A group of 14 Clara students, 9 boys and 5 girls, had a remarkable experience visiting our partner school Trinity High in London. Trinity is actually a “boys school”, but it gave some of our girls the opportunity for an exchange for the very first time, as our other partner school in London, “Croydon High”, sadly could not participate in the exchange this year. The itinerary was packed with educational activities, cultural exchange, and fun outings, allowing us to bond with the exchange partners while exploring London and participating in various leisure activities over the weekend. But let’s start with the very beginning…
Day 1: Arrival and Meet-Up Wednesday, 24th September
The trip began with our train journey to London. After some fairly extreme delays (not Deutsche Bahn, but Eurostar!), everyone was excited to finally meet each other. We met the English boys at the Student Entrance around 5.30 p.m. After introductions, the students were taken home by their partners to spend the evening with the host families – and hand over various bags of carefully selected Haribo bags.
Day 2: School Experience Thursday, 25th September
We spent our first full day at Trinity School, attending registration and participating in all the lessons with the partners. We joined them for various classes, including German, where Trinity students had the opportunity of speaking German with real Germans – which went okay 😊. The lunch in the canteen felt like dining in a restaurant and the whole school campus is unlike anything that most students have seen (5 rugby and football fields, several hockey and basketball pitches, a swimming pool, woodworking spaces, music studios…). You would have to see it to believe it.
Day 3: London Sightseeing Friday, 26th September
After registration, we set off for London. Our first stop was Madame Tussauds, where we explored the famous wax museum, including the Royal Family of course. The famous Gregg’s sausage roll, however, had been removed just before our visit, as it was apparently too tasty for some… The visit was followed by a day of sightseeing and shopping in Central London (Oxford street), allowing the students to experience iconic culinary landmarks (to be honest, some rather questionably preferred McDonald’s) and do souvenir shopping.
Weekend Activities Saturday and Sunday, 27th-28th September
During the weekend, we spent time with our host families (the same is true for the teachers), engaging in various activities. Many of the group went bowling, where they enjoyed friendly competition and hopefully had a great time. Others attended local rugby, went to Wimbledon or even Premier League football matches, like Crystal Palace vs. Liverpool, which was a great experience for a lucky student (and allegedly also some teachers, but who knows). A few families traveled to Brighton, enjoying the beach, pier, and local attractions with the Clara students.
Day 4: Cultural Exploration Monday, 29th September
We returned to school for registration, then headed to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for a guided tour and a workshop. The experience provided insight into Shakespearean theatre, and we had the opportunity to participate in some acting exercises (Romeo and Juliet, this time with a happy ending). After the workshop, we explored the South Bank, enjoying the vibrant atmosphere around and inside the Tate Modern Museum and the “Wobbly Bridge” before returning to Trinity School. Some even saw St Paul’s Cathedral up close.
Day 5: Museums, museums… Tuesday, 30th
September On Tuesday, we attended registration before we traveled to London again. We visited the Natural History Museum in the morning, where we explored various exhibits ranging from a T-Rex skeleton to a modelled blue whale. Quite impressive! The Science museum was also on the programme but as most students preferred to enjoy insights into animal life and their natural habitats, we stayed there. After that, we headed to the London Borough Market, where we had lunch – Fish and Chips, of course – and bought some typical souvenirs and British food, like fudge, glaced strawberries and Swiss (!) cheese from lovely English cows.
Final Day: Farewells Wednesday, 1st October
On the final day, we brought our luggage to the Interview room, took a nice group photo (it will be added soon!), attended registration and the first two periods one last time, and gathered at 10:15 a.m. to say our goodbyes. We were taken by the school’s own buses to East Croydon and boarded a train to London St. Pancras. The highlight of the last day for some students, but not the author of this report, was a tournament of “Rock, Paper, Scissors” in which all students and teachers who had been found guilty of some minor wrongdoing or rule-bending, participated. The author lost the tournament dramatically (also quite miserably) and had to compose this report as was agreed on before the tournament by all participants. Despite that, the visit from Clara-Schumann Gymnasium was without a doubt a fantastic opportunity for cultural exchange and certainly also some friendships. Throughout the week, the students got to know each other, learned about cultural peculiarities (not just English food… but yes, also English food), shared experiences, and created lasting memories. We are looking forward to having the partners here in Bonn in February to show them what Karneval is really about (apart from all the candy they are already craving. They are all addicted to Haribo!).
Timo Frankenhauser (who still doesn’t know how he could lose the tournament after weeks of training)
