■作者：唐子傅 （Teddy Tang）2023年6月9日
今天，有一个很盛大的格林伍德（Glenwood）五年级同学毕业庆典聚会，几乎每个同学的爸爸妈妈哥哥姐姐都参加了。我的姐姐在外州上班，没有赶回来参加我的毕业聚会，但她很早就帮我买了庆祝礼物，是两双我喜欢的不同款式的网球鞋。在中国的爷爷一大清早就连上了微信视频祝贺我说：“恭喜你啊，唐子傅！”
2017年5月17日，我从 Preschool（Lincoln Parish Early Childhood Center，Ruston LA）毕业，那时候我还不会写日记。我翻看了妈妈写的日记才想起我的学校名称，但我记得老师的名字 Mrs. Walter，看了那时候留下的照片，我发现我只能记住一点点影子。
2017年秋天，我去了Glen View Elementary，在那个小学有非常喜欢我的老师们，名字叫Mrs. Adefrees 和Mrs. Hall。每天上学和放学时她们都在校门口笑容满面地接送我们。Mrs. Hall送我上车总是那句话：“我不想让你回，我要把你留住。”还有一个我很喜欢的老师，她是带我们高级阅读的，可惜我忘记了她的名字。这个学校只有两个中国人，除我之外还有一个女孩，但她基本上说不了中文，那是在路易斯安那州。
2019年5月，我读完一年级，学校通知我的爸爸妈妈过去商量接下来我要读的二年级。学校校长告诉爸爸妈妈说我通过了三月份Excellent Talented的筛选测试，问他们同不同意我二年级进LEAP班。我的爸爸妈妈回答担心我错过了学习中文的最好年龄，说我急需要学中文，他们不得不得帮我找一个能学中文的地方。紧接着暑假我们就搬家了，搬到了北卡州教堂山，因为这里有中英双语学校，还因为爸爸的朋友宋彦教授邀请他来UNC大学。
2019年8月，我还在排队等待格林伍德小学录取我，因为想去中英双语班的小孩有很多，需要抽签和中文测试后才能进去。在等待结果的时候，我去了Rashkis Elementary，在Rashkis我们学的外语是西班牙语。
10月的一天，有一个老师去了Rashkis测试我的中文。那天放学回家，妈妈有点紧张地问我，中文老师考了我什么。我告诉她说让我读了一些中文句子，例如：你有眼睛吗？
妈妈不相信我能认识这么复杂的汉字，妈妈说：完了，估计你没有被录取。到后来有一个周五，快放学的时间，我的老师让我把所有我的东西都带回家，她说我从下周起不再去Rashkis了，说后面我是去Glenwood（格林伍德）。我们家的愿望终于实现了！
刚到格林伍德小学，我们的外语课有两门，除了中文之外还有一门是法语。班里的同学有很多是跟我一样的黑头发，他们的学习成绩也都很好。我们每个人都有一个中文名字，虽然大家都不怎么会写自己的中文名字。老师们都是叫我们的英文名，但中文老师有时会喊我们的中文名。
我上格林伍德没多久，Covid-19开始在美国流行起来了，我们被困在家里用电脑上网课，一直上网课，上到了三年级结束。上网课的时候，我也很认真听老师讲课，尽管三年级时候的同学从来都没有坐在一个教室里面上课，但是我们上网课时也都是抢着做回答老师提问、写作业和考试最棒的那一个。在课后班，我还每天上了妈妈和姚老师教的唐诗欣赏课，妈妈教我用吉他和钢琴为古诗配乐。我能弹唱差不多100首古诗。
我各科成绩开始在那个班上变得更好，有一段时间Mrs An每天中午带我们小组阅读一个中文故事。她说这是一个高级阅读小组。这个小组有Shawn 、 Leo和我。后来我通过了北卡州的LEAP项目录取考试，爸爸妈妈仍然选择了让我读有中文课的学校。
从四年级开始到现在五年级结束，我们的班主任老师都是Mrs. Zhang。四年级开学时，网课结束了，我们又回到了学校上课，我们的法语课也被取消了没再学了。爸爸妈妈说很难得，在美国小学竟然有两年多的时间里，我每天都能跟会讲中文的老师上课。爸爸妈妈说，无论我们在哪里，是什么国籍，我们首先是个中国人，因为是中国人，我们就应该要学会中文。因为学中文，我小学转了三个学校。
从2017年到2023年，我们毕业了。我无比怀念格林伍德的blacktop，因为我和我的同学每天都会在那里玩一会儿。这一面墙我们特别喜欢，我们对着墙扔球，有一阵子我的球扔得特别棒，我的同学们把那个投球技术命名为我的名字，他们叫它Teddy球。
明天是我小学的最后一天，也是我在格林伍德的最后一天，睡觉前我脑海里回放着我将要告别的这个学校的一切。妈妈帮我关灯。我对妈妈说，我不要离开格林伍德小学，我很伤心。妈妈安慰我说，多想Guy Philips Middle School ，那边不是有你喜欢的网球场吗? 还有管弦乐队，你可以和你的小提琴朋友们一起玩你们的小提琴。Guy Philips Middle School是我6年级将要去的有中文外语课的中学。在那里我可以继续学中文。
我们相信，明天会更好。
I have Graduated from Elementary School Today
As the grand graduation ceremony unfolds for the fifth graders of Glenwood Elementary School today, I recognize my own importance in this momentous event. The atmosphere is filled with joy as the parents, siblings, and relatives of nearly every fifth grader gather to celebrate. Despite my sister’s absence due to her work in another state, her thoughtfulness is evident in the early graduation gift she gave me–two pairs of tennis shoes that match perfectly with my preferences. Furthermore, my grandpa in China displayed his immense pride by waking up early in the morning to offer his heartfelt congratulations through a WeChat video-call, saying, “Congratulations Teddy!”
On May 17, 2017, I successfully completed my preschool education at Lincoln Parish Early Childhood Center in Ruston, Louisiana. Although I was too young to write a diary at that time, I discovered the name of my school by reading my mother’s diary. Despite the nostalgic memories captured in the pictures, I vividly recall the name of my teacher, Mrs. Walter, who played a significant role during my preschool days.
In the Fall of 2017, I enrolled in Glenview Elementary School, where I quickly developed a strong connection with two teachers who genuinely liked me very much: Mrs. Adefrees and Mrs. Hall. Each day as I entered the school, they would eagerly await me at the gate, wearing smiles on their faces and waving in greeting. When it was time for dismissal, Mrs. Hall would express her reluctance to see me leave by repeatedly saying: “I don’t want you to leave! I want you to stay with me!” While I had another teacher at the school who taught the advanced reading class I was a part of, I have unfortunately forgotten her name, and there were no traces of her in any of my mother’s diaries. Within the school, there was only one other individual of Chinese, although she did not know how to speak Mandarin like I could.
In May of 2019, I completed First grade at Glenview Elementary School. During that time, the school Principal approached my parents to discuss the next steps for my education. She informed them that I had successfully passed the Screening Test for the LEAP program in the Spring. She asked if they were interested in enrolling me in the LEAP Program. However, my parents had concerns about me missing the ideal age for learning Mandarin and believed that prioritizing Mandarin language obtaining was more important than the LEAP program. Understanding their perspective, the Principal helped my parents in finding an excellent school that emphasized Mandarin language learning. As a result, right after the summer vacation kicked off, my family moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This move was driven by both the opportunity for me to participate in a dual language program at a local school and a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill extending an invitation to my father.
In August 2019, while waiting to be chosen for the dual language program, I attended another school called Rashkis Elementary, where I learned Spanish as my second language.
On that October day in 2019, after the dual language school teacher testing my Mandarin, when I return home, my mom Anxiously asked me, “What question did the teacher ask?” To which I replied with a playful expression, I told her an example–I said the teacher asked me if I had eyes.
Although my mom was worried that I might not have understood such a complex question, to her surprise, on that fateful Friday just before dismissal, my teacher, Miss Pudik, informed me that I would be transferring to Glenwood Elementary School and start a new chapter in my educational journey.
Upon arriving at Glenwood, I discovered the presence of not just one, but two second language classes: Mandarin and French. Interestingly, a significant portion of my classmates were of Chinese descent, displaying a remarkable dedication to their studies. While not all of them were fluent in Mandarin, each one possessed a Chinese name. While my English teacher Mrs. Stanford typically referred to me by my English name, my Mandarin teacher Mrs. Nie occasionally addressed everyone by their Chinese name.
Shortly after my arrival at Glenwood, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, forcing everyone into lockdown and transitioning to online classes. Throughout my fourth grade year, I remain engaged and focused on my studies, despite the shift from traditional classroom settings to virtual platforms. Although I couldn’t be seated at my desk, gazing up at the Smart-board as usual, I excelled at answering questions and completing tests.
Even after completing my main classes, I had additional afterschool-like Sessions with my teacher, Miss. Yao, where I delved into the realms of chart ancient Chinese poetry and history. Alongside my mom, I also learn to play the guitar and piano, harmonizing with the melodic
verses of the poems.
By the challenges posed by the pandemic, I embraced the opportunity to explore various subjects and develop new skills in the comfort of my home. It was a unique period of growth and learning that will forever be stored in my memory.
As my academic level soared, my third grade teacher forms a small group for High-achieving students, consisting of Leo, Shawn, Jack, and myself, with two being my closest friends. Despite achieving a high score in the LEAP test, my parents decided to remain at Glenwood Elementary to prioritize my Mandarin language education.
Starting from 4th grade, my teacher became Mrs. Zhang, and as the school year began, we resumed in– person classes, bidding farewell to the French language that was no longer a part of the curriculum. My parents’ goal of enrolling me in a dual-language school has been achieved, recognizing the challenges and significance it entailed. Regardless of my location, my appearance will indicate that I will always be Chinese. I recognize the importance of learning Mandarin, which led me to switch schools three times, all in pursuit of mastering it.
From 2017 to 2023, I successfully completed my elementary education, leaving behind cherished memories of Glenwood. The blacktop playground holds a special place in my heart, where I spent countless hours playing with my classmates. Among the familiar sights, there stands a solitary wall, the epicenter of our daily wall-ball games. Engrossed in the joy of competition, devoted myself to this game, to the point where of particular move became named after me–the “Teddy”move. These moments on the blacktop, filled with happiness and laughter, will forever remain etched in my mind.
As the final day of fifth grade approached, a bittersweet feeling filled me, knowing it marked not only the end of elementary school but also my time at Glenwood. That night, my mind replayed the countless memories of great projects and enjoyable moments in the school, and a wave of sadness washed over me. My mom, sensing my emotions, came to comfort me. In my despair, I expressed my reluctance to leave Glenwood behind. But my mom reminded me to look forward to my future school, Guy B. Philips Middle School, where I would discover even more and newer opportunities. She mentioned the tennis teams and the orchestra, where I could play alongside my new classmates. Despite passing the LEAP test once again, my parents prioritized my Mandarin education, leading me to again ignore the LEAP program and continue studying Mandarin.
Today is great, but tomorrow holds the promise of even greater things!
