Scotch College

Our Canadian student exchange

In March and May of this year, months of electronic communication with Canada became face to face contact for 20 Year 8 students from Scotch. The students participated in Scotch's largest international student exchange.

The Exchange came from the relationship which developed with Scotch, Methodist Ladies College, Mr Brian Alger (past Scotch Foundation Fellow) and the River Oaks School in Ontario, Canada. As a result 38, students from River Oaks School and Pilgrim Wood Public School in Canada stayed with 18 girls from MLC and 20 Year 8 boys from Scotch in March. The exchange saw the Scotch students and their families hosting the Canadian boys for two weeks.

The Canadians' presence had a large impact on the College, especially for the students in Years 5 through to 8 and some of the senior students. The Year 6 students from the Junior School had been communicating with other students from River Oaks for some time via e-mail.

While the Canadians were at Scotch, they attended normal classes and presented to the Year 5, 6, 7 and 8 classes about the many facets of Canadian Geography and culture. Our Year 11 and 12 students organised a welcome barbecue, as well as football and cricket clinics for the visitors. Students from the Year 11 Information Technology classes assisted in putting daily reports and photographs of the exchange on the Scotch web server. Staff from the two Canadian schools spoke with Scotch staff on a wide range of curriculum issues.

The College also ensured that the visitors saw some of Victoria by taking the Canadians and their Scotch billets on several excursions which included day trips to Sovereign Hill and Melbourne as well as two days down at Scotch at Cowes on Phillip Island.

With strong relationships already established, the Scotch and MLC students set out in May to spend 16 exciting days in Canada with their Canadian billet and family. The group was warmly welcomed by the Canadians and their school communities. While there, the Scotch boys were taken on numerous excursions and activities including: the Royal Botanical Gardens, Royal Ontario Museum, a day trip into Toronto, ice hockey and baseball matches, as well as the highlight for a lot of the students, Niagara Falls.

The Scotch and MLC students did numerous presentations on Australian geography, culture and aboriginal legends. Living with a Canadian family and attending a Canadian school for two weeks served to give the students a greater appreciation of the global village and the cultural and family values we all share. Students were encouraged to be independent and organised throughout the trip and to be good ambassadors for their school and country.

At the end of our stay in Canada it was the tears of sadness and the sincere wishes of fond farewell that signified the value of what was for the students a true adventure in international appreciation.