Events at Rottech
The school year is filled with different activities for both our host families and international students. Below is a list of activities that Rottech will hold throughout the year; click on each link for pictures and information on each activity.
Social
- Host Family/Exchange Student Meet and Greet
- Fall Time in Michigan
- Ice Skating at Rosa Parks Circle
- Michigan Winters
- Spring Activities
Cultural
- Homecoming
- American Thanksgiving
- Christmas Festivities
- Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)
- Snowcoming
- Prom
Educational
- University Tours
- Volunteer Tutoring
- Mid-term Study Group
- AP Study Group
- College Applications
- Guest/Alumni Speakers
- TOEFL/SAT Study Group
2018 Winter International Exchange Camp
This winter, Rotman Education Technology Group and Jenison Public Schools were delighted and honored to host the 2018 WINTER INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE CAMP. The winter international exchange camp is held just before the Chinese New Year. Exchange students celebrated the new year early with each other and their host families. After the celebration, students returned to China where they were reunited with their families for the Chinese New Year after spending fourteen days with their host families in Jenison, Michigan. Activities the students participated in during the winter international exchange camp included: attending American high school during week days, a varsity high school basketball game, downhill snow sledding with hot cocoa to drink, a choir concert, a field trip to Rivertown Mall for shopping and sightseeing, Snowcoming activities at the high school, a trip to downtown Grand Rapids for a Griffins ice hockey game and dinner, and activities at an indoor trampoline park. Attending American high school gave the students a taste of American teenage culture and they learned a lot about the cultural differences between America and China. The exchange students stated they also gained confidence in speaking English with their new American friends, which will be beneficial in continuing their studies in China.
Winter International Exchange Students arrived safely and met with their new peer partners who became friends.
Welcome to Jenison Junior High School! The students were welcomed to the school and greeted warmly by the teachers and American students.
The students had a fantastic time leaping, bouncing, and jumping at the trampoline park for some extracurricular physical education.
The students enjoyed their free time with their host families by going to sporting events. sledding, visiting the Grand Rapids Public Museum, cooking, and relaxing.
Happy New Year!!!
2017 Fall International Exchange Camp
This fall, Rotman Education Technology Group and Jenison Public Schools hosted the 2017 FALL INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE CAMP by bringing 37 teachers and students from Beijing No.12 High School International department from China to Jenison, Michigan for two weeks to experience American education and culture. Upon arriving, Beijing students were greeted by our sweet, enthusiastic host families that were eager to meet their international students, marking the beginning of their two week American cultural experience. Over the weekend, the students enjoyed the annual homecoming football game and danced the night away at the formal homecoming dance, looking elegant in beautiful dresses and suits. During the week, the students got a taste of the American high school life by attending classes at Jenison High School, making new friends and improving their English. The students celebrated the mid-autumn festival by eating delicious, cultural food and performing traditional Chinese dances for their American friends. To experience the local culture, the students visited art prize, an annual displaying of artwork around Grand Rapids by local artists. Students also took a tour of Michigan State University, visited local apple orchards, and the soaked up the sun at the beach in order to get the Michigan experience. After two weeks of learning, sight-seeing, and making new friends, the students from Beijing said farewell to their new friends and family, knowing that they have made friends forever. Click here for more information about our Fall Exchange.
For more information about our Fall Exchange, click here
2017 Summer Camp in China
This July, we hosted our annual three-week long summer camp in China. Local teachers and students from our community joined us in China where we worked with 200 - 300 bright, young Chinese students on different subject areas such as English, PE, Art, Music, and areas in STEM. To conclude our summer camp, the students created, "I Wonder" projects to present at the closing ceremonies. This summer camp in China is an amazing opportunity for our teachers to experience Chinese culture, and to share their knowledge with the young, upcoming generation of students that are eager to learn. The purpose of our summer camp is to foster education, and to continue the harmonious existence of our two cultures. We would like to thank all of the teachers and students that have made this event possible, and we look forward to another fun, educational, and cultural experience in China next summer.
Music and Poetry
Our summer camp students enhanced their understanding of music and poetry through fun, interactive activities.
Physical Education
From basketball to dancing, our summer camp students experienced what P.E. is like for American students.
Science
Testing their hypotheses through experiments, participating in discussions, and taking a creative license to science, our summer camp students enhanced their understanding of science.
I Wonder Projects
To conclude our summer camp, our students focused on team-building as they participated in fun activities and logic puzzles.
From Our Campers
Jummsy improved his English and learned some of the cultural differences between China and the United States. He made new friends and had a wonderful time at our 2017 summer camp.
Cherry enjoyed learning and playing with her foreign teachers and classmates. Her favorite class was the "I wonder" class, and she enjoyed talking in English with her new friends.
Get the inside scoop on what our Summer Camp is like in China here!
2016 Winter Camp in the U.S.
Students who choose to study during our winter camp will have the opportunity to experience all of the beauty that Michigan has to offer–snow-topped buildings, hot chocolate, and hockey games provide a fun backdrop to the intensive academic schedule designed to help prepare students for both the TOEFL and SAT tests, college essay writing prompts and opportunities for college counseling.
English Intensive Training Class
The main training courses offered center on English for success of TOEFL and SAT tests; a majority of time spent in the classroom will enable students to improve their academic English, with time for questions and explanation of answers after taking these mock tests.
Classes at Jenison High School (JHS)
In addition to their English intensive courses, students will be able to attend regular JHS courses in order to experience American high school life.
Activities
After classes, students will have the opportunity to participate in different school activities and events around the area. Past events have included concerts, sporting events, sledding and more. Students also have the opportunity to share their own culture with their host families and the Jenison community.
2016 Summer Camp in the U.S.
Those who wish to join us during our summer camp can take advantage of a beautiful Michigan summer–blue skies and green grass, a trip to Lake Michigan, and fun in the sun. Most importantly, our partnership with Jenison Public Schools allows students to work with the top teachers in each academic area covered; program content and length will depend on the age of the students and duration of stay. Below are a few of the areas covered during this program.
It’s something we are all touched by–no matter what culture we’re from, everyone loves music.”
-Billy Joel
Reading and Writing
One-on-one interaction with local students provides summer camp participants the opportunity to engage peers both socially and intellectually, fostering a greater learning environment. This also allows summer camp students a chance to actively use their English in a practical way.
Dynamic teaching principles are implemented to involve students in many different types of learning–from yoga to parachute, day trips to the botanical gardens and an American dairy farm, students are given a well-balanced schedule between work and play, along with well-balanced meals!
From Our Campers
After our summer camp concluded, we reached out to our Chinese campers to ask about their experiences. Below are their own thoughts and words on what this summer camp meant to them.
Jessica is a fifth grade student from Fengtai Elementary School in Beijing. One of her dreams is to become a translator, and what better opportunity than studying in a country where her target language (English) is spoken!
Q: What did the summer camp mean to you?
A: To make new friends, learn a lot of things, and become independent.
Summer Camp at Rotman Education Technology group goes beyond the classroom, giving valuable opportunities to gain essential skills for life and for academia.
Q: Why did you join this camp?
A: I want to know what it's like to be in the most prosperous place in the world, and I can practice my oral English on this trip.
Anyone who studies a language can relate to the struggle of gaining fluency in speaking and listening, something that comes only with time and practice.
Although our summer camps are shorter than a long-term study abroad program, they allow students a pressure-free environment to exercise their language skills in a new way.
Making friends and having fun is an important part of learning as well. Students will be able to take part in a type of extracurricular activity chosen for that particular camp. Fun and excitement are guaranteed at Rotman's Summer Camp!
“Kids don't remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.”
― Jim Henson, It's Not Easy Being Green: And Other Things to Consider
When students study abroad, it gives them a chance to share their culture with others. It also allows for a time of reflection on one's own culture, and a new appreciation for things familiar.
