East meets West: Thai students experience life in Hudson

• HHS Associate Principal Scott Huffman, left, presented gifts to Thai guests

HHS Associate Principal Scott Huffman, left, presented gifts to Thai guests on behalf of the Hudson High School and Hudson Middle School. The exchange of gifts is a common Thai practice to show gratitude and respect for visitors and hosts. The Thai guests were given Wisconsin state quarters, HHS Raider sweatshirts, MS Peace One Day T-shirts, and Knoke’s chocolates. Thai teacher Siriporn Manopichetwattana presented gifts to both the middle school and high school on behalf of the Thailand Ministry of Education. Photo by Meg Heaton

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• Thai students visit Hudson

For the second consecutive year a delegation of students from Thailand made Hudson their destination of choice in the United States.

The two-week trip included time at Hudson High School and Hudson Middle School as well as a visit to North Hudson Elementary.

The students along with their teacher, Siriporn Manopichetwattana, were the guests of six Hudson families including Mark and Robin Arneson, Dan and Diane Bauer, John and Martha Kalmon, Paul and Glenda Moen, Kevin and Tracy Whitely and Bill and Tracy Ahlin.

HHS students Kelsey Simms, Megan Roe, Zachary Helmen and Kris Gray also had the Thai students “shadow” them to their classes. The trip also included some area sightseeing and a trip to the Mall of America.

Food was an important part of the experience for everyone involved. The students did some Thai cooking for their families and the families returned the favor, staging a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for their guests.

The trip is sanctioned by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Thailand Ministry of Education and is meant to build global connections and to develop learning in the areas of communication, citizenship, careers, cultures, and community between Thailand and Wisconsin and support the Hudson School District’s strategic plan HSD 2025 global literacy goal.

For Siriporn, the teacher visitor, the experience of “shadowing” Hudson High School and Hudson Middle School teaching staff taught her much about teaching methods that are not common in Thailand. Thailand classrooms often have over 50 students. She noted the more interactive style of teaching here in Hudson and was impressed with the educational services provided to students with special needs. After observing the high school STRIVE program, she wished Thailand could reach at-risk students in the same way.

One of the Thai students said upon leaving, “We came to Wisconsin with hope and fear. We are leaving Wisconsin with only hope.”

See the attached Photo Gallery for more pictures from this article.

Tags: education, students, travel, fccnetwork