Travel Blog

Tomorrow evening, on Saturday, the 7^th of October 2017, Shire Christian School will welcome a group of 15 Exchange Students from Germany. The kids will stay with host families and get to know the ‘Aussie’ way of life for one month.

Students from Shire Christian School have the opportunity to study the German language between years 7 – 12. ‘Ultimately, language learning is about people- being able to meet people from a different cultural background and converse with them in their mother tongue is way to love our neighbour as ourselves.’, is how the importance of language learning is explained on the school’s website. Since this year, students and their families get the chance to do exactly that – interact with students from Germany, speak their language and make life-long friendships.

The 4-week stay comprises of a school program and Sydney Sightseeing Program, which includes five full day trips. While the German students will attend school on most days, they go out on one guided tour per week, exploring the City, the Blue Mountains, Kiama, Manly, Bondi and Watsons Bay. The weekends will be spent with the host families, to allow the exchange students to get a good impression of Australian family life, activities, the food and culture. This is the second time this year families from Shire Christian School have hosted students from Germany, and both schools are confident that it will lead to a long-term friendship offering benefits to both German and Australian students.

The program has been organised in collaboration with Exchange Me. At the end of each year, students from Shire Christian School get the opportunity to join a 6-week long language immersion program to Germany with Exchange Me. This program will not only encourage them to improve their language skills, but also allow them to make friends on the other side of the world.

We would like to say a big thank you to all host families who invite the students into their homes. Your generosity is very much appreciated.