Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2005

> INTERNATIONAL AFFILIATE SCHOOL PROGRAMME

Visiting students from Shanghai N'3 Girls High School with host 51st

. international relationships

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Between the Administration and the Science buildings,

in the late 1970s, this Programme began with the signing of a friendship agreement between the then Principal, Mrs Iudith Hancock and Mr Tetsui Hirayama, owner and founder of the Hirayama Gakuen Tsushima Girls High School in lapan. So began more than twenty-five years of contact and exchanges between our two Schools. On the occasion of the 10th Anniversary in 1988 of our sister school relationship, Mr Hirayama sent a contingent of his private gardeners to build a lapanese garden in our School grounds in thanks for our contribution to the Programme in the early 1990s with changing demographics in lapan, Tsushima Girls High became co-educational and is, as we now know it, Seirinkan High School Since the Programme began, we count six Schools overseas as our Affilate School partners: The Cheltenham Ladies College in England, Lycee Saint Paul in France, Maria-Wachtler Gymnasium in Germany, Shanghai N0 3 Girls High School in the People's Republic of China and, in lapan, Mie junior High and Mie Senior High as well as Seirinkan High School

you might walk past a small garden with a PIaque that speaks of the history of the International Affiliate School Programme of Brisbane Girls Grammar School.

The other side of the Affiliate School Programme is the visits that our students make to our International Affiliate Schools, also mostly short term but a rich experience in language and the culture that offers insights into other ways of thinking and viewing the world. Many lifetime friendships have been founded between host families and host sisters across the world. The challenges and rewards of the Programme are ongoing as it continues to play an essential part of the education that Brisbane Girls Grammar School offers in preparing our students to be citizens of the world

As our oldest partner in our Affiliate School Programme, Seirinkan High continues to Send students every Year both long term and short term. Most of our short term visits happen in Iuly-August and this Year we welcomed twenty-eight students from lapan, China and Germany for stays of ten days to six weeks. Our French Affiliate School has more recently been visiting in February when they can escape their cold European winter to experience our hot summer During these visits the students are hosted in Grammar families to maximise their linguistic and cultural experience and to contribute another dimension to the lives of our School community. The overseas visitors attend classes with their host sisters, enjoy excursions and activities organised for them and often help out in the language classes

Ms Lorraine Thornquist Director of International Studies

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