School staff, principals and teachers met at an international crossroad Wednesday.

Three Brazilian principals from suburban areas toured Tuttle Elementary School with Burke County and Catawba county schools’ representatives.

The three principals were Monica Louvem, of Spirtu Santu; Patricia Barral, of Salvador; and Nilvan Vascancellos, of Brasilia.

They are part of an honorary group with 28 principals. The group flew into Washington, D.C., and then separated into smaller groups to tour schools around the United States.

“We’re very excited to have international visitors at our school,” said Tuttle Elementary School Principal DeAnna Finger. “We are excited to learn from them as much as they can learn from us.”

The principals are touring schools in Catawba, Burke, McDowell and Cleveland counties. Burke County Assistant Superintendent Tony Cox said Superintendent Art Stellar from Burke County went to Brazil on a Fulbright scholarship and formed a connection.

“He set it up to host these guys,” Cox said. “We’re moving them around (various school districts).”

Cox added Tuttle Elementary was a good school for the international visitors, because it is a strong education center.

The principals and translator Renan Leahy toured classes and a second-grade teachers meeting. They observed Rita Lail’s kindergarten class and Ashley Brown’s fourth grade music class studying music mood interpretations.

“It’s been an amazing experience,” said Louvem the Portuguese language. “It allows (us as principals) to have different views of education. I have seen the very strong connection between community, parents and teachers. It helps the students become better citizens.”

Some Tuttle Elementary teachers had the opportunity to answer and ask questions with the Brazilian tour group. The two major concerns both groups shared were poverty and behavior in the classroom.

Finger said principals were amazed to see the cafeteria, because the students at the three elementary schools in Brazil don’t have lunch or breakfast.

“All three are from very pour regions,” Cox said. “Poverty is a worldwide problem. They have some of the same concerns as us.”

The principals told Tuttle teachers attendance at their schools is a problem, because parents need the children at home to work on the farm for money and food. However, Brazil’s government is now paying families $30 per month to send their children to school.

Tuttle Elementary, Finger said, has a backpack program. The school packs up canned and boxed food students can carry home, so the school is sure the students eat during the weekend.

Principals had their own questions about addressing behavior. Louvem asked Tuttle teachers what they thought the biggest challenge was for teachers.

“It’s the way parents relate to us now,” Emile Blake said. “Parents are trying, but respect has dwindled. We’re working to get that back. I think the profession of teaching isn’t as highly regarded. It used to be if you got in trouble at school, you got in trouble at home. “

Tuttle talked about its token system. The school awards students for little acts of kindness and good behavior to reinforce it.

Louvem said reinforcing good behavior is criticized in Brazil, because students are expected to behave in a classroom. Her elementary school has a reward system for students until age 7. She said past that age, the reward system doesn’t work as well, and students are expected to know how to behave.

“We went to a school in Valdese,” Vascancellos said. “I thought it was amazing students were awarded for little things. It is a good thing to recognize values that make them better people. It’s a preventative way for bad behavior.”

The principals will tour Snow Creek Elementary School Thursday at 3:45 p.m.