SAGSE 50th Anniversary 1967-2017

“General advice and critical information were provided to students and parents. Rules around personal and group safety were discussed and the tickets and official SAGSE jersey were distributed. It was a great opportunity to hear past students’ and parents’ experiences and the advice received was greatly appreciated. “We left confident that our daughter would be well cared for in Germany and that there would be a level of supervision commensurate with her age and maturity. “The departure date quickly came around after a busy and demanding round of end of semester examinations and submitted assignments. At the airport, parents and accompanying boyfriends and girlfriends were quickly caught up in the excitement and expectation. After several group photographs, the eager travellers left for the departure lounge and set off on their German adventure of a lifetime. “The seven-day touring itinerary planned by SAGSE was very well organised and catered perfectly for the diverse interests of the group. From all reports and the beautiful photographs, the sightseeing on this part of the trip was a highlight of the exchange. The breathtaking scenery left indelible memories for everyone. “Bernie’s three weeks, during which she attended high school in Kassel, gave her an invaluable opportunity to practise using her conversational skills and to learn to use the bus, tram and other transport systems. “As Bernie’s host father did not speak English, she was challenged to converse fully in German and this accelerated her learning. “We were so fortunate to have had such wonderful German host parents who went out of their way to give Bernie absolutely amazing experiences. “Christmas in Germany was magical. She explored the markets, baked traditional German food with Johanna’s grandmother and experienced Christmas Eve celebrations with the extended family. New Year’s Eve was also special as Bernie danced through the streets of Berlin at the iconic Brandenburg Gate to greet the New Year. She was also able to go tobogganing as snow arrived just before Christmas.

Bernie King receives a bear hug in Berlin

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“For parents who are considering a SAGSE student exchange, we can highly recommend this wonderful opportunity. Some very sensible advice given to the students was that “Good manners, a pleasant, friendly approach and common sense are the best things you can bring with you and these will help you to be received well by your host family and your school.” “We also found this to be the case and Bernie’s positive approach certainly yielded her lasting friendships and many memorable experiences.”

Christmas in Kassel

Bernie with the other members of her exchange group