Day 1- Breaking the ice
On the first day of their arrival, the German and British pupils were introduced with some icebreakers such as “21”.
Secondly, they were tasked with creating the tallest tower made from wacky ingredients such as spaghetti and marshmallows. After getting to know each other, our pupils toured them around the school giving them an insight into what life in Wednesfield Academy is like. Later in the day, the Germans joined our pupils for their period 5 lessons.
Day 2 - Cadets
On Tuesday 6th October we did a cadet lesson where we interviewed a cadet and the Senior Staff Instructor from Matrix. They told us about their experiences. The German kids don't have anything related to the military on the school property and didn't know what cadets was about until they did a session with the Senior Staff Instructor Flying Officer Kendall. On the Tuesday we also had an hour session (2-3pm) for a teamwork exercise to get to know and work with each other, learn about what cadets is and how it functions.
Day 3 - Black Country Living Museum
On Wednesday 7th October, the German pupils and Wednesfield Academy’s pupils took a trip to Black Country Museum which is a highly visited enriching experience, as it highlights the history of Wolverhampton and why we should hold pride within it. Upon arrival we were warmly greeted then led to an activity in which we did pewter casting that Black Country was known for in the past.
We saw the artefacts that were invented long ago which we still benefit from today. We were introduced to different remedies and medicines which was the main factor for women to earn money through as they could not work in any industrial jobs. It was an informative experience.
Day 4: Guru Nanak Gurdwara, cooking together and dinner
On Thursday, we greeted the German exchange pupils in their hotel, once we had everyone, we started on our 10-minute journey to the Guru Nanak Gurdwara which is located on Sedgley Street. When we arrived, the exterior of the Gurdwara was breathtaking. Both men and women had to cover their hair while walking in and we had to take our shoes off upon entry to show respect, once we put our shoes away, we had to wash our hands, as we went upstairs we noticed beautiful, eye-catching paintings that described Sikhism, after noticing the paintings, we were greeted with the piassaba that read the Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy book of Sikhism. After that we were introduced to the administrator of the Gurdwara, who kindly educated us about the Gurdwara, the 11 Gurus, and the symbolism of Sikhism, once she finished her presentation, she took us downstairs where people do voluntary cooking and cleaning inside the Langar Hall. This was a very educational and exciting experience, and we are glad that we could share this culture/experience with the German exchange pupils.
In the afternoon, we shared recipes with our German partners and cooked them together. This was really fun and we enjoyed cooking together. Mr Phillips even came to taste our creations!
After school (and washing up), we headed to Bentley Bridge for some free time and a final celebration meal at Cosmos restaurant, where we all made the most of the all you can eat buffet!
Day 5: Reflections and celebrations
On our final day together, we evaluated the experience and created the products we to share with our funder, UK German Connection. We worked in mixed UK and German groups to create and edit our products. We then did a workshop on national stereotypes and planned our future activities together. We are really looking forward to seeing each other again in December!
