Woo Kim, 11; Iyun Soo Jang,
11; Chae Min Jang, 11; and Jun Hyeon Moon, 11.
The school is also hosting Baruch Byrne, 14, from Peru, and
Annie Wang, 13, from China.
There are some interesting back stories. Byrne, 14, is
staying with the Criado family. The families have been
friends for years. Sebastian Criado is in Byrne’s class, and
has visited Byrne in Peru many times. Sebastian’s mother went
to school with Byrne’s mother in Peru.
The boys get along well, sitting near each other and kidding
around.
“He’s nice and very funny,” Criado said of his friend.
Byrne goes to a Catholic Montessori School in Peru and plays
soccer and basketball. It’s summer now in his country, so
he’s forgoing a vacation to study.
“I like it here,” he said of Nativity. “It’s a good school.”
He will return home at the end of February.
Rhett Lee, 9, likes Nativity and the students. He and the
other four Korean students also will leave at the end of
February. He likes math, soccer, basketball and dodgeball.
Eighth-grader Annie Wang, 13, is from China. She will stay
until the end of the school year, but would like to continue
in an American high school. She’s happy with the school and
the students.
“It’s pretty good (here). People are friendly,” said Wang.
It’s a positive experience for most students.
“The students are very accepting,” said Annie Fernandez,
Nativity’s assistant principal and director of development.
Kelly agrees that everyone benefits from the experience and
the children build strong friendships.
“It gets somber around here when they leave,” she said.
Sister Bernadette McManigal, diocesan superintendent of
schools, said that other diocesan schools welcome foreign
students too. Those are students here to study. Nativity is
different. They have two students here to study, but the five
Korean students do not receive grades. They are here to learn
the culture.
“These programs are mutually beneficial,” said Sister
Bernadette. “The student from another country learns about us
and our students have the opportunity to learn firsthand
about a different culture and country.”
