Nativity Delegation Visit Otto Hahn Gymnasium
in
Geesthacht, Germany
Monday, April 14
Nativity's Delegation that will visit Otto Hahn Gymnasium is commissioned as our representatives in a school wide assembly. It is our tradition for members of the Delegation to ring The Friendship Bell that was a gift from Otto Hahn on the occasion of The Friendship Project in September 2006l
Thursday, April 17
We are spending Day one at Otto Hahn. The students have been wonderful. All are well - some are sleepy. Should be an early night for most tonight. No one is complaining about hunger or homesickness. You should all be very proud of how mature they are behaving.
It is rainy and cold here so enjoy your beautiful weather. We have a meeting room at the school and the students meet their hosts on the breaks in their common areas. Today we walked some to The River Elbe and through Geesthacht when Anke was not teaching lessons.
Some students rode bikes to school, some were driven and others take the bus. They all leave school at different times but none of them leave until 12:10. some must stay until 2:00.
We have met up with Sebastian Kloth and Sarah Jamishidi who were interns within the last 2 years at Nativity.
We are having a Wonderful time and will go Hamburg tomorrow with the class. Interesting fact: Hamburg has more bridges than Venice. Should be fun.
Take care and do not worry too much! We are getting along wonderfully.
Friday, April 18
Hello, greetings from Germany! Today was a very fun and eventful day for the Nativity students in Germany. We met at Otto Hahn 7:45 am, we were all pleasantly surprised to see Inken and Petra (former German interns, Fall 2007) were there to see us and accompany us on our trip to Hamburg. We left Otto Hahn at around 8:10 and took a bus and two trains to get to Hamburg. In Hamburg, we took a boat tour of around the River Elbe and the harbor around Hamburg. We got to see many sights of Hamburg, including the innovative and unusual architecture, as well as several types of boats. After an hour in the harbor, we walked to St. Michael’s Cathedral. At St. Michael’s, we went to the top of the church which provided a beautiful view of the city. We then had a short snack time and made our way to the City Square in front of the Town Hall. From there, most students ate pizza (which they found to be “some of the best pizza in the world”) and shopped in the various stores for an hour. They picked up many souvenirs and gifts for themselves. We then made our way back to Geesthacht by catching two trains and a bus. From Geesthacht, we set the students up with money, said our goodbyes, and sent the students off for various weekend events with their host families (including going to “football” matches, “get-togethers” with both German and American students, and other fun events).
Today was a great day for both the American and German students (and chaperones as well). We had great weather with lots of sun and we really enjoyed the sights and each other’s company. Lots of laughs were shared. Mrs. Theis brought an electronic “20 Questions” game with her and shared it today with the students. The German students found the game to be extremely interesting and it provided a nice bonding experience for the German and American students. The best part about the game was that the students asked to borrow the game for a get together they were having this weekend. Dwayne and Jackson were put in charge of the game and promised to report back how it went this weekend.
Student behavior continues to be outstanding. This group has shown responsibility, maturity, and good manners, thus far. All the students have provided some unforgettable moments in the 2 days we have spent together in Germany, and we’re sure there are many more to come. Students are starting to feel more comfortable with the time difference and seem to be adapting to the European customs and foods.
Just as an FYI, our computer time at Otto Hahn is limited, but most students have email available at their host family’s homes. We have encouraged them to email at least once by this time. If you have not heard from your child, do not be alarmed. They have been very busy the days they have been in Germany. We have talked to all students individually and continue to monitor their wellness on the trip. So far, the students tell us they are doing well in Germany.
We will give you an update on Monday after the students report back from the weekend. Have a great weekend!
Monday, April 21
We met the Hauke Meyhofer!!!! He took Emily and I out for coffee on Sunday. We will see Christine tomorrow and on Thursday Emily and I will have dinner with Daniel and his family! That makes every intern except Lea that we have had a chance to see!!!!
The students shared their stories of fun things they did this weekend. We took a great trip to Hamburg and saw the immigration museum. Emily will update with pictures tonight. We are doing great. All cases of homesickness have seemed to disappear. The students had great stories and pictures from the weekend. the two favorite activities were the Climbing Garten(ropes course) and the Serengeti Park (zoo)! Some had other stories to share of going to the North Sea!
Wednesday, April 22
The Germany delegation has had a busy and exciting two days! On Tuesday, students spent their first full day at Otto Hahn. The Nativity students broke up into various groups and visited classrooms at Otto Hahn ranging from grades 5-10. They took part in various activities in the classrooms, from answering questions about America to working in small conversation groups.
The students at Otto Hahn (especially in 5th and 6th grades) are "fascinated" by the students from America. Their interest in America was not only in the classroom but in the down time as well. In between classes, the Nativity students would meet in our room (assigned to us as a meeting place for our delegation). Everytime we congregated in our room, we had quite an audience of German students at our door, some wanting to talk to us, but most just wanting to observe us. At first the American students were a little surprised by their popularity, but they soon enjoyed themselves.
The Nativity students exchanged emails with the German students and made even more friends. Some of the Nativity students even started a pick up soccer game with some students in the courtyard. After school, many of the students and their host families went bowling. Mrs. Theis and I met up with Christine and Sebastian in Hamburg for dinner!
Today, we took an all day trip to Northern Germany. We started our day early and took a chartered bus to the Grenzhus Museum, which gave detail on the former territories of East and West Germany. The Museum was right along the former East/West border. Students got to see original border towers and barbed wire fences. They also got a feel for what it was like to live in East Germany during the time of Soviet Rule. From
Grenzhus, we took a 45 minute drive to Lubeck, a city in the North of Germany. Lubeck is a very old town that dates back to the Middle Ages. We saw many historical sites, such as St. Petri Church and the Holsten Gate. At each historical site, the German students gave presentations explaining the significance of each site. They did a wonderful job! After taking in all the historical sites, the students got a chance to walk around the pedestrian parkway in Lubeck and have lunch and shop.
After spending a number of hours in Lubeck, we traveled to Travemunde, which is a small port city in Northern Germany located on the Baltic Sea. Students walked around on the beach and some ventured into the cold water (only putting their feet in the water). After the beach, we made our way back to Geesthacht. Another great day.
After having some not so pleasant weather for the first few days, we have been rewarded with great weather this past couple of days. The temperatures are in the 60's and 70's and the sun is shining. Student behavior continues to be really great, and the 8th grade students have shown great leadership throughout the past few days by leading the classroom visits.
We are having a great time and the American and German students are getting along very well. I think we will have some American students (possibly some German students) who will be sad to leave in a couple of days.
Saturday, April 26
Students have spent their final days in Germany doing various activities. On Thursday, we spent the day at Otto Hahn doing more classroom visits. The weather all week has been lovely and students took advantage of it during their down time by playing soccer. On Thursday night, some of the boys attended a birthday party for one of the German students. Mrs. Theis and Ms. Bennett went to dinner with Dieter Röettle (a teacher at Otto Hahn) and his wife and two sons, one of which was our former Nativity intern, Daniel! Mrs. Theis and I saw all but one of the former Nativity interns!
On Friday, students spent the day in the computer lab working on their emigration projects. (On Monday of last week, students visited the emigration museum, Ballinstadt in Hamburg. They had to work in partners to answer questions and form a report from what they found). Students worked on that project for a majority of the day. When they were finished, the Nativity delegation walked into Geesthacht and got some ice cream to wrap up our day. Friday evening the American and German students attended a farewell party--hosted, planned, and supervised by the parents. I only was able to stay for a short period of time but students seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Today, students spent their final day with their host families in Germany. Some of the students went swimming together and others simply spent the day with their families. All in all, I think the students had a great trip and learned a lot of things about German culture and history. They formed some great friendships with the German student as well. Tomorrow we leave Germany early in the morning. I think most students will be sad to leave, but feel fortunate to have had such a wonderful experience.
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