German – Head of German: Mr J G A Palmer  

‘Our most excellent exchange in Lohr am Main’ (student quote!): 36 students and 4 staff from the Girls’ and Boys’ Grammar Schools, Torquay travelled to Germany for a week, mid-October 2006 ….

Where/ Wo? Lohr am Main in Franconia ( Franken), Bavaria ( Bayern); on the river Main; Franconian is the local dialect; beautiful forested area, known as ‘ der Spessart’. Pretty ‘ Altstadt’ (old town) with timbered buildings; fairy-tale castle, reputed to have been home to the real ‘Snow White’ ( Schneewittchen).

 

Compiled by James O’Loughlin, Will Seymour, Duncan Gorst and Mrs L Escott, with German notes by Shaun Collins, Lucy Waldron and Suzy Waldron.

Sixth Form Link with Swiss school, September 2006, involving students from the Boys’ and Girls’ Grammar Schools, Torquay

In the Summer of 2006, a Swiss School called the Kantonschule in Küsnacht (near Zürich) contacted the Boys’ Grammar School, to ask whether there might be a chance for a group of around 20 of their Sixth Form Swiss students to join our students for a language afternoon. Since the Kantonschule, Küsnacht, is a mixed school, it seemed a good idea to link the project with the Girls’ Grammar School. Much preparation was put into the forthcoming venture by the Swiss teachers, Frau Prof. Dr. G. Borter and Herr M. Rohr, together with Mr Zursiedel (TBGS) and an interesting programme was arranged for the afternoon of 26 September.

Prior to the visit, e-mail contact was established between the Swiss and English students, so that each visitor could be greeted by somebody already known to them, however briefly. The language activities for the afternoon were advertised some weeks before the event, so our students put much effort into preparing themselves thoroughly for quite demanding discussion topics which would be largely in the German language. As the Swiss students had come to Torquay, in order to attend English classes at an international school, they were obviously keen to have an opportunity to speak a little English too. They seemed very confident, which is perhaps not surprising once you learn that they are taught Mathematics and History in the English language at their school in Switzerland!

 

Programme of events, afternoon of 26 September 2006:

After the formal programme, many students and teachers continued to chat informally and indeed some met up out of school time, to continue the contact. The Kantonschule made it clear that they would be delighted if any of our students would like to visit them in Switzerland in the future – much to our Sixth Formers’ delight!

Feedback from our Sixth Form boys and girls: This new contact gave us a fresh perspective on our German studies – ie the Swiss dimension, and made us consider researching the country and culture in more detail, maybe even choosing aspects of it for our AS/A Level oral presentations. We are keen to keep up the contact and hope the school may wish to return next year. It is good to know we would have friendly hosts in Switzerland if we visit one day!

Compiled by Daniel Middleton, Tom Bickle and Mrs L Escott

German Theatre Play

We invited the Onatti touring theatre company to stage a performance of the comedy, LESE DIE ZEICHEN, in our school hall on Thursday 17 th November in front of an audience of Years 9 and 10 pupils from both TBGS and TGGS.

The language was pitched at exactly the right level and touched upon a number of GCSE topics. Those in the audience were delighted at how much they could understand of a play written in German.

Our thanks go to Jürgen and Jessica, two German actors, who travelled down from Birmingham expressly to put on the play for us before heading off to London to stage another performance. If audience reaction is a sign of success as an actor, these two certainly knew how to get their audience to respond!

The Year 9 Activities Week trip to Köln has been a long-running feature of the school calendar, and to judge by comments from pupils it is viewed fondly as one of the best school trips of all.

Köln Trip – Year 9 Activities Week

There are many, many high points in the week away from school. For a start, there’s the awe-inspiring Channel Tunnel. Pupils discover how easy it is, thanks to today’s scientific, technological, and geological expertise, to slip across to France in next to no time with the minimum of fuss and almost without the sensation of movement.

En route through Belgium, pupils experience for themselves the First World War trenches they read about in History books.

The Menin Gate at Ypres provides a sombre reminder of the horrors of war.

We could hardly wish for a better location for our youth hostel, with spectacular views over the Rhein towards the world-famous Kölner Dom.

Wherever you go in Köln, the cathedral is never far from sight, and this magnificent structure, where the relics of the Three Magi are said to lie, provides a moment of welcome spiritual regeneration. Many climb the 512 steps to the top of the tower, and for many this is literally the highlight of the tour. The visit to Bayer Leverkusen’s football ground is another highlight and the visit to the giant pharmaceutical company Bayer is a real privilege. This is Germany’s version of ICI, and they are involved in everything from medicines to sports equipment and car bodies.

For those interested in media work, we are privileged to be shown round the recording studios of the West Deutscher Rundfunk, one of the major broadcasting stations in Germany.

The chocolate museum proves a real attraction. To judge by the amount of chocolate purchased, supposedly as presents, most parents get to hear quite a lot about the chocolate museum!Some may also hear about the cable car trip across the Rhein, which affords the brave of heart some spectacular views. The day we spend in Bonn, the former capital of West Germany, brings a taste of culture to the trip, with a visit to Ludwig van Beethoven’s house. A picnic lunch outside the resplendent buildings of Bonn University, and a visit to the Peace Museum at Remagen help to cement a common European identity.

On the final evening of our stay in Germany those who have been particularly well-behaved enjoy a deserved treat to Aqualand, a magnificent swimming pool complex.

It is safe to say that we all enjoy the multi-dimensional character of the visit to Köln, staff and pupils alike. Trips such as these are education at its best. No wonder old boys of the school still talk about it long after they have left!

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