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JANUARY 2018
sd23.bc.ca
A Long-Standing Relationship Scott Parker, Principal, Glenrosa Middle
Constable Neil Bruce (CNB) and Glenrosa Middle School (GMS) share a special long-standing relationship with our sister school, Chubu University Haruhigaoka Junior High School in Kasugai, Japan. Each year, approximately 100 staff and grade 9 students from Japan come to West Kelowna to experience a bit of Canadian life in a homestay with students from the two schools. This last November, four West Kelowna students traveled back to Japan on a special scholarship to experience a week of everyday life, Japanese-style! Millie Rippon and Deston Giang (CNB), and Kaylene Eytcheson and Gavin Monro (GMS) spent a week living in a Haruhigaoka student’s home, traveling to school and attending classes with them. During their stay in Japan, our Canadian students were particularly impressed with their visit to Nagoya Castle, a 500-year-old Castle from Japan’s Edo Period. Gavin’s favourite experiences were eating at a sushi restaurant that served the sushi on a conveyor belt, and Kaylene remembers a fun night where the students went bowling and sang karaoke.
West Kelowna scholarship students from CNB and GMS inside the Nagoya Castle with fellow Japanese students.
Currently, both CNB and GMS are preparing for the annual Haruhigaoka Junior High School visit to Canada this February, and it will be a special occasion this year as all four of our scholarship students will be able to take a turn hosting their billets from Japan and showing their friends what a week in Canada is like. Gavin wants to show his billet how cold it is in Canada and how much fun we can still have outside, and Kaylene can’t wait to take her new friend to a hockey game.
Host families needed!
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LOVE L E A R N I N G
Thanks to the relationship among Haruhigaoka Junior High (Japan), Glenrosa Middle, and Constable Neil Japan Bruce Middle, four students were able to participate in an exchange program in November. While in Japan, we created memories and friendships that will last forever. We were able to experience their culture and day-to-day life firsthand, while enjoying school activities. We felt fully immersed and accepted by our homestay families, and we truly hope that they enjoyed having us as much as we enjoyed staying there. It is a memory that we will never forget.
ABOUT...
GRADE 9
MILLIE RIPPON CO N S TA B L E N E I L BRUCE MIDDLE
Exchanging cultures
Sandi Van Den Heuvel, Parent, École Kelowna Secondary
Fantastic! Educational! Fun! Enriching! These words describe our experience with the Central Okanagan Public Schools Exchange Program with France. Our son Christopher, who attends Grade 11 at KSS, was matched with a student named Alexis from La Biolle, France. The administration did an excellent job pairing them because both boys are athletic, enjoy the sciences, and have similar personalities, so they connected right away. Alexis’ English was very strong so our ability to communicate with him was easy. Over the six weeks, looking at our Canadian culture through the eyes of a curious student gave us a fresh perspective. It was heartwarming to watch the joy on his face as he carved a pumpkin and decorated a gingerbread house for the first time. Activity highlights included spending a weekend in Vancouver, tobogganing at Big White, seeing a Rockets hockey game, and exploring the valley.
Christopher is very excited to start his journey in France between March – April, 2018. We know he will flourish and reap lifetime benefits absorbing the French culture. Personally, we would like to extend a special thank you to Central Okanagan Public Schools and Armelle Moran, French Immersion Consultant, for facilitating such an amazing experience for our students in both BC and France.
CHRISTOPHER:
At first I was hesitant about doing this exchange, but by the time Alexis arrived in Kelowna we had already become friends. If I were to rate it, I’d give it a 10 out of 10! I would definitely do this again if I get the opportunity. This experience was a great way to step out of my comfort zone.
ALEXIS:
I heard that Canadians are the nicest people in the world; it is now true for me! I already miss Canada. This was one of the best experiences of my life. I would like to thank you very much for everything you did for me, I will never forget!
Our popular program grows every year and we need more families to help welcome the world to our community. Discover how hosting an international student can enrich your family by visiting
www.internationaleducation.ca or call 250-470-3258
CHRISTOPHER (left) and ALEXIS get set to do a little building together.
By Jakob Bruce | Age:10 Host family compensation:
$800 /month
$900 as of Sept. 2018
Our students are from all over the world: Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Europe & Asia.
Together We Learn
continue walking. 10 minutes later. “Wait where did we come from?” Joe says. Joe and Keith look around unknowing of where they are. They continue walking although they are a little worried. There is no dirt trail back to the place.
The Bird Escape We will go to a forest near a beach in New Zealand. We meet Joe, he is a Kea and he is an alpine parrot that is intelligent and curious. Joe has a friend named Keith who is a yellow-eyed penguin who tends to get grumpy easily. They have one more friend named Josh, he is a kea who has green and purple mix feathers, a sharp beak, and is a little crazy.
They are lost. They spot a human going past so they run. They must hide from humans. The human does not see them. They find a small building and go inside. Josh is locked up in a cage. “Josh!” Joe yells. “Oh hey guys,” Josh says. Keith rams the cage but nothing happens and Keith falls over. Keith gets up. Joe stands silently questioning what just happened. Joe looks around for something useful. Joe spots a hammer and flies up to it and grabs the hammer then charges at the cage bashing it with the hammer creating a dent in the cage. Joe swings again creating a small hole in the dented area.
Central Okanagan Public Schools
Joe, Josh, and Keith are walking in the forest. Five minutes later, Josh suddenly speeds ahead leaving a cloud of dust behind him. “Well he’s gone,” Keith says. Joe and Keith
International Education
Excerpt from South Rutland Elementary’s book Animal Tales.
Once the hole is complete they trace their way back home. Josh decides to never run ahead again!