Aakash Jain Visits Canada on Short Term Exchange ProgrammeUnder the Aegis of AFS

August 16, 2015

Aakash Jain of class X C visited Canada from July 17, 2015 to August 15, 2015. He liked the friendly nature of the people and the cleanliness culture of the country. He visited Edmonton and Calgary and also attended the school. He was impressed with the work culture and pattern of studies. During his stay he learnt to adjust with others, clean the lawn and also to express his feelings of thank you and sorry. Being a vegetarian posed many problems for him but his host family and AFS Coordinators helped him. Aakash was lucky to interact with the Mexican girl and the Italian boy being hosted by his host family and learn their culture too. He also enjoyed the English classes conducted in the church.

Prerak Murdia Visits Italy on Short Term Exchange ProgrammeUnder the Aegis of AFS

August 14, 2015

Prerak Murdia of class X F visited Italy under AFS short term exchange programmefrom June 27, 2015 to August 3, 2015. On reaching Rome, the AFS volunteers welcomed their group. They went to Tuscany for orientation and thereafter visited cities like Florence, Pisa and Lucca. His host family consisted of four members who were very affectionate. Every morning, he would speak the phrases ‘Ciao, Bongourno’ to greet everyone. Before the exchange programmehe had no sibling but now he feels blessed to have two of them with whom he shares his thoughts. It was indeed a learning experience for him to spend his time in a totally different background experiencing new lifestyle, food and interacting with a diversified culture.

Dhawal Choudhary Visits Italy on Short Term Exchange ProgrammeUnder the Aegis of AFS

August 4, 2015

Dhawal Choudhary of class XI E went to Italy under AFS short term exchange programme from June 27, 2015 to August 3, 2015. During the orientation at Tuscany and subsequent visit to different cities, he made many friends from US, Hong Kong and Mexico and enjoyed a lot with them. He also developed a strong bond with his host family and learnt about the Italian culture from them. At the beginning he faced some problems of food and language but soon overcame them. This exchange programme has made Dhawal more confident, disciplined, organized and even independent.

Manan Patodi Visits Hungary on Short Term Exchange ProgrammeUnder the Aegis of AFS

June 6, 2015

Manan Patodi of class X C visited Hungary under AFS exchange programme from April 30, 2015 to June 5, 2015. He also attended the school and appreciated the fact that the government of Hungary shoulders the responsibility to educate the children at a reasonable fee structure. The beautiful and clean country with friendly and co-operative people attracts the tourists from all over the world. He went on a trip to the major cities like Budapest, Szeged, Tatabanya, Eager and Lake Balaton. His host family’s care and concern did not let him feel away from home. He would always cherish the bond which he developed with his host family.

Mrs.Raminder Mac Visits Germany on AFS Volunteer Development Programme

October 12, 2013

Mrs. Raminder Mac, Dean of Activities of the school was one of the 13 volunteers selected from the country by AFS to go to Germany on a Volunteer Development Programme from September 21 to October 6, 2013. Meeting different people provided her an astounding opportunity to learn about the culture of the country and gain immensely from it. She would always remain indebted to Ulrike,Marga and Katharina for providing her the warmth and care of a family member and nurturing an indelible friendship bond with her.During her stay she witnessed how German students learnt Hindi at the Creative Learning Institute of Dr. Marga and Dr. Kim Singh. She also visited the Society for Protection of Kindergarten where the children of working mothers were looked after while the mothers learnt German and knitting in different rooms of the building. She also attended Ulrike Syndikus’s one hour session for mental peace for relieving stress and felt transported into another world.

She visited four schools, interacted with the Principals and students and promoted Indian German student exchange programs between the two nations. In IGS Anna Seghers Mainz – IntegrierteGesamtschule Anna Seghers Mainz, a Comprehensive schoolwhere bright, weak and not so bright students study together she witnessed grade 12 English class as well as interacted with the students thereafter. During her visit to Maria Ward Schule, Mainz (for girls only), a Gymnasium where the best students study, she saw grade 11 English class being conducted and interacted with grade 11 & 13 students informing them about AFS programs and the rich Indian culture. She visited a Primary school in WeinbegschuleHochheim and sat in grade III English class where the children were totally absorbed in the lesson. In Graf-Stauffenberg Gymnasium Schule in the town Florsheim she saw how Physics and German lessons were taught to grade 6 students. She gained insight about German teaching methodology during her visits to schools as well as understood the differences between Indian and German educational pattern.

During the trip she visited various places with the host families and AFS German volunteerslike PffafenSchwarbenheim, Bad Kreuznach, Mainz,Hochheim, Frankfurt, Ingelheim, Ruedesheim, Wiesbaden and Eltiville. She also attended the AFS chapter meeting at Wiesbaden and attended the annual AFS volunteer gathering at Oberursel where 100 AFS Germany volunteers viewed the Indian counter displaying Indian artifacts and put forth her views in the workshops conducted by AFS Germany chapter. The Indian volunteers also worked on a handbook prepared by volunteers in the previous years and elucidated their suggestions pertaining to religion, friendship, environmental and gender related issues. She witnessed the strong family bond existing in the family with all of them praying together before every meal and then saying ‘good appetite’ before eating. She also learnt that Germans are very punctual and pay a lot of emphasis on time management as well as believe in direct communication and do not beat around the bush. The programme aimed at inter-cultural learning at the global level made her realize that ‘the world is a family’.