During the Easter holidays, thirty students of Spanish, from IV Form to UVI Form, enjoyed a brilliant week in Jerez, S.W. Spain. The atmosphere in the group was tremendous; students mixed well and enjoyed the company of boys and girls from different sections of the school. There were many opportunities for students to hear and speak Spanish; during lessons in the Spanish school, more casual meetings with Spanish students in the playground, with the guide who accompanied us on all of our visits and of course, in the Spanish families where students from Solihull School were placed.
The week did not allow us to get bored. A visit to the wonderful city of Seville, a boat trip up the Guadalquivir River to visit the National Park of Doñana, a visit to the Tío Pepe Bodega to see sherry being made, a fine display of horsemanship at the Ecuestrian School of Andalucía, in Jerez: these were just a few of the many visits.
There were many more activities, which we could broadly speaking term as cultural; the group consumption of chocolate y churros (with disastrous consequences for some!), the football match against ‘the Spaniards’, the flamenco class invaded by Spanish youngsters –all these memories evoke a wry smile!
There were many personal triumphs; those who rose to the challenge of staying solo in a family, those who established lasting contacts with young Spaniards and those who wanted to do and try everything – well done to those Sixth Formers, who opted for the première of Almodóvar’s new film over a party! We enjoyed tapas, homemade lemonade, lots of tortilla española and an unimaginable range of seafood.
Mr Smith came back smiling after a week of café con leche. Lessons, families, Spaniards, visits, activities, even getting lost – yes, parada means bus stop not the name of the area! These are all things we will remember from the trip. Some people are already planning to work in Spain! The trip was a great opportunity for the linguistic expertise of those who took part and, above all, it was tremendous fun.
Mrs M A Barrett