On the 20th March 8 students from Pukekohe Intermediate and 1 from Pukekohe High, got a student from Hara Mura Junior High in Japan. They stayed with the chosen students for 9 days and in NZ for 10. Today was the students last day in NZ and left there new families for a very emotional goodbye and were off to Waitomo for a good NZ trip.
I was one of the lucky students who was able to receive one of the students and be able to experience what is like to not speak the same language but having to find a way to communicate but by the end of the 9 days we all could understand and talk to them like we were having a conversation, not struggling to know what they are saying. As a group, with our students we first went to Miranda Hot Springs in the Franklin district on the sea bird coast and all the host families went and had a pot luck dinner on Sunday 21st the day after they came. Then we went on an Auckland trip and visited Kelly Tarltons, Bastian Point, the Sky Tower, Victoria Park Market and a quick tour of the Maori Display at the Auckland Museum. Then on Friday we went to Sunshine Ranch in Clevedon and went on a horse trek and then went on a flying fox and a rope swing then last but not least we went on the water activities which were basically water confidence course and as far as I know all the Japanese students and even a couple of teachers really enjoyed the challenge of the courses available.
The students who received students this year and a quite a few others who got students in 09 will be visiting Japan this year in September for round 16 days. Hara Mura Junior High is Pukekohe Intermediate's sister school and they have a group of students who come every year but our school only sends students every 2 yearly.
Overall I think this group of kids that came all the way from Japan were absolutely fantastic! They students were Saho, Chiaki, Kaho, Junko, Sakiha, Hagemay, Ushiro, Ryota and Shouhei. Thanks to all the teachers who helped made this trip happen.
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