Click to view the Spring 2013 Wyoming Seminary Journal.

Campus Happenings
Mandarin classes to begin at Upper School
This fall, the global languages department at Upper School will begin offering classes in Mandarin Chinese, says Elaine Burg, chair
of the Upper School global languages department. This new language program will join the Upper School’s established programs
in French, Latin, Russian and Spanish. Students new to Sem in 2013-14 who have a language requirement to fulfill will have the
opportunity to take Mandarin I classes; beginning in 2014-15 the program will be open to all students and will expand to a four-year
program by 2016-17.
Since fall 2011 Lower School students in kindergarten and first grade have been taking part in an exploratory Chinese program,
learning Mandarin as well as French and Spanish, and the study of Mandarin was extended to second grade for 2012-13. Beginning in
fall 2013, third grade students will have a choice of French, Mandarin or Spanish for the entire year, and the Mandarin program will be
extended each year until 2018, when it will be available through eighth grade.
“Sem is very fortunate because we have students who are native Chinese speakers and they could be excellent resources,” says Elaine
Eidam, chair of the Lower School global languages department. “We will look for ways to effectively incorporate our native speakers
into the program on both campuses. Our ultimate goal is to give the students studying Chinese a working use of the language.”
The school is now conducting a search for a Mandarin Chinese teacher who will live at Upper School, teach at both Upper and Lower
School and take part in the boarding program.
New Early Childhood Learning Center dedicated
Medical engineering highlight of
Founders’ Day Assembly
In October Wyoming Seminary dedicated the new Early Childhood Learning Center,
a renovated house located at 20 Arlington Road in Forty Fort, adjacent to the Lower
School. The Center houses the Lower School’s preschool class and the new Toddler
Program, which opened with its first class on Sept. 4, 2012.
The dedication ceremony featured brief remarks by members of the Sem Board of
Trustees and school administration, an unveiling of the building sign and a tour of the
facility.
The new toddler program includes 13 students, who range in age from 18 months to
three years, while the preschool class includes 19 students. The facility is designed to
meet the educational, social, emotional and physical needs of children from toddler to
preschool in a warm, homelike setting.
Seen following the unveiling of the building sign are, from left: Clancy Harrison, Sem
parent; Cash Harrison ’28; Scott Meuser, Sem Trustee and parent; and Dylan
Harrison, sister to Cash.
Wyoming Seminary honored some of its
alumni, such as Dr. Joseph Rasimas ’92,
Dr. John DonCHess ’26, Dr. Polly
tHomas ’69, Mr. John Long ’27,
and the Nesbitt Family, who have made
significant contributions to the fields of
science, medicine or technology during
the third annual Founders’ Day ceremony
held on Monday, Sept. 24. Dr. William
S. Pierce ‘54, a cardiothoracic surgeon
and chemical engineer, was the featured
speaker. He led the development of the
Pierce-Conachy Ventricular Assist Device,
the first pneumatic heart assistant pump
that is better known as the Penn State Assist
Pump. Dr. Pierce spoke at an all-school
assembly in the morning and then visited
classes during the day.