News & Events >> 2007

International Day at North Atlanta High School

February 23, 2007

North Atlanta High School, located in the midst of the Buckhead community and ranked amongst the nation’s top 2% of high schools in the United States, is focused on the international education of its students. Dr. Frutiger, head of the acclaimed International Baccalaureate (IB) magnet program at North Atlanta High School and Dr. Okoro, IB counselor, hosted the Consul General and Trade Commissioner Amanda Hodges of Australia, Honorary Consul General Patricia Elena Boezio of Ecuador, Deputy Consul General Daniel Grunenfelder of Switzerland, and Director General R.C. Wu of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Atlanta for a panel discussion on the morning of February 22nd, with an audience of about 300 students and teachers. Each Consulate representative discussed the logistics of their position here in Atlanta and their personal experiences as international citizens.

Many of the students in the International Baccalaureate program at North Atlanta High School study Chinese as a second language. The school offers Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, French, and Latin. Mr. Wu invited the students to attend a Taiwanese university to study traditional Chinese writing styles, as opposed to the simplified version of writing that is taught in China. The panel discussion was followed by a question and answer session with the students, several of whom addressed Director General Wu to express their interest in Taiwan.

TECO, together with Japanese Consulate General and several other cultural representatives, also participated in the day’s finale, North Atlanta High School's International Night. TECO provided Lunar New Year snacks and information about Youth Travel in Taiwan.

駐亞特蘭大辦事處吳處長和各國總領事攜手推動校園外交

有鑒於亞特蘭大地區近年來國際化腳步加速，位於亞城中城頗具歷史的北亞特蘭大高中（North Atlanta High School）在日前首次舉行「國際日（International Day）」系列活動，藉由邀請各國駐亞城總領事館共同參加各個相關活動，加強該校師生對其他國家及族裔之瞭解，以增進師生對國際事務之興趣及族群融合之進一步體認。

當天活動從靜態的展示到動態的演講及表演一應俱全，上午的演講會由該校校長Scott Bursmith主持，計有來自駐亞特蘭大台北經濟文化辦事處吳榮泉處長，以及駐亞城澳大利亞、瑞士及厄瓜多等國之總領事或名譽總領事出席，在場聽講師生共約四百人。首先由吳榮泉等人分別介紹各國國情及業務推動情形；吳榮泉除介紹台灣國情及兩岸關係外，亦說明台北經文處推動台美雙邊經貿及文化交流情形，渠強調台美經貿條件互補，雙邊貿易投資熱絡，互惠互利；在文化交流上台北經文處與亞特蘭大市北景高中及道格拉斯高中分別簽有合作意願書，每年均安排文化團體赴該校演出、參與該校國際文化活動及安排學生與我國互訪活動。由於北亞特蘭大高中為亞城當地少數已設有AP中文課程之學校，吳榮泉特別提及外國學生在台灣研習中文情形，強調學習正體字中文可以飽覽史書等重要意義。該校師生在聽講後踴躍提問，題目範圍五花八門，由台灣在地狹人稠的限制下的發展策略，到搭乘世界第一高樓台北101電梯的感覺無所不包，吳榮泉也一一予以解答。

下午進行的各國文物資料展示，共有台灣等十餘個總領事館分別設攤展出，除一般文宣資料、服飾外，各國風味的美食也成為吸引該校一千五百名師生湧入會場的一大賣點，台灣攤位更在該校研習中文學生多人穿著旗袍義務協助照料下人聲鼎沸，現場展示的獅頭和戰鼓更讓許多年輕學子一時技癢，當場現學現賣的耍弄起來，雖說沒有武術底子的小朋友舞起獅來還算不上虎虎生風，但是賣力演出的娛樂效果還是博得在場品嚐台灣美食同學們熱情的掌聲。

晚間該校學習法文、西班牙文及中文學生分別以語文為主軸表演話劇及歌舞等節目，吳榮泉也應景的上台致贈十多位學習中文並表演學生紅包，獲得與會數百學生熱烈掌聲回應，也為北亞特蘭大高中首度舉辦的國際文化活動譜下完美的句點

Rev 2/15/08