THE HISTORY OF THE CHARLOTTE/SOUTHAMPTON EXCHANGE
King Edward VI School, Southampton first became twinned with Country Day School in Charlotte North Carolina over 30 years ago! We are very proud of the long standing relationship between the two schools. It started as an exchange programme for teachers, who would swap between the schools for a term to experience life working in the USA. It then moved to a Sixth Form exchange programme, before finally turning into a Year 9 opportunity in the early 2000s. The trip has been described as truly a life changing, once rience.
WHAT IS THE EXCHANGE?
The Charlotte Exchange is a traditional exchange programme where around 10 KES students are matched with 10 students from Country Day school in Charlotte, North Carolina. They then become ‘buddies’ for the trip.
KES will travel to North Carolina just before the start of the October half term and will stay with their buddies and their families for 10 days. Whilst staying with their buddies our students get two free weekends and free evenings to get to know the families and experience real life in the USA. During this time, the families will often plan very special trips and experiences for the KES students. KES are lucky enough to get to experience Halloween in the USA and will usually watch an American football, basketball or baseball game!
DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK THE STUDENTS WILL ATTEND COUNTRY DAY MIDDLE SCHOOL TO JOIN THEIR BUDDIES FOR LESSONS AND TO SEE LIFE IN AN AMERICAN SCHOOL. THEY WILL ALSO GO ON A NUMBER OF SPECIALLY ARRANGED FIELD TRIPS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHARLOTTE AND THE HISTORY OF THE SOUTH - NASCAR, THE MINT MUSEUM AND THE AVIATION MUSEUM, AS WELL AS A PRIVATE ART TOUR OF THE CITY, TO NAME BUT AFEW OF THESE WONDERFUL TRIPS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR KES STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED AN HAVE INTERESTS IN THESE FIELD TRIPS.
COUNTRY DAY STUDENTS WILL COME TO JOIN US
FOR THE HOME LEG OF THE TRIP AROUND THE END OF FEBRUAY HALF TERM/START OF MARCH.
KES WILL THEN ALSO PUT TOEGTEHR A PROGRAMME OF A MIX OF IN SCHOOL EXPEREINCES AND FIELD TRIPS E.G. LONDON, WINCHESTER AND CORFE CASTLE. COUNTRY DAY
STUDENTS WILL ALSO HAVE TWO FREE WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS WITH THEIR KES BUDDIES TO EXPEREINCE LIFE IN THE UK.
The experience of going to stay with someone you have never met can be life affirming and very special. Although not always guaranteed, we have seen many wonderful friendships which have blossomed through the exchange programme. Not just between the buddies, but also between the families of each student. The teachers running the programme will carefully consider each student and each application, to try to match the students as much as possible to have interests in common.
MEET THE TEAM
KES/COUNTRY DAY
Mrs Jessica Newman
International Studies Coordinator
JessicahasworkedatCountryDayfor 18years,workingontheexchangewith KESformanyoftheseyears.Whileshe spendssomeofhertimeworkingwith teacherstobringgloballearningtothe classroom,herprimaryroleis coordinatinglearningexperiences abroad.KESstudentswillmeetwithMrs NewmanwhentheygotoCharlottein October.
MsLucySpeck
Charlotte Exchange Coordinator
LucyhasbeentheKESCharlotte ExchangeCoordinatorforthelasttwo years.Havingpreviouslybeenvery experiencedinrunningtripsoverseas. Lucyisthemainpointofcontact throughouttheexchangeprogramme anddecidesoverallonthesuccessful students.Lucywillbeinregular contactwithparentsandstudents throughouttheprocess.
HOW TO APPLY
LETTER OF APPLICATION
Applications for The Charlotte Exchange will open at the end of March. Ms Speck will run a Year 8 assembly to explain more about the trip, and there will be a letter to parents included in the school’s bulletin. Students are asked to write a letter of application to Ms Speck via email over the Easter holidays. This letter should include the following:
·What the pupil hopes to gain from visiting the USA.
·What the pupil hopes to gain from hosting a visiting pupil from CCDS.
·The pupil’s chosen area of interest and proposed project about their time in the USA.
·Details of the relevant skills or qualities the pupil possesses which will enable them to be a successful member of the exchange group and an excellent ambassador for KES.
CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS WEDNESDAY 23RD OF APRIL 2025
HOW TO APPLY
INTERVIEW
SHORT-LISTED PUPILS WILL THEN BE INVITED TO ATTEND A SHORT INTERVIEW WITH THE CHARLOTTE EXCHANGE COORDINATOR AND THE SECOND TEACHER ACCOMPOANYING THE TRIP. DURING THE INTERVIEW, THE PUPIL’S LETTER OF APPLICATION WILL BE USED AS THE BASIS FOR DISCUSSION, ALTHOUGH OTHER RELEVANT QUESTIONS MAY BE ASKED.
THROUGHOUT THE APPLICATION PROCESS, WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR SET ANSWERS, BUT FOR PUPILS TO DISPLAY A GENUINE INTEREST IN WHAT THE EXCHANGE HAS TO OFFER, AND EVIDENCE THAT THE PUPIL HAS CONSIDERED ALL ASPECTS OF THE APPLICATION AND THE EXPERIENCE THOROUGHLY.
APPLYING PUPILS WILL BE NOTIFIED WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE INTERVIEWS HAVE TAKEN PLACE. THIS IS SUBJECT TO SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE APPLICATION PROCEDURE AT CCDS. IT IS INTENDED THAT ALL SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATES WILL ATTEND A TEAMBUILDING ACTIVITY IN SEPTEMBER AND START PRELIMINARY WORK ON PROJECTS.
IS THE TRIP RIGHT FOR YOU?
To fly to the USA to stay with a family you have never met in person and go to a completely new school is a truly incredible adventure, but will understandably require a level of maturity, confidence and resilience. Our KES students who are lucky enough to gain places on the trip will be expected to be ambassadors representing the school in terms of behaviour and attitude at all times. If you think this is you - then you will be perfect for the trip!
IMPORTANTFORPARENTSANDGUARDIANS
THINGS TO CONSIDER:
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE CLEAR WITH REGARDS TO HOW THE EXCHANGE PROGRAMME WORKS. CURRENTLY THE EXCHANGE IS CONTRACTUALLY AGREED AS A PRVATE ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE KES FAMILIES AND THE COUNTRY DAY FAMILIES. THERE ARE NO DBS CHECKS UNDERTAKEN ON EITHER SIDE. HOWEVER, WITH OUR WONDERFUL LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH COUNTRY DAY, WE ARE EXTREMELY CONFIDENT WITH THE WAY THE TRIP IS MANAGED AND SUPPORTED BY TEACHERS ON BOTH SIDES; AND SAFEGUARDING AND RISK ASSESSMENTS ARE AS ALWAYS AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING WE DO.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE EXCHANGE WILL RUN DURING BOTH THE OCTOBER AND THE END OF THE FEBRAURY HALF TERM. PARENTS WILL PAY AN AMOUNT DECIDED UPON ECONOMIC FACTORS WHEN APPLICATIONS FOR THE TRIP OPEN EACH YEAR.
THIS AMOUNT COVERS THE COST OF FLIGHTS AND EXPENSES AND THE FIELD TRIPS ARRANGED BY KES FOR THE COUNTRY DAY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN FEBRARY. YOUR CHILDREN WILL NEED TO TAKE THEIR OWN SPENDING MONEY TO THE USA, BUT HOST FAMILIES WILL OBVIOUSLY PROVIDE FOOD AND ACCOMODATON JUST AS THE KES FAMILIES WILL ON THE HOME LEG OF THE EXCHANGE.
THE EXCHANGE PROJECT
Students on the Charlotte Exchange are asked to complete a creative project which can be about sports, history or the arts. The students from Country Day also undertake a project whilst they are in the UK. As part of the application process, hopeful candidates will need to submit a project idea to the trip leaders. They will also be asked about their project during their interview.
Previous Project Ideas Include:
Street Art in Charlotte vs Southampton The Architecture of Charlotte. Difference in sports in the USA e.g. American Football, Soccer and Rugby.
in the USA.
f C D S hool.
ESTIMONIALS
I WOULD SAY THAT THE CHARLOTTE EXCHANGE HAS BEEN ONE OF MY MAIN HIGHLIGHTS FROM MY TIME SO FAR AT KES, EVERYTHING ABOUT THE TRIP WAS AMAZING AND I WOULD 100% RECOMMEND IT TO ANY YEAR 8S. WHILST THERE I WAS BUDDIED WITH A GIRL WHO IS NOW ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS AND HAD SO MANY COOL EXPERIENCES. ONE OF MY FAVOURITE PARTS OF THE TRIP WAS PROBABLY GOING TO THE CONCERT FOR THE CAROLINA’S WITH THE FAMILY I WAS PAIRED WITH WHICH WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE AND WAS SO MUCH FUN. AS WELL AS THIS I WENT TO AN AMERICAN HALLOWEEN PARTY WHICH WAS REALLY COOL AND I MADE LOADS OF NEW FRIENDS
EASILY THE BEST TRIP I HAVE EVER TAKE PART OF DURING MY TIME IN SCHOOL. HIHGLIGHTS INCLUDED GOING TO SEE AN AMERICAN FOOTBALL GAME, GOING TO THE NASCAR MUSEUM AND GOING TO CAROWINDS THE THEME PARK OVER HALLOWEEN IN CHARLOTTE. THE BEST TRIP! DEFINTIELY TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY AND GO!
I REALLY ENJOYED THE EXCHANGE AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT MY FAVOURITE PART IS HARD TO PICK AS I LOVED THE WHOLE TRIP BUT MY FAVOURITE PARTS WERE PROBABLY HALLOWEEN AND VISITING THE SCHOOL. PERSONALLY I THINK THE PAIRING WAS DONE VERY WELL AS MY BUDDY AND I HAD VERY SIMILAR INTERESTS AND GOT ON VERY WELL I LOVED SPENDING TIME WITH MY HOST FAMILY AND WOULD DO ANYTHING TO GO BACK AND SEE THEM AGAIN THE CHARLOTTE EXCHANGE WAS THE BEST KES TRIP I'VE BEEN ON AND WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE I KNOW I WILL NEVER FORGET!
THE EXCHANGE WAS SO FUN AND IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. IT WAS SO INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE FAMILIES IN CHARLOTTE LIVE OVER THERE. MY FAVOURITE PARTS OF THE EXCHANGE THAT WE DID WITH THE SCHOOL WERE THE ACTIVITIES WE DID WITH OUR BUDDIES AT THE FARM AND GOING TO THEIR LESSONS AS THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS, ESPECIALLY THEIR HISTORY LESSONS! WHEN WE WEREN’T AT SCHOOL I WENT TO LOADS OF INTERESTING PLACES AND DID LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS, SUCH AS GOING TO CAROWINDS THE THEME PARK, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS HALLOWEEN THEY CHANGE IT INTO SCAROWINDS AND THEY SET UP LOADS OF HAUNTED HOUSES WHICH ARE VERY FUN BUT ALSO TERRIFYING! I ALSO WENT TO A POLITICAL RALLY FOR KAMALA HARRIS. WE WERE RIGHT AT THE FRONT AND I GOT TO SHAKE HER HAND! I WOULD 100% GO AGAIN IF I COULD AS IT WAS SUCH AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE, I WOULD TOTALLY RECOMMEND IT!
