The 5 School's Cultural Exchange 2018 is being hosted by Shirley Boys' High School and Marian College.

Dates: Monday 30 April to Friday 11 May

The five schools involved are all Sister Schools of Toho Senior High School, Japan. They are:

• Toho Senior High School, Nagoya, Japan
  
• Nanjing Foreign Language School, Nanjing, China
  
• Salesian College, Melbourne, Australia
  
• Marian College, Christchurch
  
• Shirley Boys' High School, Christchurch
  

The original exchanges started at Toho High School in Japan in 1997. This has been followed by:

• 1999 Shirley BHS & Marian College
  
• 2001 Salesian College
  
• 2004 Nanjing Foreign Language School
  
• 2005 Toho High School
  
• 2007 Marian College & Shirley BHS
  
• 2009 Toho High School
  
• 2011 Salesian College
  
• 2014 Toho High School
  
• 2016 Nanjing Foreign Language School
  

The 11th Exchange Meeting will be hosted by both Shirley Boys' High School and Marian College. It involves 6 students from each school. The event will finish with students developing ideas from the various research that they can act above in their own countries and schools.

Following this exchange, it is to become a yearly event with alternative years being hosted by Toho HS in Japan.

This programme has both a cultural and educational component to it. Students will be involved in research and presentation of their findings. The theme for the exchange is sustainability. This key word can be interpreted in any way each group choses – it can have a cultural theme or an environmental theme, for example.

During the 2 weeks’ students will learn about and participate in the various cultural activities from each of the different countries.

The purposes of the programme are:

• To promote friendship between all of the Sister Schools.
  
• To further develop a better understanding of each other’s culture.
  
• To give Chinese, Japanese, Australian and New Zealand students the opportunity to learn more about different cultures and to experience a part of each coutnry’s lifestyle.
  
• To give all students the opportunity to increase their international understanding.
  
• To build on the successful previous 10 international exchange meetings between our schools held as listed above.
  

Programme

The programme will be both:

(a) school-based at Shirley Boy’s High School and Marian College, and as well

(b) activities outside of the classroom allowing students to gain a greater understanding of the New Zealand culture and in particular, Christchurch. There will also be an overnight trip to the West Coast –based around the theme of sustainability.

This event is, I believe, unique in that students from 4 different countries are meeting to develop international understanding and friendship.

The exchange will start on Monday 30 April with a Mihi Whakatau at 9am in the Shirley BHS Hall. This will be followed at 10am with the Official Photo and then a short Opening Ceremony.