The school recently celebrated our vibrant international community with a special International Cultural Day. The event was a success, thanks to the enthusiastic support of our students and families. The day began with captivating performances and inspiring speeches during assembly, followed by a spread of international cuisines for morning tea.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the dedicated parents who generously donated their time and culinary talents to make this day memorable. The delicious food was enjoyed by all, leaving many members of the school with smiles of appreciation.

Special thanks to:

Fei He

Huijuan Liu

Helen Huang

Jason Zhao and Amanda Jiang

Mei Yang

Irene Yi

Gina Li

Jessie He

Yi Li and Zhu Xi

Finnja Koschlig's speech

I'm Finnja from Germany, and today I'm going to tell you about my experiences as an international student, what helped me to settle in well, and what a typical day in Germany looks like for me.

School in Germany starts at 7.45 am and ends at 1.10 pm. We don't have chapel services or headmaster assemblies. There are only six periods and a few breaks in between. After school, I go home, eat something, and study before I go to hockey training. And after training, I study again and go straight to bed afterward.

So my daily routine is a bit different from here, and it's not always easy being an international student. You have a different daily routine, you speak a different language and you don't know if people will talk to you or laugh at you because of your accent. All these things were on my mind when I flew here. But the people here have all been really nice to me. They really helped me to settle in quickly. Not just the girls at the boarding house, who helped me with everything, including washing, signing out, finding my classrooms, and much more.

The hockey team has also helped me settle in. All the girls are so nice and I feel like I've always been on the team. Even if I am not. The way they talk to me and the way they accept me in their team is incredible. They are one of the coolest teams I've ever been in!!! But it's not just these people who have helped me to settle in.

The International Office also helped me. They answered all my questions and helped me with everything. And if I need anything, they are always there for me. But not to forget. My wonderful host family. They are the nicest family I have ever met and I don't know what I would do without them. They always help me with everything, and if I have any questions or problems, I can always talk to them, and I feel at home when I'm with them. The activities I have done with them so far are unforgettable. I am really grateful for them.

Coming to the different cultures. There are no huge differences but I find that people are generally nicer here in New Zealand. In Germany, a lot of people are grumpy and you can't talk to them. If you go into a store, for example. No one would ask you how you are or how your day was. Never. If you say hello, they usually just give you a disparaging look and look away again. Of course, not everyone behaves like that, but there are definitely more people than here. It's different here. Everyone is so nice and I get a lot of help. That's not normal and I know that. I'm really grateful for all the people I've met here during my exchange year.

And I think St. Paul's is a great school for an exchange year because of all the nice people, the facilities, and the help you get. I really enjoy being an international student at this school.

Thank you