Wessex School, Concepción
May 22nd to May 25th 2007
For the second year running 45 students from Wessex School, Concepción, Chile visited Solihull School for a 4-day stay. 31 Solihull School families (from IIIrds to UVI) hosted the students and gave them an insight into family life in the West Midlands area. One lucky Chilean lad was taken to the Who Concert in Birmingham, while others went skating or bowling. Whether it was serving up traditional fish and chips or playing Monopoly or taking a Chilean student to the doctors, the host families really did their bit, and extremely well.
During the two school days the students took their visitors to their lessons for the first three periods. Whether it was a maths test or a science practical, the Chileans got involved. Many teachers had to handle an extra 12 students in their lessons, yet their professionalism and expertise saw the lessons run smoothly and effectively.
Mrs Brown and Vanessa, our GAP student from the same school in Chile, took the visitors to Coventry Cathedral (and Primark to do a little shopping!!) as well as a tour of Rugby School, the home of the game Rugby since the Chilean lads are very keen rugby players. On their return, and with the sun shining, it was straight into the football and rounders challenges. Each country fielded 2 teams and under the supervision of Mrs Hogg and Mr Farmer the girls got off to a fine start. The boys were kept in order by the two Toms (Morris and Arnold) who refereed their matches. Even the teachers got involved with Monsieur Grandrieux helping one of the Solihull teams and Señora Figueroa (from Wessex) hitting a few rounders for her side. Following the Chilean victory at football and the English victory at rounders the participants and their families enjoyed a buffet supper in the Pavilion.
On Thursday a group of Chileans turned their hand to art and produced a Picasso style, Cubist drawing that was presented to the school in Friday’s assembly. This will be mounted and displayed around the school. Others tried their skills in Terriers, rock climbing, cooking or learning knots. In the afternoon they went to see the urban regeneration of the Bull Ring area in Birmingham and marvelled at the impressive buildings and facades like Selfridges. Concepción is situated 500km south of Santiago, the capital, and is smaller than Birmingham with about 300,000 people but its central area tends to get renewed due to earthquakes. The last one that devastated the centre was in 1939 and another did slightly less damage in 1960.
On their return to Solihull all the students joined up and watched a typical ‘British’ film ‘Bend it Like Beckham! Then it was off home to enjoy a last evening with their hosts.
Friday was their assembly. They would have a hard act to follow because the Chilean group last year dazzled the Solihull students and parents with their version of a Black Sabbath number and some traditional dancing (La Cueca). We were certainly not disappointed. One of their male students turned out to be an excellent pianist and welcomed in the LVth students and the rest of Lower School with some Chopin and Mozart. This was followed by a visual presentation on the diversity of Chile, so at least we will all know where their country is, and more! The finally was a dance by 10 of the Chilean ladies. They showed us a traditional dance from the Easter Islands, which belong to Chile even though they are 3700 kilometres away. The dance looked very Hawaiian which is not too surprising since the islanders sailed the Pacific for trade and resources. The applause clearly illustrated how much the dance was appreciated or rather it was applause for the bravery and attraction of the scantily clad girls!
The farewells were made and the students left for other sights and locations on their month long trip, which will take them to Scotland and France as well as around England. This year our students have cemented their links with our visitors by making MSN contact before their arrival and keeping that contact going now they have left.
May be some of these student will join the Geography/Spanish trip to Chile and Wessex school next Easter?
J.S.Brown
The Future of The Wessex Project, 2007 – 8
2008 will see a reprise of the Hosting programme for another group of young Chileans, keen to get to know our culture and to practise their English. Again we hope to organise a rewarding and varied programme for them and to learn more ourselves of South America. The first joint Geography and Spanish trip for own students to go to Chile in May 2008 is now well underway, and the first group of students will travel to Chile at Easter this year. It will be a truly educational visit, studying Chile's landscape and combining this with practice of the language and the cultural experience of staying in a Chilean home. This year, we are working on developing the Gap Student aspect of the link. The second of our current Lower Sixth students will go to Chile for two months in the summer, 2008, to assist in lessons in Wessex School. He will be supported by the Ahlefeldt-Pierson Travel Scholarship, endowed by Mr Pierson, a teacher in the Modern Languages Department of Solihull School in the 1960s. In return, we play host to two young Chilean students who wish to live in a family and work in Solihull School for six months. Rayén and Stephanie have already arrived and are proving very useful in the Spanish Department here.This marks very significant progress in our programme of cultural links and provides exciting opportunities for our students. Informed travel can be truly formative!