German Sister School Visit
On February 9 a group from our German sister school, the Georg Büchner Gymnasium, touched down on Australian soil. After countless debacles on their trip, including black ice at Berlin airport forcing them to leave via Hamburg and losing a couple days of valuable Australia time, we greeted them with hugs and flowers at Sydney airport.
With barely any time to rest, the group embarked on a busy program of sightseeing. These strong, tireless souls worked hard to get the FULL Sydney experience, including surfing lessons, trips to Manly and Bondi beach, the 14km Spit to Manly walk and an overnight trip to the Blue Mountains. Despite the lack of recuperation time, our guests handled themselves admirably, and always came home from their adventures laughing and smiling with plenty of photos.
The exchange group also visited Fort Street High School for a day, attending classes with their host siblings. We are happy to announce that the Germans enjoyed the diverse and inclusive atmosphere at our school. They were also impressed by the size of the school grounds and the range of sporting facilities.
The German students weren’t the only people who benefited from the trip though. Hosting a friend in your home is a new and wonderful experience, which opens up many opportunities to improve skills such as sharing and caring. At first some were scared by insects and bugs, to the point where they wouldn’t sleep with their beds next to the wall, but they quickly adjusted and learnt to live in fear like normal people.
Some highlights of the exchange visit included the barbeque hosted by Max Hrovat and his family, where everyone bonded around a campfire, the German way. This was an excellent way to catch up again and meet up as a group, as well as enjoying some tasty food.
Another moment that really stood out was the group trip to Manly Beach, during which everyone splashed around in the waves, even touching a few fish. Unfortunately a few people got touched in a bad way… by bluebottles. Despite the burning pain that some endured, everyone else managed to find a way past that, move on, and still have fun.
Waving our German friends off at the airport was a tearful affair. We left them with a touch of sunburn but lots of memories. It was an amazing opportunity for all involved as we got to share our cultures and make new connections across the big wide world. We are inordinately grateful to all the teachers who worked to make this happen.
Bis zum nächsten Mal…
Xoxo
Sophie and Liusaidh, Year 11
