Polk County Middle School students Anamarie Gundersen, Adriana Talley and Colleen Burke hold a sign reading “Welcome to our school” to greet Fang Yongmei, a member of the visiting delegation from China who toured schools in Western North Carolina recently. The students are peer helpers at PCMS and are learning Chinese in their Mandarin classes at school. PCMS is offering Mandarin for the second year as part of the guest teacher program. This year Liang Lianhong is teaching Chinese culture and Mandarin to students in the middle school. (photo submitted by Carlann Scherping)