Going the Extra Mile with EC’s International Families

Most of us have a picture of parent-teacher conferences: full-size adults,  in kid-size chairs talking about a student’s progress in a 15-minute time slot.

Even when international students are studying half-a-world away from their parents, Eastern Christian still does parent-teacher conferences.  They look very different, though.

Imagine a parent-teacher conference:

a few blocks from the Forbidden City in Beijing

in Taipei 101, a landmark skyscraper in Taiwan

over a meal of Peking Duck

with a view of Gangnam in Seoul

overlooking the Olympic Sailing site on the Yellow Sea in Qingdao, China

while enjoying a traditional tea ceremony in Chengdu, China

Conferences take several hours.  Parents have so many questions, and everything needs to be translated.  Not only are they eager to hear about the details of their child’s academic progress, but they are anxious to learn more about the American educational system, and the complicated steps necessary to help their child prepare for college.  They learn about logging into Realtime, SAT and TOEFL preparation, the importance of co-curricular activities, letters of recommendation and college application essays.

Imagine the parents’ commitment to their children’s education and their appreciation for a school that is so invested in their child’s success that it will send ambassadors half-way across the world to honor its historic commitment to partnering with parents.

Imagine an international student program that is unique because of this personal commitment to meet with parents abroad–wherever they are at.

This is our reality at Eastern Christian School and the experience of our international families.