St Bart’s students from Years 9, 10 and 12 took part in the German Exchange to our long-standing partner school, the Otto-Hahn Gymnasium in Monheim, between Monday 29 January and Monday 5 February 2024. The week involved a day in the German school, participating in an English lesson and starting work on a joint project with their exchange partners. St Bart’s students also went to Schloss Burg, a traditional medieval castle, had a day-trip to the Haus der Geschichte Museum in Bonn, and a day trip to Aachen with their German partners. Some highlights of the trip were the visit to the Lindt chocolate factory in Aachen and the opportunity to try traditional waffles with cherries. The German exchange partners will be visiting their St Barts partners in June. Students stayed in host families in Monheim and some of their comments are here below:

“The past 7 days in Monheim have been amazing. I got to know new German people and made friends with my partner’s friends.  We had lots of fun together and we did things like bowling and laser tag”

Chris Broadfoot, Year 9

 

“Lots of opportunities to make long-term friends, a very enjoyable experience.  I loved every minute.”

Chloe Johnson, Year 9

 

“At first I was nervous, but when I arrived at Emma’s house they were really nice and welcoming.  The food in Germany is very different to here and they love drinking sparkling water, which is strange!”

Hazel Cook, Year 9

 

“In school we worked with younger students and helped them in English lessons. I liked meeting the students there and they were very welcoming- as well as everyone in my partner’s family.  I was shocked at how early they finish school – 1.50pm!  My favourite part was probably going to the chocolate museum and the hardest part was waking up so early.”

Millie Taylor, Year 9

 

“The German exchange was an intense week! It was great to get to know a family from a different country and the people that I stayed with were amazing hosts. We learned a lot about both history and day-to-day life in Germany. All in all it was an incredible and unforgettable experience.”

Lucy Heelan Year 12

 

“Going on the German exchange definitely helped with my confidence when speaking German…My exchange family were very patient with my attempts to speak German and helped me when they could.”

El Prescott, Year 12

On Thursday 19 October, Year 10 Textiles students spent the day visiting the Oceanarium in Bournemouth. Students observed, sketched and took photographs of marine animals and plants to use as inspiration for their current GCSE coursework, based on Coast. Here is what some students had to say about the trip:

“My favourite part of the trip was when we got to go into the individual tunnels. It allowed us to get close and personal with the fish as well as see the coral and sea anemone in close detail.” Zoe

“My favourite bit of the Textiles trip to the Oceanarium in Bournemouth was the bubbles that you could poke your head into, as they made it a very immersive experience letting you feel as if you are in the tank with the fish and let you see the detail of their scales up close. I also enjoyed walking along the beach and being able to experience the textures of the beach for inspiration for my final project” Rafi

 

Last week saw our Year 7 students head out on a trip to the New Forest Outdoor Centre. Curnock and Davis went first on Tuesday and Evers and Patterson had their adventures on Thursday. On both days the students showed amazing courage and support for each other. Students shared their views …

“My trip to the New Forest was amazing! We did high and low ropes, archery, fire lighting and we had raft building. My personal favourite was the high and low ropes. Everyone supported each other and had such a fun time. Going to and back was so fun because everyone was talking and having so much fun.” Hannah (7P2)

“Our trip to New Forest was really enjoyable. There was a vast variety of activities and so many team building skills, you could really get used to the atmosphere. From raft building to archery, every activity we did was so fun and engaging. Everybody contributed and was included. It was especially fun because it allowed you to leave your comfort zone and let you do things you won’t normally do, letting you experience new opportunities as well as infinite possibilities!” Tanishka (7D1)

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