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Ms. Lin’s 2006 Chinese Summer Camp
Summer group and private Chinese lessons
Harvard University Language Development Study
FCC Honored by Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute
Interested in Hosting a Student from China?
Effective Ways To Introduce Chinese Language And Culture
Chinese American Service League's
Youth Center
Agency Events:
2006 Summer Fun in ChinaOnce again, the Hua Xia Institute of Cultural Exchange (HXICE), a nonprofit organization, is organizing cultural immersion program in China this summer specifically for adopted Chinese children.
* * * Don't wait before it is too late * * *
2006 Summer Fun in China, for children 4 to 10 years old, takes place from July3-July 16 in Shanghai . It is a unique two-week cultural immersion program designed for Families with Children from China (FCC). The program uses instruction in both languages and cultural exposure to engage children and parents alike. Adopted children will be joined by native Chinese children of similar ages in different activities. Adoptive parents & children will have the opportunity to learn about the Chinese culture and to experience the life of ordinary Chinese families through out hands-on activities. The program is hosted by the Golden Palm Academy of Culture and Arts, located in Shanghai with a comfortable campus and modern classrooms. Adopted children age four and above, parents, relatives and friends of adopted children, as well as prospective adoptive parents are all welcome.
The programs were designed by a Chinese-American College Dean, long involved in the Chinese adoption field. Applications need to be received by May 31. For detail please see the links below:
--2006 scholarship: http://hxice.org/scholarships.html
--2006 program price: http://www.hxice.org/images/programcost.html
--2006 program schedule: http://www.hxice.org/images/SummerFunSchedule2006.htm
--2005 summer fun in china dailies: http://hxice.org/dailies.html
--2005 summer fun in china photos: http://hxice.org/photogallery.html
--The testimonial: http://hxice.org/testimonial.html
--The hotel : http://www.motel168.com/
--The hoster: http://hxice.org/goldenpalm.html
Contact:
E-mail: contact@hxice.org
Telephone: (914) 238-0539.
Website: www.hxice.org
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Harvard University Language
Development StudyInternationally adopted children have a unique experience with language. They begin life learning one language and are then immersed in another. Although they are older, adopted children must learn their new language by listening to their parents, in a way that is similar to infant learners. At the Laboratory of Developmental Studies at Harvard University, we want to find out more about the process of language development in internationally adopted preschoolers. In what ways is it like infant language learning and in what ways is it different? We hope that this research will help us understand language development in general and the unique challenges of internationally adopted children.
We are also looking for families who have adopted a child within the last 14 months or plan to adopt soon and who might be interested in participating. If your child was or will be adopted under the age of 16 months or between the ages of 2.5 and 5.5 from Eastern Europe or China, your participation would be extremely helpful. If you are interested in learning more about the study please go to our website www.wjh.harvard.edu/~lds/adoption or send an e-mail to langdev@wjh.harvard.edu including your child’s current age, age at the time of adoption, and country of birth.
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FCC Honored by Congressional Coalition
on Adoption Institutefrom Terry Fry, President, FCC--Northern California
Dear Fellow FCCers,
Our Congresswoman, Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), selected FCC as an "Angel in Adoption 2002," an honor awarded by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). Each year CCAI invites Members of Congress to select individuals, families, or organizations from their home states, who have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of children through adoption. Last year's award dinner was canceled because of Sept. 11, so this year CCAI is celebrating both 2001 and 2002 award winners. The award goes to FCC-N.Calif. because we're the one in Pelosi's district, but it's actually being awarded in the generic name "Families with Children from China," and I believe the honor goes to all FCCs collectively. We're all in this together.
What is CCAI? "CCAI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that exists to raise awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in this country and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe and loving homes, and to eliminate the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic need of a family."
So congratulations to ALL OF US--not just our chapter but every single FCC out there--for all the countless hours of hard work by dozens and dozens of volunteers working to build a network of support for families with children from China!
Regards, Terry Fry President, FCC--Northern California
terry_fry@stanfordalumni.org
Webmasters note:
There is related info on the CCAI delegation to China at
www.ccainstitue.org
link info provided by Amy Klatzkin, FCC-N.Calif. Thanks Amy!
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Child Citizenship Act
:The Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (HR 2883) was signed into law on 10/31/2000 and went into effect February 27, 2001.
CHILD CITIZENSHIP ACT OF 2000 (HR 2883) Information and Frequently Asked Questions
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Child Psychologist
Margo Gay Mahan, Psy.D. is a child psychologist and adoptive mom (China) who specializes in international adoption issues. In her Naperville practice she conducts both assessment and treatment for infants, preschoolers, children, adolescents and their families.
She has an extensive history of working with adoptive families, and also specializes in diagnosis and treatment of children who have difficulty attaching to their new families
She may be reached at 630-245-0010
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Interested in hosting
a foreign exchange student from china?We at forte international exchange association would like to thank all of you who have helped us in our search for host families. We are hoping that you will again be of assistance to us as we look for a few more qualified families to take our students for next year. We have expanded the program to allow for the students to spend one semester with one family and one with another. We feel this will be beneficial to both the students and the families, the students will have a look into the lives of more than one American family and the families will not have to make such a long commitment. We are also looking for area representatives to act as a support system to the families. These representatives will assist with the enrollment of the students into the schools and maintain contact with the families through out the year.
The students, in china, will soon be applying for their visa's and making the journey across the pacific to spend ten months in the united states. We have interviewed several of them and they are all excited to join the program and share their experience as a Chinese citizen with American families and hopefully make friends for life.
Thank you for your time, it is greatly appreciated. Our contact information is:
forte international,
1-888-866-6869, 1-202-833-4185,
fax: 1-202-466-7118,
or e-mail forteusa@aol.com
Sincerely yours,
Naomi Lesar
Alex Wang
Forte International Exchange AssociationOr another source
If you are interested in hosting a high school student from China or if you have a high school student who would like to travel as an exchange student, contact Nacel Open Door.
Nacel Open Door places students for month long summer visits, a school semester, or an entire school year.
For information call: 1-800-622-3553
OR Visit their website: http://www.nacelopendoor.org/
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Effective Ways To Introduce
Chinese Language And CultureOne of the challenges many adoptive families with children from China often face is how to introduce Chinese language and culture to their children. Some children being so young when came to United States did not speak Chinese at all. Some were old enough to speak while in China but need a way to maintain the capability here in the United States.
Adoptive parents may find the weekend Chinese Schools one of the available resources. However, without Chinese speaking parents to converse with at home, children often find it difficult to pick up another totally different language and culture. It is like going to piano lessons but coming home with no piano to practice with.
Is there SOMETHING that both parents and children can use at home to learn Chinese? That something has to be BILINGUAL so that parents may know what it is while children learn the Chinese portion of it. It is better to be ENTERTAINING or children may get bored. It needs to be something that the parents are very FAMILIAR WITH to makes the explanation job easy. And, Can it teach both the SPEAKING of Mandarin Chinese and also show the WRITING of Chinese words? Well·., this is quite some criteria to meet!
Liberty House Company, located in Bridgewater, New Jersey, offers many products which provide just that. One example would be the famous "Bilingual Disney Cartoon Movies." They are bilingual because they come with both languages and viewers can select English speaking or Mandarin Chinese speaking at any time by using the remote control. Disney cartoons are entertaining and children love them. It is something parents are very familiar with. And it come with Chinese subtitle, so children not only hear the speaking of Mandarin Chinese but also see the Chinese words in the subtitle. Most of these Disney movies come in VHS videos and DVD's.
Another effective product from this company is the "Bilingual Children's Audible Dictionary." It comes with a large colorful book with many vivid pictures demonstrating the "WORDS" and "SENTENCES" in both English and Chinese. It is "Audible" because two CD's are included to show people how to pronounce the entire book content. Many adoptive parents find this product very effective and can use it together with their children to learn Chinese.
There are many other products which may be of interest to your children, such as Practice Writing Chinese Work Book, Zhuyin - Chinese Phonetics, Bo Po Mo, World Children Songs (in Mandarin), World Children Stories (in Mandarin), Chinese Idiom Stories, Chinese Holiday Stories, Three-Word Classic, Poetry and Idiom. They even carry some Chinese children's snacks and drinks if you don't live close to an oriental grocery store.
They are in the process of introducing muti-lingual movies and cartoons. Many of the newer Disney cartoon DVD's, such as Mulan, Tarzan, Little Mermaid 2, Bug's Life and so on, can have three language (English, Mandarin and Cantonese) and three subtitles (English, Chinese and Malay). Some hot Chinese Kung Fu movies, such as Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Storm Riders, A Man Called Hero, Fong Sai Yuk and so on, are also multi-lingual best sellers. These new products are available around 05/01/2001.
Liberty House Company's web site address is: http://www.chinesetapes.com. You may place your order five ways: on-line, fax, phone,
e-mail or post office mail. It is truly a good resource store to adoptive families. Feel free to contact them and Mary Ing Yan is the owner of the store.
Liberty House Company
On-Line: (http://www.chinesetapes.com)
Fax: 413-581-9651
E-Mail: sales@chinesetapes.com OR ing943@yahoo.com
Phone: 1-877-203-4486 (orders only)
Mail: P. O. Box 6036, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, USA
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Mei MagazineThis bi-monthly magazine features wholesome articles with an emphasis on issues specific to Chinese adoptees age seven and up. Each issue of this advertising-free publication features an article about the People's Republic of China, an advice column where girls can write in and have their questions answered by an expert, a profile on a notable Chinese American woman, a "giving back" section to inspire girls to get involved in their community and a profile highlighting a reader. To subscribe or learn more, visit www.meimagazine.com
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Volunteers NeededFCC-Chicago can use your help! The board is currently seeking volunteers for a number of projects and activities. If you have a little time to spare and would be willing to help, please call us...
AUDITOR
We are seeking a volunteer with some financial expertise to audit the financial records of FCC-Chicago on an annual basis. The audit needs to be completed fefore the organization's year-end on May 31 so that the results can be reported to the membership at the annual meeting (usually in June). If you can help, please email us at Treasurer@FccChicago.org
NEWSLETTER
Fcc Chicago would welcome your ideas and/or cubmissions for stories in coming issues of the newsletter. If you're an aspiring writer/book reviewer, please contact us at Newsletter@FccChicago.org
CHILDREN'S WRITERS/ILLUSTRATORS
We are considering incorporation some children's pages into each issue of the FCC-Chicago newsletter. If you have writing or illustrating talents you're willing to share, please let us know
OTHER OPTIONS
Volunteers are always welcomed for helping to coordinate events and activities. If you're a great idea person or a good organizer, we need you! Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, at Volunteer@FccChicago.org
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Multicultural Kids
MULTICULTURAL ITEMS FOR CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL AND PRIMARY GRADES
BOOKS - representing over 50 cultures, including books on adoption and excellent children's books
VIDEOS - two outstanding series
ARTS and CRAFTS - helping children build a positive sense of self, teaching them to respect and appreciate differences
CREATIVE PLAY - toys, puzzles, puppets, music, and dolls
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES - bulletin board sets, posters, window transparencies, teacher aids, etc.
These items are ideal for school, daycare, culture camp, and heritage celebrations... any individual or group wishing to celebrate diversity.
VISIT OUR WEBSITE: http://www.multiculturalkids.com
Email: mck@mediaone.net
Multicultural Kids,
P.O. Box 757, Palatine, IL 60078
Call or fax (847) 991-2919
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Chinese American Service League's
Youth Centeroffers all kinds of opportunities and resources.
The Parent Tot Resource Room for kids 0-5 is open
Tuesday through Friday from 10:00-12:00 and Saturday's from 9:30-1:00.
Children participate in both unstructured play and structured time for games, stories, or songs. Mandarin, Cantonese and English are all spoken.
The resource room is staffed by Chinese immigrants and families bring their children and grandchildren to play together and learn from each other.
The Youth Center also offers classes in Mandarin, Chinese Dance and is willing to lead courses on Chinese culture or other topics of interest.
LOCATION:
Chinese American Service League Youth Center
2326 South Canal Street (near Chinatown)
Chicago, Illinois
For more information contact
the Parent Tot Resource Room
Director: Fuzhen (Foo Shawn) phone: 312-808-0280
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A Medical Opinion..Dr. Todd J. Ochs , a pediatrician with a special interest in children adopted internationally, is willing to review medical information from China and to answer questions. He is in touch with a Chinese nurse who can translate medical records; costs for translation and review would range from $100 to $200, depending on the length of the record. Dr. Ochs is also willing to help FCC members identify medical resources. He and his wife are members of FCC.
Dr. Ochs' home office number is 773-975-8560 , and his home fax is 773-975-5989 . He also can be reached by email at t-ochs@nwu.edu.
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East Meets West Musical GroupThe East Meets West Music Arts group was established in 1993 as a not for profit cultural exchange organization.
Based in Naperville and directed by Dr. Fengshi Yang, the thirty Chinese and American musicians in the East Meets West ensemble perform Chinese music throughout the Chicagoland area.
Their purpose is to use Chinese music to foster a genuine understanding of Chinese culture among the American people and encourage love of music, love of the arts, and love of peace.
For more information about the upcoming performance schedule and tickets,
call Dr. Fengshi Yang, 630-357-6714| Top of Page |
A Medical Opinion..Dr. Todd J. Ochs , a pediatrician with a special interest in children adopted internationally, is willing to review medical information from China and to answer questions. He is in touch with a Chinese nurse who can translate medical records; costs for translation and review would range from $100 to $200, depending on the length of the record. Dr. Ochs is also willing to help FCC members identify medical resources. He and his wife are members of FCC.
Dr. Ochs' home office number is 773-975-8560 , and his home fax is 773-975-5989 . He also can be reached by email at t-ochs@nwu.edu.
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Summer group and private Chinese lessons:
The summer Chinese classes would be from the beginning of June to the middle of July (it is possible to continue in the fall), two/three days per week (Tuesday and Thursday, or Monday, Wednesday and Friday) , and one hour per day. It is located around Harlem and Devon in Chicago. The children's learning will be supported by the use of stimulating pictures, objects, games, stories, and songs. For more information, please contact Sharon at jianghanyu@yahoo.com.
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Hands Around the World - Culture Camp
“Mommy, all the kids look like me!” Said by an astonished child with a smile on their face, this is one of the most often heard comments at Hands Around the World Culture Camps. This year, Hands Around The World is sponsoring their China Culture Camp the week of July 17th through 21st at Trinity Lutheran Church, 405 Rush Street, Roselle, IL 60172.
Our day starts at 9:00am and ends at 3:00 Monday thru Thursday and starts Friday at 9:00am and ends at 3:30 after our Grand Finale. During those hours, camp magic occurs. Here are some past examples: One year Chinese campers greeted guests saying “Ni Hao!” (Hello). While writing Chinese characters using India ink and a calligraphy pen, they practiced other words and phrases in Chinese. Campers have also cut out and colored pictures of all the animals in the Chinese zodiac, eaten Chinese snacks with chopsticks, learned traditional Chinese dances, and made Chinese Banjos or San Hsuans, and played them. Last year, the children made child-safe firecrackers while learning how gunpowder and fireworks were invented in China! During the Grand Finale, the children all dressed in their Chinese costumes and performed for their parents and other campers!
This year’s theme is “The Wonders of China” and the coordinators and volunteers are already planning an exciting curriculum with specialized hands-on classes such as ethnic cooking, arts and crafts, native animals, traditional music and dance, language, martial arts, culture, and ethnic games.
Children love it when their parents are a part of camp, and what better way to show your child that her culture is valuable and important than participating at camp? The China Camp has many opportunities for parents to help the teachers with activities. For families who have children from various cultural backgrounds, Hands Around The World offers several camps concurrently, so all the children in the family may participate in a camp for their own heritage. Biological siblings may enroll in any camp. The camps offered are: African American, China, Eastern Europe, India, Korea, Latin American, Southeast Asian, and a multicultural camp for teens.
Camp provides a fun and safe environment that allows transracially and transculturally adopted children to share their common experiences, learn about their heritage and traditions, and support one another. Camp helps promote healthy identity development by offering adoptees the opportunity to immerse themselves in self-discovery with fellow adoptees and encouraging positive mentoring and friendships. Come join us! For more information, go to http://www.handsaroundtheworld.com or contact Gail Walton at 847-255-8309.
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Ni Hao Productions, LLC
Ni Hao Productions, LLC is excited to present a new DVD series that introduces children of preschool age to Mandarin Chinese. The DVDs teach common words, phrases, and greetings, using stimulating visuals and captivating sounds, which keep children coming back for more.
We are offering a special discount to Families with Children from China! Please use the discount code "FCC" when purchasing the DVDs from our website. An additional discount of $3.00 will be applied to your order. Please feel free to pass on the "FCC" code to other Families with Children from China so that they can benefit from this opportunity, too. Visit our website at http://www.baobeidvd.com
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Ni Hao Productions, LLC
Ni Hao Productions, LLC is excited to present a new DVD series that introduces children of preschool age to Mandarin Chinese. The DVDs teach common words, phrases, and greetings, using stimulating visuals and captivating sounds, which keep children coming back for more.
We are offering a special discount to Families with Children from China! Please use the discount code "FCC" when purchasing the DVDs from our website. An additional discount of $3.00 will be applied to your order. Please feel free to pass on the "FCC" code to other Families with Children from China so that they can benefit from this opportunity, too. Visit our website at http://www.baobeidvd.com
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Ms. Lin’s 2006 Chinese Summer Camp
Beginner’s Chinese Summer Camp This is a camp for young beginners to sing and dance. We’ll build up vocabularies through songs and games. We’ll do some Chinese art and craft, too. Please come and join us for the fun learning experience.
Camp I
Age: 5 to 7
Dates: July 17 - July 21
Time: 10:30 am - noon
Fee: $75
Camp II
Age: 7 to 10
Dates: July 17 - July 21
Time: 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Fee: $75
Camp Location: 1578 Burning Bush Ln. Hoffman Estates, IL 60195| Top of Page |