Bright P-12 College

In September 2005 after many months of preparation and organisation a group of 19 students (from years 8-11), two teachers and one parent left Melbourne airport (on Grand Final day) for a 3-week exchange adventure.  After the long-haul flight we were all tired but quite excited to finally meet our hosts for the next few weeks.

There was a welcome brunch held at the school which the teachers missed because we took the Autobahn and spent a couple of hours in a Stau! We arrived in time to wave the students off with their hosts and hoped to see them all at school the next morning.

During the next two weeks students attended classes with their hosts, assisted in other English classes, went hiking, did a scavenger hunt to get to know the small town of Bad Aibling, visited a brewery, instructed our German friends in the Aussie Sportarten (netball, cricket and AFL), got the taste for bretzeln, turned their noses up at the funny water (Mineralwasser with bubbles) and made some great friends.

The final weekend was spent in Berlin. After some tears at the train station we travelled as a group with the ICE train from München to Berlin, whilst viewing the changing countryside of Germany. Berlin was a highlight for the students with a walking tour of the main sights filled with anecdotal stories (many of which can still be recited by students today) by our guide. Some students went to the zoo, rode bicycles through the Tiergarten, shopped til they dropped and generally enjoyed the buzz of a big city.

In April 2006 the reciprocal visit took place. A group of 25 students and 3 teachers arrived in Bright to stay with their same host partners and experience the Aussie way of life. Students spent a day on Mt Buffalo, attended classes with their hosts, cooked sausage rolls, walked in the bush, panned for gold, camped under the stars (after cooking marshmallows in the campfire), went to Aussie Rules football games and spent their final weekend in Sydney.

In October 2006 our school principal was in Germany with a group of invited principals promoting Victorian Government schools.  He was lucky enough to visit the Wirtschaftschule Alpenland in Bad Aibling (our sister school) and experienced the enthusiasm and hospitality first hand.

Planning is well under way for the exchange trip in September 2007...

• see ›Schulleben‹ at the website of Wirtschaftschule Alpenland in Bad Aibling