Cultural Exchange
On Thursday August 1, St Aloysius College welcomed two staff and fifteen students from our Japanese Sister School, Kyoto Seibo Gakuin. Students who visited the school in April were delighted to see familiar faces. Over the course of the program, the Japanese students have been involved in many activities including a trip to the Melbourne Zoo and NGV, as well as a tour of the Melbourne CBD with the Years 9-12 Japanese classes. They have also experienced classes with their Host Students and participated in Art, Science, Food Technology and Design Technology classes run by our teachers. During the homestay, the Japanese students have been immersing themselves in Australian culture and have had opportunities to explore other parts of Victoria with their Host Families. We are grateful for the continued partnership we have with Kyoto Seibo Gakuin and hope that friendships and connections made during this program continue beyond school.
Arina Mizuno
Languages Leader
Hosting Japanese exchange students has been a wonderful experience, as it has enabled us to learn more about Japanese culture and teach them about all things Australia. We have had many valuable and insightful adventures together. A key moment of the weekend was taking the Japanese students to an AFL match. They were highly eager and interested in the game. We also showed them Australian food, animals and scenic locations. Our class also took the Japanese students on a tour around Melbourne CDB, which was certainly a special day to remember.
Olivia M, 11C
To kick off the exchange program, our class took the Japanese students to the Melbourne Zoo. At the zoo, we completed a scavenger hunt that encouraged us to communicate in both Japanese and English. Together, we saw cute Australian animals such as kangaroos and koalas which were our favourites. Over the weekend, we took the Japanese student I was hosting to Lorne, where we ate a variety of delicious pies, chips and donuts near the beach. Conversing in both Japanese and English has expanded our vocabulary and strengthened our understanding in different cultures. This week has been really fun and I'm looking forward to the coming days!
Emma C, 12A