As Thanksgiving approaches and the Ashford students and teachers fly back home, I find myself reflecting on all the people (on both sides of the Atlantic) who have made this partnership possible. There are the brave Ashford and Einstein students who, after years of staying within their own communities due to Covid, bravely chose this global adventure. And, I'm thankful to the Ashford parents and families who trusted us with their children and the Einstein parents and families who treated our students like their own. Herr Seggelmann chose such wonderful families to host our students. Herr Seggelmann and his colleagues planned an amazing exchange. They covered all the details, made all the arrangements, brought us on the most fascinating day trips, and gave our students a life changing experience. I have loved collaborating with Einstein teachers over the years. Every time I see them, it feels like connecting with an old friend. Speaking of very special teachers, Mr. Busse and Mr. Young deserve all of our thanks. They left their homes and families for weeks to become part of this international family of sorts. Without them, we wouldn’t even have an exchange this year. They were our ambassadors helping students develop friendships and strengthening the partnership between our schools. And, Mr. Calabrese and Ms. Baumgartner worked hard to prepare our students through intensive German classes, emergency German cards, and in general helping with the trip. But it’s not just the teachers who make this possible-- we are so lucky to have administrators that not only trust the teachers but are above and beyond supportive of the exchange. Herr Droste, Mrs. Borysevicz, and Mrs. Ford’s commitment to global learning is truly commendable. And, in the 50th anniversary year of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP), I would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the Goethe Institute for facilitating GAPP exchanges, providing us with resources and support, and for the financial support that enables us to provide this opportunity at a low cost cost so that it is accessible to our students. GAPP has changed the culture of our school by making our community more global. About five years ago, Maik Seggelmann sent our school an email. We had signed up for an email list about STEM partnerships with schools in Germany with the hopes that we could do some projects together over Skype. Maik had much bigger ideas. He invited our school to travel all the way to Germany so that we could work with students at Einstein on STEM projects related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It was scary bringing 20 students to a place we had never been at the innovation of a teacher that we had never met in person. But it was almost as if our schools were meant to be together. So, although I thanked him above, I really do need to thank Herr Seggelmann again for seeing the potential in our partnership and making it happen. Although the Ashford students have left Germany, this isn’t goodbye. We are excited to welcome Einstein students to Ashford in May. While they are here we are planning to bring them on lots of exciting adventures and to do some activities related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. If you are interested in helping to plan for the May exchange or other global programs at Ashford School, please email me at [email protected]. It is an exciting time for global collaborations!
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Despite train delays, Ashford and Einstein students traveled 416km (258 miles) from Rheda to Berlin. While in the capitol, the students saw the Parliament building which was a great place to reflect on UN Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals. The students really enjoyed taking a boat tour around Museum Island and learned the history of this fascinating city. At the Holocaust Memorial, students silently walked by the huge concrete blocks that are both sobering in the historical context and as an artistic symbol. The memorial is largely comprised of large rectangles and sloping and curving stones, which gives you the illusion that once you walk into the memorial, you may not be able to walk out again-- a very reflective metaphor. The students also saw murals that are part of the East Side Gallery which is a section of the Berlin Wall that has been preserved for its huge paintings. And, of course, walking through the Christmas markets was a very enjoyable part of the day. It was a jam packed trip that will stay in our memories. Check out some pictures from Berlin in the slideshow above, More photos from Berlin (added 11/21)Sports Day waaaasssss awesome! American and Germany students were divided into six equal teams in order to compete in three different sporting events. Herr Dixon and Frau Hillimeyer are two of Einstein's sports teachers. They gave us the rules and timed or refereed our play. Each of the six teams rotated to different events to competed against different opponents. The team with the most overall wins after playing in every event received a package of local chocolates. The stakes were high, but the teamwork and sportsmanship were even higher! Rugby Basketball, Voelkerball and Takeshi (Obstacle Dodgeball) were enjoyed by all. Even Mr. Busse and Mr. Young got in on the action. Sport (PE) in Germany is very similar to our traditional classes in the US. Today was another example of how children are children no matter where you are in the world.
Today the students visited Rheda's Town Hall und Schloss Rheda or Rheda Castle. To start, we were treated to a warm welcome from the deputy mayor. She gave a wonderful speech about the rich history of the town and presented our school with a book to commemorate the occasion. Rheda-Wiedenbruck used to be two separate towns, and it wasn't until very recently that the two halves were combined to forge the beautiful Westfalia location. After the introduction at the town hall, students were led to Rheda's castle. They explored the grounds and carriage house and learned that the castle is still in use today. The carriage house has beautiful coaches, but the highlight of the field trip was walking over the moat and touring inside the castle. First, the students saw the castle chapel. The chapel at Schloss Rheda was built over 1,000 years ago and has a trapdoor. Then they went into the old living quarters, which is full of historical clothing, furniture, and other artifacts. The chandelier in the slideshow above is from Italy and is the most expensive item in the room, even though the mirrors are made of real gold. What a fun surprise that our host community has their own working castle!
Check out the slideshow below for even more pics. Our host community, Rheda-Wiedenbrück, used to be separate towns. The school is in Rheda so we have had lots of opportunities to explore that part of town. Today we took a tour of Wiedenbrück. The first written mention of Wiedenbrück was in the year 1088. And, the students even saw a church that may have been built as early as 785! A lot of the buildings date back to the 1500s. It is so cool to be in a place with so much history. In 1970, the towns Rheda, Wiedenbrück, Batenhorst, Lintel, Nordrheda-Ems and St.Vit were combined to form Rheda-Wiedenbrück. The students enjoyed walking through Wiedenbrück--check out the slideshow below! Ashford students and teachers had a wonderful time with their host families this weekend. Mr. Young and Mr. Seggelmann shared some pictures of the students' adventures which are in the slideshow above. This year is the 50th anniversary of the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) exchange. The best part of the GAPP is that students and teachers stay with host families in our partner community. We are lucky to have the best host families who are always so welcoming and kind. And, we are very much looking forward to hosting Einstein students in the Spring!
Today, the students had a scavenger hunt in Münster. Students got the chance to explore the city via scavenger hunt here as they raced around to different historical landmarks. Some of the scavenger hunt brought them to different landmarks around the city, and some of the challenges were just for fun!
The theme of this year's exchange is United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals. On our exchange we will see examples of how countries can work together in partnerships. For example in Münster, we learned that Münster was home to incredible historical events such as the Peace of Westphalia in 1648. This important peace treaty brought an end to the Thirty Years War and the Eighty Years War. It’s also thought to be one of the foundational treaties of international relations and was the basis on which modern Europe was built: a great place to reflect on UN Goal 17- Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions! Speaking of Sustainable Development, Münster is home to over 500,000 bikes, which averages out to 2 bikes per resident! There are over 450 km of bike paths, and many residents see biking as a way to travel sustainably without harming the environment. It also makes the city very easy to walk around in, and the landmarks easier to see. It was great to see a city working so hard towards UN Goal 11. Mr. Young and Mr. Busse sent us lots of great pictures of their recent adventures. You can check them out in the slide show above. The students and teachers will spend this weekend with their host families. We can't wait to hear more about their adventures on Monday and we wish everyone an amazing weekend of exploration. |
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November 2022
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