On her last night in the United States, Taeka Shimozaki prepares a meal for the Valley families that have hosted her and 19 other Japanese students who spent two weeks visiting Mount Si High School on a language exchange program. The teenagers from the city of Iwade prepared Japanese pancakes, skewered dumplings with sweet bean paste, garnished sushi and strawberry dessert dumplings using many ingredients they’d brought from their home country. They also treated their hosts to performances of traditional and popular dances, as well as a ritualized tea ceremony. Program coordinator Carmen Villanueva said the exchange benefits host families and gives Valley students the chance to visit Mount Si’s sister school, Naga High.