School-to-School International Exchanges

Downe House Exchange

By Isla Sarty

In mid-November last year, Scarlett and I embarked on our journey across the Earth to Downe House School in England, where we spent the next month. Right from the get-go, I instantly felt welcomed. Cymbeline (my exchange sister), her mum, Amelia, and her mum were waiting for us at the airport gate with smiles, hugs, a big welcome sign and balloons. On arrival at Downe, I was put into full boarding and shared a room with four other girls. It wasn’t something that I was used to, but everyone was so nice and took such great care of me that I settled in very quickly. I attended classes, played sports, joined in on house competitions and spent weekends sightseeing in England. I enjoyed every minute of my time away; some definite highlights were joining a Lacrosse team, going to London (touring the city and watching the show Mamma Mia!), meeting so many new people, spending nights with my friends in the dorm room and sitting around the fireplace with my host family. 

I am so excited to welcome Cymbeline at the airport this March and return the favour of giving her the fantastic experience she gave me. 

Downe House Exchange

By Scarlett Cox

A few months ago, Isla and I travelled to Thatcham, England, where we spent four weeks as exchange students at Downe House School. Going to Downe House was like stepping into a whole new world. It was a fantastic experience, and I loved every minute of my time there. Staying in boarding meant I could meet so many different people and make friendships I would keep forever. I was also hosted by a Downe House student, Amelia and her family during the weekends, which made my experience even more enjoyable.

I was lucky to visit many places in England, such as Oxford and London. I enjoyed many activities like ice skating, watching the West End show, Hamilton, eating out at many restaurants, visiting Harrods and just general sightseeing - it is impossible to pick a highlight! 

I feel so lucky to have made so many memories and explored a different culture and lifestyle by being part of this exchange experience. 

Trafalgar Castle School, Ontario, Canada

By Emily Bourke and Bianca Hosking

In late October last year, we went on exchange to Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. We were on this exchange for eight weeks. During this time, we made memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.

Our first day will be one we will never forget. We immediately felt so welcomed by students and staff alike. Trafalgar is a very small school (approximately 250 students for grades 4-12), which helped us settle in so fast. Something unique about Trafalgar is that it is quite literally a castle. The castle was built in the 1800s as a governor's house, then in 1879, it was turned into an all-girls boarding school. The boarding life at Trafalgar is very different from Dio's. First, their boarding rooms are inside the castle, making boarding feel connected to the day school. Also, unlike Dio, all the students and staff eat in the dining room for lunch. Lunch was a great time to meet new people and understand how our countries are different yet similar.

While in Canada, we explored many parts of the greater Toronto area. We were lucky enough to go on a school trip to Niagara Falls. This trip was so much fun and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. On the last weekend of our exchange, we went on a ski trip to Mt. St. Louis with our host sisters, Bianca and Julia. We will never forget this trip and were so grateful to be given this opportunity.

Our favourite memory of reflecting on our time in Canada is trying new foods, including 'Poutine' (hot chips, gravy and cheese curds), ‘Beaver Tails’ (deep fried pastry with sweet toppings) and many more, meeting new people, making lifelong friendships and most of all experiencing a new culture first hand.

Exchange is an experience like no other. It matures you and changes your perspective on life in so many ways. We are very excited to host our exchange sisters, arriving in late February of 2024. We both hope that they love New Zealand as much as we love Canada.

Baylor Exchange 2023

By Elizabeth Macdonald

Hey everyone, I'm Elizabeth, and last year, I went on an exchange to America for nine weeks. Some of you may remember my host sister, Ella Grace, who came and stayed with my family for two months in May last year. While in America, I stayed with her and her family and went to Baylor School in Tennessee. Baylor is a private college preparatory co-ed high school with around 1000 students. Baylor has a huge campus with a football stadium, over 40 sports grounds, and Baylor Lake, which is located on the Tennessee River's banks.

Not only did I have an American high school experience, but I also got to experience the Southern lifestyle. The school is located in Chattanooga, on the border of Tennessee and Georgia. The state of Tennessee has a population of 7 million, which is more than the whole population of New Zealand. Being in the South also meant being exposed to many Southern values. Some of the values that I noticed most were how polite everyone is. Kids would address all adults, Miss or Mr, even their friends' parents. Dinner is also a very formal meal in the South, where you are usually expected to sit together and eat as a family.

A typical day at Baylor is very different from a day at Dio. We would wake up for a 45-minute drive and drive on 10-lane highways to get to school. School starts with extra help at 7.30 am, then regular classes from 8.30 to 3.30; there is only one lunch break during the day, and everyone eats at the cafeteria. There was a Subway station, a salad bar, a dessert station, and pizza, pasta, and fries every day at the cafeteria. There was also a different hot food each day, for example, tacos or nachos. There are two different times you can have lunch, and there are around 500 people in the dining room at each time. The lunch room only has about 20 tables with many seats, so you often sit next to new people you don't usually hang out with. Some of the new subjects I took while there were Marine Biology, Pottery and the History of Women's Gender and Society. Marine Biology was very interesting, especially since Baylor has an onsite aquarium and the Tennessee River to research. Pottery was very different from anything I had done before, and it was cool getting to try something new. History of Women’s Gender and Society was an amazing class because we discussed the issues regarding women's rights typically overlooked in America. After school, each student does a compulsory after-school activity, which finishes around 6.00 pm. Baylor students get a lot of homework that usually takes 3-6 hours per night.

The first week I was there was Spirit Week. Every day had a different outfit theme, and Baylor threw a different event each night to get everyone involved. There was a bonfire, a movie night, and a girl's volleyball and soccer game. Each year, there is a hype video for both Baylor and Mccalie, which is the rival school. At the end of the 2023 hype video, there was a message saying that the Baylor principal got kidnapped and put in a plane by the rival school. It then said that the skit would continue on the field, so all of the Baylor students ran over to the field, and the principal skydived into the school, saying he “escaped”, which shows how extreme they go for school spirit. On Friday night, the big game takes place, which is the American football game; at the football game, there are cheerleaders and lettermen, and everyone dresses up in red to support the team. The concept of Spirit Week stems from the American theme of being very proud of where they are from. Many houses have American flags hanging outside and American football team flags. At every sports game, they start by singing the national anthem and face the flag with a hand on their heart.

While I was there I met some other exchange students as well, they were from places like Germany, South Africa, Spain and Guatemala. There were quite a few times when the Americans couldn't understand my accent, and some of the Kiwi slang that I didn't even realise was slang, such as the word ute, which they call truck, and togs, which they call swimsuits. When ordering a Subway sandwich in the cafeteria, I would ask for cheddar cheese and have to repeat myself multiple times and point to it just because of my accent. I got many interesting questions there, especially because many people didn't even know New Zealand existed. Many of the questions I was asked were about Australia, like, Do you have kangaroos in Australia? And what's school like in Australia? Or just random questions like ‘ Do you have snow mountains in NZ?’ or Chick-fil-A? Someone even asked me if we live in houses and have Wi-Fi!

Exchange changed my perspective and opened my eyes to a whole new world. Most of my experience was made up by big events like a trip to New York, the homecoming dance and Halloween, but that made me realise how much the little things impacted my experience. Some of the things I remember most are the mundane everyday activities like short conversations I had with students and teachers. One challenge I had was how fast it went. Nine weeks seems like a long time, but it goes by quickly. Over the four months of exchange, I was lucky enough to make an amazing bond with Ella Grace. She is the most hardworking person I know, and she and her family ensured I had the most amazing experience. She is like a sister to me; I love and miss her. 

Crofton House Exchange

We welcomed two Crofton House School students from Vancouver, Canada - Abbey Seccombe and Reese Ingledew this term. The girls are hosted by two of our Year 11 students and their families, Issy Khatoev and Ella Pritchard. Abbey and Reese are enjoying the opportunity to experience a very different school routine and environment from what they are used to at Crofton and, thanks to their host families, are taking in some of the sights and attractions of the North Island, including trips to Waitomo, Raglan and Mount Maunganui ... and of course, they are loving the Kiwi summer!