14 Thai visitors spend 4 days with our students and experience life in an English secondary school
On Monday 21st October 2013 Wye School welcomed 14 Thai visitors to spend 4 days with our students and experience life in an English secondary school. In partnership with the Concorde Buddy programme in Canterbury we were able to give both our students and our Thai visitors a unique educational experience.
Fourteen of our students agreed to ‘buddy’ a Thai student and we are extremely proud of the way they approached their responsibilities. This meant ensuring their buddy was in the right lesson, taking care of them at break times and lunch and being sociable and friendly at all times. The Thai students and leaders had a fabulous time and felt extremely welcome and looked after. This is a credit to the students of our school and in particular, those students who offered to give up their personal time to ensure our visitors had the best experience possible. Staff also made the visit a rich and unforgettable one with staff in the canteen cooking Thai and South East Asian food, an Art project and the Principal dedicating lessons to teaching the children Thai greetings and customs.
Here are a few reflections from our students, explaining what they gained from the experience:
'The Thai visitors were fun and kind, especially the one I was looking after.’
‘I found it interesting as it gave us the chance to learn about another culture. Ms Naylor’s lesson was fun as we looked at greetings in Thai.’
‘I really enjoyed having a Thai person. I learnt a lot about Thailand and a bit of Thai language.’
‘The Thai buddies were a good experience because it made you feel more responsible.’
‘I would like to go and visit my Thai buddy when I am older.’
‘I felt privileged that I was able to look after a Thai buddy.’
The Concorde organisation has been very complimentary of our school and our students and we look forward to working with them again in the future.