On Monday 5th June our school was visited by 25 students from Grades 8 to 10 and 3 teachers from St. Gilgen International School from Austria.
The main objective of this visit was the realisation of a very concrete project: How to promote Galicia through a video, but also to get to know each other and to enjoy the cultural and social experience.
To this end, the participants of the project (both the pupils from St. Gilgen's and 17 pupils from Chester College International School) were previously divided into 6 working groups according to different themes related to Galician gastronomy and traditional sports.
It is true that both pupils and teachers had already met and seen each other in a Zoom session last May, but on Monday there was a sense of uneasiness, shyness and also curiosity in the air.
The meeting began with a brief presentation of the teachers in charge of the project on both sides and a video presentation of our school, in German, made by Carmen Varela and Iker López, being the hosts, what less!
Then, all the students got to work rehearsing a play about the origins of Santiago: 5 scenes, 5 groups, 7 teachers and a technical team... After the snack the play was staged: a range of colours, languages, smiles, laughter and a lot of imagination... Some volleyball and basketball games brought the kids even closer and encouraged the exchange of ideas and plans.
In the afternoon, the 6 working groups had to face one more challenge: a gymkhana in the old town of Santiago with tests that demanded knowledge, agility, speed and teamwork. For an hour and a half in Santiago, six groups of our participants could be seen running around, asking questions to locals and tourists, consulting online information, taking pictures in emblematic places of our city? The reward: a few Santiago treats shared by all, the exchange of contacts, hugs, congratulations and the invitation to return the visit. Just listening to the tone of the farewells, and the shared hugs, we can say: yes, the experience was a success.
Frau Vaida Urbonaite, German teacher at Chester College and project coordinator
