Host families stand beside their recent visitors from China prior to saying farewell.

WARSAW — Tears were shed and hugs exchanged by Warsaw Community School Corporation elementary students as they bid farewell to the Chinese exchange students who made their homes with WCS host families this week.

“These host families open their home and let the students be their kids,” stated Jessica Yu, president of Chinese Education Connection, the agency that helped make the trip possible. “The students truly feel this is their home. They bonded really well with their host families.”

A total of 24 students from Shang Li Primary School located in Hangzhou, China, visited Warsaw this week. For four days, groups of eight exchange students visited Harrison, Madison and Jefferson elementary schools. In addition, the students were split into pairs and assigned to four host families per school.

Harrison students share a tearful farewell with students from China as they depart for Indianapolis.

According to Harrison Principal Lee Snider, WCS students had the opportunity to enrich the lives of the visiting fifth grade students while broadening their horizons and world view.

When asked what their favorite part of the trip was, the exchange students unanimously all said their host family. Students stated they experienced many new things such as American football (a favorite amongst some of the boys) and jumping on a trampoline.

The exchange students noted there were many surprising aspects of American homes including being large, having garages, cars, a yard and many trees. Cornfields and playgrounds were also a point of excitement amongst the visiting students.

Special feelings were shared in regards to kind gestures from host families. Two students proudly displayed WCS t-shirts with their “American name” on the back. Another student excitedly presented rolls of LifeSaver candies bought from a local candy store. One fondly shared that the WCS student in his host family had stayed up all night drawing a picture for him to take home to China.

Though our local students and exchange students do share many differences in their ways of life, Harrison Elementary host students stated they are also very much the same.

“They are so much like us, and they know more english than you would think,” stated Kamden Tom, 11, of Mr. Jarrett’s class.

Both groups of students shared another thing in common — a desire to keep in touch. Both WCS and Shang Li students expressed their strong desires to continue communicating, some even exchanging phone numbers and Instagram invitations.

“We should just up and go to China,” exclaimed Tom after the exchange students departed. “How does this weekend work for everyone?”

When asked how they would feel about a visit from their host families, the Shang Li students began cheering and stated, “We want to host them! Welcome to China!”

According to Snider, Harrison is currently looking into a possible trip to China for WCS elementary students. The trip would allow Harrison students to meet with their former guests and learn about life in China. Snider said he hopes to keep the trip open to all schools and to have at least 15 students interested in traveling to China.