2017 School Magazine

AFFILIATE SCHOOL VISITS

In October, twenty-five students and two staff from our German affiliate school, Werner-Heisenberg Gymnasium, visited Girls Grammar, staying with host families. Our exchange relationship with this school commenced in 2014 and we welcome groups every second year. Hosting a student from one of our affiliate schools is a wonderful opportunity for Grammar girls to practice their language speaking skills and broaden their horizons by learning from visiting teenagers about their life, school, culture and traditions. When visiting Girls Grammar, our international student guests attend class and immerse themselves in English language by living with a host family during their stay. They also experienced some of the best of Brisbane, visiting attractions like the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the Gold Coast and Tangalooma Island Resort, and/or going whale watching during their stay.

This year, Brisbane Girls Grammar School hosted visits from students and teachers from four of our international affiliate schools from France, Japan, China and Germany. In February, we welcomed twelve students and two staff from Lyceè St Paul, in Angoulème, France. We have a long-standing relationship of more than twenty years with this school and it was wonderful to see students from the school here with us again this year. In July, fifteen girls and two staff from Mie High School, Matsusaka City, Japan visited Brisbane Girls Grammar School. Our exchange relationship with this school has a twenty-nine-year history so far. In August, students from our Chinese classes hosted girls from our Sister School in China, Shanghai Number 3 Girls School. Lifelong friendships and memories were made and Girls Grammar students hope to meet them again on a Study Tour in 2018.

French Affiliates from Lyceè St Paul

German Affiliates from Werner-Heisenberg Gymnasium

Japanese Affiliates from Mie High School

Chinese Affiliates from Shanghai Number 3 Girls School

This year we had the opportunity to host a German exchange student from the Werner- Heisenburg Gymnasium for ten days at the start of Term IV. This was particularly exciting as my family was hosting the same student whose family I stayed with in Germany last year. We were able to show our German guest around Brisbane including trips to Mt Coot-tha, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Noosa. It was a lot of fun and we were both able to improve our German. The students also went on day trips to O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat, Tangalooma and a ‘Stadtralley’ in the city. All in all it was an incredibly rewarding experience for all those involved. ISABELLA DOUGLAS (11G)

For the duration of two weeks, I had a French exchange student living with me and my family, fully immersed in the Australian culture. At the beginning of the two-week program, I found it somewhat challenging to establish a connection due to the language barrier but, coming out of it, I have a new friend who I am sure I will keep contact with for many years to come. A highlight for me was seeing my city through the eyes of a visitor from another country; her reactions to our landmarks and places of interest like South Bank and the Botanic Gardens is a memory I will forever cherish. The French Exchange Program was both academically beneficial and socially rewarding. SOPHIE BATH (11W)

BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2017 | COMMUNITY | 049