“In hindsight, it was a cultural exchange,” said Assistant Principal Mr. Bononno about Becton’s hosting of delegates from Hangzhou, China on October 9, 2019. The visitors included Commissioner of Education for the province of Zhejiang, as well as other educators from China who seek to explore how technology is used in an educational setting. Although this event was intended for the delegates to learn about Becton, Mr. Bononno expressed how he learned from the delegates, as well. With the help of a translator, various members of the staff and student body were able to communicate with the guests. “We were honored because out of so many other schools, they picked Becton” explained Junior Emily Reyes-Sung who volunteered during the event.

The day for the visitors began with a welcome address which was followed by a discussion panel done by the staff and the student council and ended with a tour of the building and grounds. Principal and Superintendent, Dr. Dario Sforza showed the delegates the technological aspects of the school, while Mr. Bononno focussed on other areas, such as sports and wellness.  The delegates were able to see the new Wickle-Ochipa broadcasting studio, weight room, and wellness center, while also stepping into some classrooms to see technology in action. “They were extremely excited to see the broadcasting studio and the wellness center. They watched us interviewing the Becton basketball students” explained Emily Reyes-sung. “I noticed the shock in their faces about how different their schools are than ours” added Junior Yeshi Wangmo, another volunteer.

“I think it says a lot about Becton to have been chosen as a place for other delegates. Becton continues to improve its reputation in the county, state, and now, international level. We are very proud of the students and faculty here and it’s exciting to showcase to anyone that comes here, particularly a foreign country,” said Mr. Bononno. Becton was chosen as a host through the New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative (NJECC), a non-profit that focuses on the interaction between technology and education in New Jersey schools. NJECC was seeking out locations for the delegation to spend some time and see how state schools perform. In addition to visiting Becton, the delegates also visited Bayonne High School to see how they incorporate technology into everyday use. Becton continues to further its use of technology through the Future Ready Schools® initiative. With all of the criticisms that technology is separating us, the students and staff were happy to see it bridging an ocean to bring us closer together.