At the beginning of the term we welcomed a small group of 20 senior high students and two staff from Itoshima High School for a three afternoon class exchange with Year 9, 10 and senior Japanese language students.
Itoshima High School is located 45 minutes outside Fukuoka City (Auckland Sister City) on Kyuushuu Island, Japan.
The exchange has given our students the opportunity to put into practice their Japanese language skills and to learn more about their Japanese students and their way of life. The first afternoon the group was welcomed by Year 9 and senior Japanese students and the College Kapa Haka Group, whose warm welcoming powhiri caused much excitement and appreciation.
The second afternoon our visitors and Year 10 Japanese language students played a ‘football’ game that generated much interaction and fun for all the students.
The third afternoon, our visitors followed their buddy student to their afternoon classes with the aim for them to have a glimpse of Sancta Maria College students’ school life.
The cultural, sports and language exchange has proven a great hit; bringing to life authentic learning interactions for both our visitors and our students. We look forwards to more visits in the future.
