Friedrich Wöhler Gymnasium students have become like extended family in the wider Ballarat High School community.
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High School this year marks 20 consecutive years of student exchange with the German school. Friedrich Wöhler teacher Uschi Hoffmann, who helped establish the first exchange, made a special trip to Ballarat to celebrate the anniversary – just like she also did 10 years ago.
Ballarat High German teacher Dani Bjelanovic said many families had maintained connections with friends from the Singen school, found in the Lake Constance area. Past students and host families often stayed with each other years later and the exchange program’s longevity helped students and families stay in touch over years.
Social media was increasingly making this easier.
“It’s something we know is much more than a school exchange,” Ms Bjelanovic said. “They bring a lasting part of Ballarat to Germany.”
The latest batch of German students arrived in Ballarat this week. They were officially welcomed to Ballarat High with an Aboriginal smoking ceremony, a custom believed to have cleansing properties and that helps to ward off bad spirits.
Wadawurrung elder Bryon Powell led the ceremony before about 100 year eight students, who are taking German at Ballarat High. Ms Bjelanovic said ceremony, complete with a question-and-answer at the end, also taught Australian students a lot about this region’s Aboriginal culture.
German students and their teachers will spend three weeks based in Ballarat with visits planned to the Art Gallery of Ballarat, the wildlife park, Sovereign Hill and travel further afield to the Grampians and along the Great Ocean Road.
Ms Bjelanovic said the exchange program aimed to introduce German students to as much Australian culture as possible in their three-week stay.
In return, Ballarat High students studying German have a chance to make a three-week exchange to Friedrich Wöhler Gymnasium. The schools also run a three-month stay for Ballarat year 11 students in Singen, a program that has been running the full 20 years.
Ballarat High will this year introduce a three-month stay in Japan for year 11 students studying Japanese.
Ms Bjelanovic said the longer stays really helped bring the language alive.
“It just helps them so much in their VCE results and in becoming global citizens,” Ms Bjelanovic said.
Ballarat High’s visiting German students also had a formal lunch reception with mayor Des Hudson earlier this week, to help get to know and feel comfortable in their new home away from home.