France Exchange Program - Bienvenue

Over a period of five weeks, students from our partner school, St Joseph La Salle, Toulouse, France, attended classes at Kilvington and stayed with Kilvington host families. Here are some of their reflections on their experience. 

REFLECTIONS FROM OUR PARTNER SCHOOL STUDENTS

'It felt like home as soon I arrived. My lovely host family treated me like their own daughter and the students at Kilvington were so kind.'

'As soon I arrived, I felt like home. Everyone was so nice and welcoming, that even the first days, I didn't feel like I was with strangers. They were always smiley and funny. We made a lot of things together, and I felt like a member of my host family. I will be always grateful for the amazing experience they gave me.'

'I loved some my classes because the pedagogy was so fun and interactive; it was a breath of fresh air for me. I also liked to go to the city and to play footy and to surf. I didn't really enjoy having to go through countless hours of activities that I'm not familiar with because it was really thorough, but 90% of the activities were really good!'

'I like the relationship between teachers and students at Kilvington. I think it’s a different way to learn things! I learnt new subjects like sociology; it was really interesting! I loved my experience at Kilvington.'

'Honestly, I liked every class and activity. I think the classes are very cool; they are relaxed, but everyone is working at the same time. The teachers are very nice and helpful; it's very different from France.'

'I love the school in Australia because the teachers take care of the students and have a good relationship with them.'

'This experience contributed to my personal growth because I learned how to live without my parents. It also helped me to improve my English (and become more fluent). It was an incredible experience to live here and I'm really glad I said yes to this program.'

'I think this experience made me feel more self-confident and autonomous. I'm not very comfortable when I have to speak orally, so I had the chance to try and overcome this fear. For the first time, I'm proud of myself. I also improved my English.'

'At first, I didn't know how much this experience would impact my life. I came to improve my English, meet new people, and discover another country. Of course, I improved my English too! Discovering a new lifestyle, new places, and new people made me grow up and open my mind more. I have been here only for five weeks, but it felt like I have always been here. The only thing I didn't like in Australia was Vegemite. It has been the best experience of my life and the hardest goodbye I had to say. Maybe when you read this, I will still here because I missed my plane. On purpose.'

We wish Victoire, Maiana, Enzo, Merwann, Aymeric and Sarah all the best as they return to France!