Seven senior students from Middleton Grange International College in Christchurch recently returned from South Korea where they took part in an 8 day School Study Exchange Programme (SSEP). Danielle Bailey, Helen Park, Danielle Seah, Anthony Bykerk, Mitchell Archbold, Isaac Vickers and Thomas Rees traveled to South Korea in April 2009 to visit Ogum High School in the Songpa-Gu district of Seoul.
Ogum High School is regarded as a 'sister school' to Middleton Grange School and it has a long association with Christchurch through its sister city relationship established by the Christchurch City Council and the Songpa-Gu City Government.
Over the past 3 years students from Ogum High School have visited Middleton Grange International College for an overseas exchange. This year marked the first time that students from Christchurch enjoyed a similar cross cultural experience. The purpose of the SSEP is to enhance New Zealand students' understandings of Korea and its people, and to strengthen links with the Songpa-Gu district and Ogum High School. Asia:NZ's education programme supported this initiative with a grant.
Danielle Bailey one of the students who traveled to South Korea, shares her memories of the trip. Danielle is third from left in the photo.
Chrissy McLean, Assistant Principal Kirkwood Intermediate School, writes she was fortunate enough to travel to Korea with fifteen students from Kirkwood Intermediate School as part of the Song-pa Gu – Christchurch City sister city exchange.
"We were treated to two weeks of stunning hospitality. The students and I were treated so well and we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity of being part of the Korean culture.
Whilst it is fair to say that we were challenged at times, particularly when it came to adapting to the Korean food and in particular the spicy Kimchi, and after attempting to master the art of eating with chop sticks, we had an amazing time. The whole group enjoyed all the activities and sites the Song-pa Gu sister city committee had organised for us with the Korean folk village, traditional drumming and Lotte World being particular highlights.
We were very grateful to the host families who treated our 'kiwi' students as their own and know that we were very lucky to have had such wonderful families. On behalf of the whole group who travelled to Korea I wish to thank all the people involved who made our trip so memorable. We all have fabulous memories that will be with us for life. A special thank you to all the staff and volunteers at the Song-pa Gu city council who were truly amazing. I can't wait to return to Seoul!"
Read student Jared Van Vaianen's experience.
On Friday February 22, 10 students and two teachers will leave Christchurch bound for Songpa-Gu as the reciprocal sister city homestay exchange. The students will be hosted by families from the Songpa-Gu area in an exchange organised by Songpa-Gu Office, and will spend 10 days soaking in the atmosphere of one of Korea's most exciting cities. This is the first time that this exchange has occurred and follows on from a very successful inaugural visit by children from Songpa-Gu last year.
The group would like to thank Songpa-Gu Office, Christchurch City Council, and the Southern Trust for their support.
Group members are, Mr Peter Aitken (Deputy Principal Kirkwood Intermediate School) and Mrs Anne Delaney (International Student Manager, Chisnallwood Intermediate as leaders, and students Sophia Good, Shannon Hill (ex Kirkwood Intermediate School), Xanthe Bloomfield, Duncan Bridgman, Colin Coster, Aisha Saunders, Oliver Walker-Whelan (all Kirkwood Intermediate School), Tara Hayward (Discovery), Ryan Doncahie and Amelia Reese (Chisnallwood Intermediate).
For the second year running, the Songpa-gu Sister City Committee in conjunction with Songpa Office and the sister city schools organised an English Essay Competition for the visiting sister school and sister city groups, with the theme 'What could we do to understand people from other cultures?' All students submitted a one page essay and everyone was delighted with the effort they made and how well they managed to express themselves in written English. Each participant received a certificate and the best entry from each group received a small trophy.
2007 winning essays
2006 winning essays
Ogum High School, sister school of Middleton Grange
Mary Logan, Director, Middleton Grange International College,selected NAM Hyun Shick as the winner from the visiting Ogum High School Group and provided the following comments:
'The essays were terrific. I loved reading them and was conscious of the enthusiasm students had towards understanding people from different countries. If this is the calibre of students from Korea then we have great hope for our relationship with Ogum High School and for the world.
The winner's essay was very enthusiastic. More than this the student had extremely good insight into how you can understand different cultures. I liked many of the ideas and agree that you really have to experience a culture before you can begin to understand it. I love the phrases “feel their soul” and “It is fantastic that I can live in another mode”. Nam Hyun Shick does not have perfect English but he expresses what he believes clearly and in a way that is inspiring. When students write English, it is great to have an opportunity to write about things in a deep way rather than in a correct way. If students are not making mistakes then they are not pushing themselves hard enough. I also like to see the 'heart' or 'character' of a student in their writing. I believe Nam Hyun Shick shows character in this essay.
Extremely well done all of you and congratulations to Nam Hyun Shick.
Twenty one Songpa students arrived in Christchurch on 25 July to spend a 17 day visit with their new sister school, Casebrook Intermediate. They were accompanied by their Principal Mr Kim and Deputy Principal Mr Won.
The Principal of Casebrook Intermediate, Mrs Keen signed a sister school agreement with Songpa School. Both schools look forward to continued interaction through this relationship.
The students were hosted by kiwi families and attended school daily. They also participated in an after school programme. Some of the activities the student's experienced for the first time were rugby, cricket, kapa haka, golf and rock climbing.
During their stay the Songpa students wrote essays for the CCC English essay competition. It was interesting reading about the student's ideas on how New Zealand people could understand other cultures better. The main points made were that we should mix with people from other cultures, try their food, talk with them, visit their homes, attend cultural performances and ask questions about their heritage and customs. They thoroughly enjoyed experiencing our Kiwi culture and returned home with greater understanding and awareness of the New Zealand lifestyle.
Casebrook's Principal, Mrs Sharon Keen and Ms Mary Bowie, Casebook's International Student Co-ordinator, will fly to Korea on October 27. During this visit, they will have interviews with the parents of the Korean students attending Casebrook. They will also be representing Casebook Intermediate at the Australian/New Zealand Education Fair in Seoul.
The inaugural Songpa Homestay Exchange will see 10 Songpa students, children of Songpa-gu Office staff, aged 10 to 15, years being home-hosted by students of Chisnallwood and Kirkwood Intermediates from 30 July to 6 August. The group will be led by Songpa-gu International Relations Manager Mr Cho and staff member Mr Kim. Songpa-gu will reciprocate next year, hosting a group of Christchurch children.
Three Songpa-gu sister school groups will visit Christchurch between 23 July and 13 August. Songpa Middle School will formalise a sister school relationship with Casebrook Intermediate and welcome the Principal, Deputy Principal and students; Middleton Grange will host the Principal, 2 teachers and 10 students from sister school Ogum High School and Chisnallwood Intermediate will host the Principal, 2 teachers and students from sister school Gawon Middle School, 25 July to 13 August.
Chisnallwood received a group of 20 students from Gawon Middle School last year in July for 4 weeks. Gawon's Principal and 2 teachers also visited at that time.
The school then sent two teachers back to Gawon for 2 weeks to help with English language programmes and to share the new Zealand and Christchurch way of life with students and staff.
Principal Richard Paton visited Song Pa and Gawon last year and will visit again at the end of March 07. Richard Paton says “The relationships with Gawon and Korea are very strong and healthy.”
The Principal, 2 teachers and 14 students of Ogum High School, Songpa-gu were hosted by Middleton Grange International College and Middleton Grange School from 16-20 August 06.
At that time they signed a sister school agreement and plans are underway for another Ogum Group to visit Middleton Grange for an extended sister school exchange mid 2007.
Read the visit report and see their visit itinerary. (PDFs 37KB, 68KB).
From 21st to 25th February Merrin School will host the Principal Kwak, 3 teachers and 29 students from SeRyun Elementary School, Songpa-gu, Korea. This is Principal Kwak's first visit to Christchurch but the third SeRyun group the school has hosted.
The visit began with a Welcome Assembly where words and gifts were exchanged, songs sung and Merrin pupils performed to their Korean friends.
The group will homestay with Merrin School families and while in Christchurch will experience the city, the coutryside and the sea. They will be officially welcomed to the City at the Civic Offices by Cr Pat Harrow and will visit a farm, ride the tram, tour the city centre, and swim at QEII Park.
SeRyun hosted Merrin Principal, teachers, students and a number of parents in September last year and many of the friendships made then are being renewed.
The strong sister school relationship between Merrin and SeRyun started six years ago and in that time Merrin has visited SeRyun twice. The next exchange will see Merrin pupils visit SeRyun in 2007.
For further information contact Merrin School ph. 358 8369
A group from Aranui High School have just experienced a 'once in a lifetime opportunity' with a trip to their sister school Ogum High School in Songpa-gu. Bruce Darnill (Business Manager, Aranui), Siobhan Murphy (head of Social Sciences), Gary Porteous (Head of Academics), Alyssa Lloyde (year 10 student), Samm McPherson (Year 10), Eddie Templeton (Year 10), Liam Hayward (Year 6 at Richmond Primary) departed Christchurch spent a week in Songpa-gu in July, hosted by their sister school Ogeum. Read the article they submitted to Aranui High School's newsletter.
See the report on the Aranui High School group's visit.
On Monday 16 February Merrin School hosted 35 children, 4 teachers, and 2 parents from their sister-school Se Ryun Elementary School in Christchurch's sister-city Songpa Gu in Seoul, South Korea.
The tour group were billeted by Merrin School families for four days.
While at Merrin School the children joined in classes, and attended a welcome Assembly and performance by Merrin school cultural groups. They were taken to visit the Antarctic Centre, Ferrymead Historical Park, QE11, the Canterbury Museum, Botanical Gardens, and for a ride on a tram. On the Wednesday morning they were welcomed to the Civic Offices by Mayor Garry Moorel, and then in the evening a traditional pot-luck dinner and disco was organised for them.
This was the third stage of the school exchange programme which started in February 2003 when a similar group visited Merrin School. In September 2003, 21 children, 7 teachers and 5 parents from Merrin School visited Se Ryun School. Parents and teachers from both schools feel that the exchanges provide excellent opportunities for children from both schools to experience and share a different culture, make new friends, and in the case of the Merrin pupils to see at first hand where many of their friends had come from as approximately 15% of Merrin's roll are children from Korea. The two schools have been involved in this sister-school relationship for 5 years which has involved exchanges of art works, photos, emails and written exchanges until the first visit last year.
A far as organisers are aware this is the only primary school exchange which is arranged between Korea and New Zealand. Parents from Merrin and Se Ryun have raised funds for the exchange visits with pupils being billeted by families in both locations. Merrin School has been fortunate to receive donations from the Sister-City Committee, the Asia 2000 Foundation and two local travel firms.
After the Tour group left Merrin School they spent 5 days visiting other parts of the South Island before leaving for home, hopefully taking with them many happy memories of their exchange visit
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| "Painting the Masks" art class, Tosung Elementary School, Songpa-Gu |
Merrin Primary School will host a group of 25 students (9-11 years old), the Principal, 2 teachers and 2 Songpa parents from their sister school Se Ryun, Songpa-Gu, Seoul, Korea from 17 to 20 February.
The group will experience life in Kiwi homes and as well as attending classes will join in the school's Top Team competition, enjoy a BBQ at the beach and a tram ride and will visit the Antarctic Centre and Willowbank before heading down to Queenstown.
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| Merrin School's Korean Cultural Group |
Merrin School students have been busy fundraising for a trip to their sister school Se Ryun in Songpa-gu. They are planning to visit in September 2003.
25 children (aged 11-13), 6 teachers and 8 parents will get to experience school and home life in Korea, and will visit Songpa's famous Lotte World Fun Park (like Disneyland), a Korean Folk Village and other local attractions before travelling to other parts of Korea. The children are all part of Merrin School's Korean Cultural Group.
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| Merrin School's Korean Cultural Group |
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| See the report on the Ogum High School group's visit. |
On Monday, 22 July 2002 Aranui High School welcomed a group from its Songpa-Gu Sister School, Ogum High School. Deputy Principal Mr Jung led the group of 2 teachers and 15 students, aged 16 & 17 years old, who were hosted by Aranui until 6 August.
This was Ogum High School's third visit to Christchurch, as part of the Sister School Exchange programme with Aranui High School.
A formal sister school relationship exists between Aranui High School and Ogum High School in Songpa-Gu. Late in 1995, a 12 person group from Aranui High whanau were invited to perform at an international cultural festival held in Seoul. As a result the sister-school relationship developed between these two schools. For many of the students, it was the first experience of being on their own in a foreign country
In November 1996, a group led by Ogum’s principal, visited Aranui High School to formally sign the sister-school agreement. This document established the intention of forming an exchange relationship, whereby students from both schools would visit each other in alternate years.
The main objectives of this exchange programme is to:
The initial visit was made by Aranui students and staff to Ogum in September 1997, to coincide with a Schools music festival. Since then this exchange programme has become an important element in the sister city relationship between Christchurch and her sister city, Songpa-Gu.
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| Aranui High and Ogum High students in Songpa-Gu |
In recent years there has been an exchange of art works from Ogum High which has been exhibited at the Centre of Contemporary Art in Christchurch as part of the sister-school relationship.
A sister school relationship has also been established between Merrin Primary School, Christchurch and Seoul Se Ryun School, Songpa-Gu.