The Kimberley School Newsletter March 2016 | Page 12

German Exchange
Fourteen students from Years 8, 9 and 10 enjoyed
a memorable week in Aachen, Germany, as guests
of our partner school, the Anne Frank Gymnasium.
The 6 day programme in early March included a
day trip to Cologne, a tour of the historic city of
Aachen, attending school and a wonderful meal in
the Old Town. Our students spent most afternoons
with their German partners, exploring the local
sights, trying new foods and experimenting with
the language. Here were just some of the things
they had to say:
"I was homesick at first, but I was made to feel very
welcome and soon settled in. This trip has really
helped to develop my confidence and independence"
– Anya Deegan
"My biggest fear was that the trip would not be as
good as last year, but it was! I would definitely
recommend the Exchange because you can make
so many friends and have a fun time" – James Kirk
"I really enjoyed the visit to Cologne, especially the
Sports Museum, where we got to try out some of the
traditional Olympic sports. It was fun to make new
friends and my host family were really nice and
welcoming" – Eve McGrenahan
"School life is quite different here, they have chalk
boards instead of smart boards! The highlight of the
trip for me was visiting Cologne and playing on the
Wii with my partner, Maggy.." – Elinor Harby
"The highlight of the trip for me was making
omelettes with my partner and trying the Currywurst.
The exchange is such a great opportunity to make
new friends and it has really built my confidence".
– Ellie Knowles
"It was great living with a German family and
I got to learn lots of everyday language ...”
– Freya Brandy
"At home my partner’s mum spoke to me
in German and I would try to answer in
German. If I didn’t understand, she would
tell me in English. This will help me in
lessons when we do listening exams
because I will be able to pick out
key words.” – Lucy Morgan

"The houses are much bigger here and they seem to
have more traditional values, spending more quality
time together and less time/money on technology and
gadgets" – Keisha Dunkly-Ross
"It was interesting how my host family all sat down at
breakfast together! I loved spending time with a group
of English and German friends, we all got to know
each other really well and had such a nice time"
– Amy Butler
"I played lots of PS4 with my partner in the evening
and that was very funny. I loved hanging out with
James, Tim and Nils together in Cologne. I have learnt
so much about Germany and its history and really
feel it has helped with my confidence." – Tom Skellett
"My highlight of the trip was all of it! I savoured
every moment and it was amazing! I did love spending
time with my exchange partner and her family"
– Beth Howard
"I loved the currywurst and frozen yoghurt!
I laughed a lot " – Rhianna Caulton
"I would definitely recommend the exchange to
everyone. My German skills have benefitted so much
and it’s a great experience, going to a new country
and noticing how many funny differences there are"
– Radina Gibb
“I was struck by what a modern and beautiful
country Germany is. I would recommend the
exchange to everyone ” – Molly Townsend