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The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System welcomes He Zonghui, Mandarin Chinese language and culture teacher from Nanchong City located in the Sichuan province of China, to Coastal Middle School for the 2008-2009 school year.  

He Zonghui is one of 136 teachers placed across 32 states to teach at the high, middle and/or elementary school levels this fall.  She will be teaching grades 6, 7 and 8 at Coastal Middle as they expand their Chinese language program.  She will also assist with curriculum development, student recruitment and materials development and will serve as a cultural resource for other subject areas and for cultural enrichment activities.

The Chinese Guest Teacher Program is a collaboration of the College Board, the National Council of State Supervisors for Languages (NCSSFL) and China’s Office of Chinese Language Council International (Hanban).  Teachers that are part of the 2008 Chinese Guest Teacher Program receive a monthly living stipend directly from Hanban while local schools are responsible for mentoring, housing, transportation and for the costs of the required visa processing and required health insurance.  The College Board and the NCSSFL representatives interview guest teachers individually to assess teaching skills, adaptability and English proficiency.

Media interested in interviewing Ms. Zonghui should contact Mr. Charles Neidlinger, Director of World Languages and ESOL at 912-395-1145 or Kerry Coursey, Coastal Middle School Principal at 912-898-3950.