Student Exchange: Tending to Sheep, Pigs and Cows in England

Posted on March 6, 2017 by admin

Vanessa_Ross1 On Sunday, February 19, after a long train ride, I finally arrived at Abbotsholme, a school just outside of a small town called Uttoxeter. I was greeted by my house parent, Mrs Simpson, who showed me around the house. She introduced me to my roommates Claire, from Germany, and Millie who lives about an hour away from school.

The past two weeks have passed by really fast. I went on the farm and helped feed the cows, pigs and sheep. I went riding and played a new sport called Netball, which is similar to basketball but you can’t dribble. I am also here during lambing season, so I saw some lambs.

On the weekend, a lot of the locals leave, so it gives me the opportunity to get closer with people from countries all around the world, such as Germany, Japan and China. Last weekend, some of my new friends and I went to Liverpool, the town where the Beatles grew up. We had a really good time shopping and walking along the water.

This weekend I am on lambing duty, which means I need to go to the farm a few times to check on the pregnant sheep, bottle feed some of the lambs and feed the pigs and cows. There haven’t been any new lambs today, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

I am thrilled to be here, meeting so many new people from all around the world. This is an experience I will never forget and I am extremely fortunate to be on this trip. – Vanessa Ross ’19, Exchange Student at Abbotsholme School

Student Exchange: City of Gold

Posted on March 3, 2017 by admin

Ash Wednesday_ Saints Girls 2017 I arrived in South Africa two weeks ago to attend St Stithians Girls’ College. So far it has been an amazing experience. Johannesburg has many nicknames such as Joburg, Jozi and the City of Gold. It is referred to as the City of Gold because of all the gold mining that has left the city with gold sand.

After about 21 hours of travelling (including one 15-hour flight), I arrived in South Africa to meet my host family. I met my exchange, Edith, her parents and her three siblings who are 10, 5 and 4. Everyone here is very welcoming and it is completely normal to greet a person you have never met before with a hug (which took some getting used to).

Living in South Africa is very different from living in Canada. All middle-upper class families live behind walls topped with fences of barbed wire, electric wire or both. The less fortunate people live in places called townships where people build houses from any scrap material they can find and they all live in extremely close proximity, often fitting millions of people into tiny plots of land. The main townships of Johannesburg are Soweto, Cosmo, Diepsluit and Alex.

Many languages are spoken here, the primary ones being English, Afrikaans, Sotho and Zulu. I have learnt a lot of new South African words such as “eina” being the word they use instead of ouch when they are in pain or “woza” meaning come here.

School here is very different from LCC. Everyone brings their own lunches, we are allowed our phones in class and we have to attend chapel weekly because it is a religious (Methodist) school. I am taking grade 10 classes but I am finding that a lot of what they are learning is similar to what we are learning at LCC in grade 9. Also, to pass a test you need 33% meaning that it is very hard to fail a test.

School pride is very important at Saints. On Thursday I watched the inter-house aquatics tournament. The four houses: Trewen, Cambourne, Stratton and Kenwyn competed in diving, water polo and swim racing. Everyone got dressed in their house colours and cheered on their houses with organized cheers called war cries that are accompanied by drums.

I have had the experience of visiting a game reserve in rural South Africa. Nature here is referred to as the bush. I got to see many animals such as lions, giraffes, ostriches, cheetahs, impalas, hyenas and wildebeests. We were able to get very close to these animals and it was amazing to be able to see them in such close proximity.

So far, South Africa has been a great experience and I am glad that I chose to go on exchange and visit this amazing country. – Natasha Ryan ’19, Exchange Student at St Stithians Girls’ College

Student Exchange: Learning Something New Every Day in Colombia

Posted on March 2, 2017 by admin

I have been living in Bogota, Colombia for a week and half and it has felt like the longest 11 days of my life. I feel like I’ve lived here my whole life and that is because my host family and friends in school have made me feel so welcome and at home.

The journey here was very emotional. This was the first time I had ever been away from home for more than a week. After having an emotional farewell with my best friends and family, I flew to Toronto with my dad and stayed the night. On February 17, I said goodbye to him and that’s when the journey truly begun. I was all alone and all the responsibility was on me. I made it through security, got to the gate and then took a six-hour flight to Bogota, Colombia. The flight was great and before I knew it, I was already with my host family on the way to the house. I have never met such caring people in my life. I am so grateful to have been placed with my host family.

As my journey began I was introduced to many new foods, which I loved, and A LOT of Colombian music that I can’t stop listening to. On my second day, I went up this mountain and saw an amazing view of Colombia. The city is so beautiful and the best thing about it is that it reminds me of my home country.

I started school feeling very nervous but everyone was so nice. By the end of the first day, I had talked to almost everyone in the grade. As I spend more days in school, I’m becoming closer to everyone. Believe it or not it has been a bit hard to communicate with everyone. Even though my first language is Spanish, in Colombia they have a different vocabulary and A LOT of slang which I’m starting to get the hang of. School is very different from LCC but in a very good way. Classes are easier and I spend a lot of time outdoors, which I enjoy.

Every day I learn something new about the culture here and that’s what I love about the school and my host family. I’ve done things I thought I would never have the courage to do and I’m having the time of my life. I have taken many videos and pictures, which I’m excited to share with my friends and family when I get back home.

I have become a very independent and social person, which is what I wanted to get out of this experience. When first coming here, I thought that not being in Colombia at the same time as my exchange Andrea would be difficult, but it really hasn’t been that hard. I get along very well with her sister Camila who is in the grade below and we have so many things in common.

My trip is just beginning and I’m very excited about the rest of the adventures and the people I will meet.

I don’t think anything can prepare you for something like this but it has been the best decision I have ever made and I’m so grateful for everything. I know that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity I will never forget. – Sofia Araya Meier ’19, Student Exchange at Colegio Anglo Colombiano

Lessons Learned at the Mackay Centre

Posted on February 28, 2017 by admin

Mackay_Centre During our trip to the Mackay Centre, we learned many valuable lessons…

By finding different ways to communicate with the kids, we were able to connect and learn about them. We learned that we are all children of the same world and no one should pass judgement based on appearance. We realized that even if their lives are different than ours, it is easier for them to communicate with us than vice versa. We learned that these kids spend weeks at hospitals on a regular basis, but come back to school with the biggest smiles on their faces. They always look on the bright side of life.

Overall, our time at the Mackay Centre was incredible, and we hope to see the kids’ happy faces again. This meaningful activity is a perfect illustration of the “service spirit” of Round Square.

We would like to thank The Mackay Centre, Kirsten Hardiman and Mrs. Levinson for helping to organize this activity.

Kirsten Hardiman ’20, Matthew Anzarouth ’20, Leah Lavoie ’21, Alexia Winter-Reinhold ’21, Zoë Topiol ’21, Aliya Khan ’21, Connor Salpeter ’20

Photo Gallery

Student Exchange: Getting a Taste of Sydney

Posted on February 27, 2017 by admin

Harbour_Bridge After twenty-two hours of flying and layovers, I finally got to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport on Sunday, February 26. I got my bag in less than 15 minutes and met my exchange, Sarah, at the arrivals gate. When we stepped outside, it was very humid and I was thankful for the shorts I put on before landing. I slept for about ten hours on the plane so by the time I landed, I wasn’t tired, and I had enough energy to walk around.

Sarah’s dad dropped us off in downtown Sydney, and the two of us walked around the water. We went up to the Sydney Opera house and continued into the area known as the Rocks, where there was an outdoor market. Then we got lunch from a really good bakery and ended our day in the city by going to Woolworths, a grocery store, to get different types of Australian food. I tried a whole bunch of Aussie treats and, of course, I tried Vegemite: a mixture of salt and yeast that tasted like salt water to me.

When we went back to Sarah’s house at the end of the day we got our things ready for school, baked muffins, and ate dinner outside. Their backyard was filled with different types of parrots that were flying all around us while we ate.

The next day was my first day at school and it was really nice. The school is on two separate campuses that are just down the street from each other. Instead of advisory, they have something called lunary, which we have twice a week with our house, Whitley. At Methodist Ladies’ College, we have to bring our own lunches and snacks, but they do have a nice cafe that they call the canteen, where you can buy food.

So far, this trip has been amazing. I was able to travel here on my own through three different time zones, I’m on the other side of the world experiencing new cultures and going to a new school, and I’m having a lot of fun. – Ella Waxman ’19, Student Exchange at Methodist Ladies’ College