Thursday, 19 March
The French students arrived by train around 7 p.m. at Berlin Central Station. They had been on a 12-hour journey and had changed trains once in Paris. Everyone was very excited.
Once the French students had been assigned to their respective host families, we brought them home.
Friday, 20 March
In the morning, we went to school at the usual time and took part in a theatre project to get to know each other better. Later in the day, there was a welcome address by Mr. Sechars, the deputy headteacher, in the cafeteria. There was a small buffet and we had the chance to chat a bit. At around 2 p.m., we had Döner (kebab) at Potsdamer Platz before going on a guided tour of Checkpoint Charlie and learning about the history oft he site.
Saturday & Sunday, 21-22 March
Over the weekend we did various activities with our exchange students. For example, we went shopping on
Kurfürstendamm, had a picnic in the Tiergarten, played sports outdoors, went sightseeing, etc.
Monday, 23 March
During the first two periods, the French students sat in on our lessons. Afterwards, we created posters and videos about the differences between our school systems and the general differences between Germany and France. Later on, we played the games we had created earlier.
Tuesday, 24 March
In the morning, the French students joined our classes again.
Afterwards, we painted tote bags and went bowling at Nollendorfplatz at lunchtime. In the afternoon, everyone went to Alexanderplatz to buy presents for their families and for themselves.
Wednesday, 25 March
In the morning, we all met in front of the European House and visited the glass dome of the Reichstag together.
Unfortunately, it was raining by the time we reached the top.
Later, we watched two short films in the 360° cinema at the House of Europe that taught us about the European political system. We then had the afternoon free.
Thursday, 26 March
The French students left for France at 7 a.m.
Overall, the exchange was a very enriching experience and everyone gained a lot from it. It provided an opportunity to make new friends and improve our understanding of French and French culture. For the French students, the exchange was also a wonderful experience and gave them insight into life in a big city. We are already looking forward to early June, when we will be heading to Châteaugiron!
Alysa (8eu1)
