Valley Stream Chinese school opens with a roar

A mixture of Chinese and English phrases filled the air during the Chinese American Association of Long Island’s opening day of school at Memorial Junior High School on Sept. 18. During the morning, parents, students and teachers celebrated the Chinese school’s spirit of tradition while looking forward to the school year.

Many students were eager to begin their studies and were ready to dive into learning. And new Principal Yufei Guo was beyond ecstatic about the first day, which she felt was going as smooth as silk.

“The overall experience is pleasant,” Guo said. “The teachers are open-minded and respectful. It is a family-oriented school and we are here to learn Chinese culture.”

Guo is very proud of her Chinese heritage. After being born in China, Guo came to the United States when she was 13 years old. She spent her teenage years in Queens before attending Stony Brook University as a biochemistry major. Before graduating from Stony Brook, Guo took four years off to join the Navy. And she went on to earn a master’s degree in science education from New York University, which she always had an interest in teaching.

Now, with this position, Guo can further explore that interest. She believes this new position is the perfect compliment to her other job as a bilingual science teacher in Manhattan. “I feel the position will be a challenge,” she said, “but this is what I want to do.”

Guo has many bright ideas to improve students’ proficiency, which include a new placement test. Based on test results, each student is placed into a class appropriate for their skill level. And her dreams span outside of the classroom as well. “My major goal is to inspire students to continue their education and pursue Chinese culture on their own after graduating,” she said. “We send students on the right track and help them in any way. I hope they develop an interest in Chinese culture that becomes a lifetime process for them.”