The King’s School
Languages Exchange Program 2023/24
The King’s School is a Christian community that seeks to make an outstanding impact for the good of society through its students, and by the quality of its teaching and leadership in education.
Introduction Language is the custodian of culture. All knowledge, meaning and significance is expressed in language. Thus, to be human is to inhabit a linguistically mediated world. Yet, language is never precise nor determinative, but emergent and dynamic as it reflects and celebrates the human embrace of God, of each other and of our world. Consequently, our experience of God, each other and our world is inevitably both limited and enhanced by our grasp of and competence in language. Thus, as linguistic beings, we need each other in and across communities to experience our world knowledgeably, meaningfully and significantly. The Languages Exchange Program offers Kingsmen a unique opportunity to engage with linguistic communities other than our own and the world in which we live. Mr Tony George Headmaster
By taking up the opportunity to participate in the Languages Exchange Program, Kingsmen have been able to not only develop their linguistic skills and experience different cultures, but also take up the challenge of increased independence whilst adapting to new environments. As a Language teacher, enabling students to take the first steps in what is potentially a lifelong love of language learning, is quite something. We are proud of our association with Kardinal Frings Gymnasium in Bonn, Lycée le Caousou in Toulouse, Lycée Blanche de Castille in Versailles, Institution St Dominique in Paris and Schiller Gymnasium in Cologne. This booklet aims to provide an outline of the Languages Exchange Program. Please address any queries to your son’s classroom teacher in the first instance. Merci—Danke Mrs Suzanne Hill Languages Exchange Co-ordinator Head of Languages slh@kings.edu.au
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Modern Languages Exchange Program Guidelines for exchange • Parents who wish for their son to participate in the Language Exchange Program sign an agreement to honour certain conditions pertaining to the hosting of an exchange student and the organisation of their son’s exchange.
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emporary arrangements are to be made with T the appropriate staff to supply books without cost to the exchange student. The hosting student is responsible for such requests.
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• Hosting families recognise and respect that the exchange student is there to learn the language of the country and will, as such, refrain from interaction in the student’s native language unless absolutely necessary.
he period of the exchange is fixed by the T host schools, but will generally be 6-8 weeks. In exceptional circumstances, students may seek an exchange of a different duration and it should be noted that Australian students spending in excess of 90 days abroad require a visa from the relevant Consulate or Embassy.
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oys do exchanges in tandem, ie together B with their host at one school, then together with their guest at the other school.
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he parents of the exchange student bear T the cost for airfares and the arrangement of passports, visas etc. They are to provide pocket money for personal expenses and to ensure that passports and visas (particularly where the student is travelling on a nonAustralian passport) are organised well before the date of departure. Copies of all relevant documentation must be provided to the organising staff member.
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ost parents agree to the collection and H delivery of their guest at airports, their delivery to school and liaison with supervising staff. Where the exchange period coincides with the school holidays, host parents agree to have the guest student stay with them. Where the The King’s School participant is an overseas student, the family must undertake to honour the “Australian” nature of this exchange by arranging to spend the holidays in Australia.
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ravel insurance must be taken out through T the Bursar’s Office of The King’s School. The Bursar’s Office will contact all participants to arrange this.
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ravel expenses to and from school are to be T met by the hosting parents.
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chool uniforms are to be provided by The S King’s School clothing pool and host parents are responsible for obtaining uniforms for their guest as soon as it is feasible.
• A contra applies to school fees; with each student and their family continuing to pay their respective school fees.
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Responsibilities of King’s Parents Hosting an exchange student • The provision of clean accommodation and adequate board for the duration of exchange.
• Ensuring that provision is made for the exchange student’s travel to and from King’s on school days (including Saturday sport).
• The collection of the exchange student from Sydney airport and the subsequent delivery of the student upon the completion of the exchange.
• The organisation of a uniform for the student through the Braeside Shop and ensuring that he complies with School rules regarding hair colour and length and laundering of the loan uniform at the conclusion of the hosting period.
• Welcoming the guest into their family, recognising that he is in Australia to improve his English and to gain an authentic experience of the Australian culture and lifestyle.
• Consenting to a Working with Children Check. This form will be provided to parents by the School.
• The provision of the chance for the student to visit the sights of Sydney and its region. • The inclusion of the exchange student in winter family holiday plans (in Australia). • The provision of reasonable access to the internet and telephone for the student’s communication purposes.
Sending a son on exchange • Ensure that the exchange student’s Profile Form is completed and returned to the supervising teacher by the end of Term 1.
• See their son to the place of departure, eg Sydney airport. • Ensure that their son has a suitable gift for his host family.
• Ensure that class teachers are informed and that work is set for boys to do in their absence.
• Continue to pay fees to The King’s School while their son is overseas. Fees will be on a contra basis.
• Ensure that their son has discussed his pattern of study with the Year Coordinator.
• Provide their son with sufficient pocket money and the means to access sufficient funds in the event of an emergency.
• Ensure that passports and visas for their son are all organised and paid for by parents. Air fares must be paid for by the parents. It is a condition of participation that travel insurance is taken out through the School’s insurers, via the Bursar’s office.
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Travel Boys are expected to travel from Sydney to their exchange destination together. The Languages Exchange Program Coordinator will, once the dates for exchange have been finalised, write to the parents of participants with details of the flight to book for their son. Unfortunately, exceptions cannot be made for boys flying on alternative airlines because of the resulting inconvenience to the partner school.
When the exchange ends during The King’s School summer holidays, parents may wish to make alternative plans for their son’s return flight if, for example, they wish their son to visit family or to have a family holiday in Europe. Otherwise, it is expected that the boys will also return to Sydney together. Parents are asked to confirm the booking of the flights and any alternative arrangements by email to the Languages Exchange Program Coordinator.
Language study Immersion in a French or German family naturally develops a student’s listening and speaking skills. Surrounded by the written word, reading skills also improve in time. In order to avoid neglect of the fourth assessed skill, writing, we have arranged for our students to have weekly language lessons throughout the exchange.
The Languages Exchange Coordinator will arrange these and provide details of the languages school in the exchange city. The boys will be required to pay for these classes in Euros on the occasion of their first class.
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Time Line Time
What
Student action
School action
Term 4 2023
• Information Evening
• Fill out and submit exchange application
• Distribution of exchange application pack
Term 1 2024
• Students begin correspondence with partners
• Match students
Term 2 2024
• Exchange partners arrive (France) (Cologne)
• Finance office contacts participants regarding insurance
• Parents book their son’s flights according to advice from Languages Exchange Program Co-ordinator • Participants ensure their passport and visa requirements are met Term 3 2024
• Exchange partners arrive (Bonn) • Pre-departure meeting between students, parents and staff
Term 4 2024
• Go through itinerary, contact lists and what to pack
• Departure
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Germany
Bonn
BONN
Kardinal Frings Gymnasium The most academically gifted German students attend Gymnasiums and we are pleased to be associated with Kardinal Frings Gymnasium in the former capital of West Germany. It is intended that the German boys will come to Australia for their stay and then return to Bonn with the King’s boys for the second leg of the exchange.
Until German reunification, it was the seat of the government of West Germany and it was not until 1999 that Berlin took over once more as capital of Germany. The city’s history can be traced to Roman times. There are still medieval city walls and the United Nations now houses 17 organisations there.
With a population similar to that of Canberra, Bonn is a pleasant city, approximately 25km south of the larger city of Cologne (Köln) on the banks of the River Rhine in the West of Germany.
About Kardinal Frings Gymnasium The school was founded in 1964 as part of the Diocese of Cologne and currently has an intake of about 1,050 students, mostly from middle-class, Catholic families.
King’s is an addition to a languages exchange program for KFG which also includes a school in Bordeaux, France and Central Coast Grammar. Students at KFG are expected to combine academic talent with a broader sense of responsibility towards the community.
The school is named after Kardinal Josef Frings who was a German Roman Catholic Cardinal of the Diocese of Cologne.
www.kardinal-frings-gymnasium.de 11
Cologne
COLOGNE
Schiller Gymnasium Schiller Gymnasium is a co-educational day school in a friendly neighbourhood in Central Cologne. The school is located next to Cologne University. They take care of 1,000 students, and for two years they have been providing educational support for 100 refugee children.
computer technology. Schiller Gymnasium also proudly invites students to take part in sport programs. But above all, they passionately wish to safeguard their students’ well-being and their Individual progress, which is what ultimately lies at the heart of their school.
The school offers a diverse range of subjects and co-curricular activities, from excellent theatre productions, art and music to science and
www.schillergymnasium-koeln.de
About Cologne Schiller Gymnasium is located in Cologne, a 2,000-year-old city spanning the Rhine River in western Germany, is the region’s cultural hub and Germany’s fourth largest city.
Cologne Cathedral is also known for its gilded medieval shrine and sweeping river views. The adjacent Museum Ludwig showcases 20thcentury art, including many masterpieces by Picasso, and the Romano-Germanic Museum houses Roman antiquities.
A landmark of High Gothic architecture set amid the reconstructed old town, the twin-spired
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France
Toulouse
TOULOUSE
Lycée le Caousou Le Caousou is an Ignatian school created by the Jesuits in the 16th century. Located in the city of Toulouse, it is a private co-educational institution that offers classes from maternelle (preschool) to Year 12.
the year. The school also specialises in preparing engineering students to enter the top universities in France. www.caousou.com
With more than 2,000 students, the school organises many sporting, cultural and humanitarian activities and events throughout
About Toulouse Toulouse, the capital of France’s southern Occitanie region, is bisected by the Garonne River and sits near the Spanish border.
The fourth-largest city in France, Toulouse is the centre of the European aerospace industry, with the headquarters of Airbus and it also hosts the European headquarters of Intel and CNES’s Toulouse Space Centre (CST), the largest space centre in Europe.
It’s known as La Ville Rose (‘The Pink City’) due to the terra-cotta bricks used in many of its buildings.
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Neuilly-Sur-Seine – Paris
PARIS
Institution Saint Dominique The Catholic school was established in the 19th century by Dominican sisters in Paris. It was originally an all-girls school but diversified itself later in the 20th century and now welcomes both girls and boys.
www.saintdominique.net
With 2,000 students, the school has classes from maternelle (pre-school) to lycée (high school).
About Neuilly-Sur-Seine Neuilly-sur-Seine is on the immediate outskirts of Paris, a city that hardly needs any introduction. Paris, from its iconic monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe, to its prestigious museums such as the Louve, an exchange in this city will surely be a wonderful experience.
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Versailles
VERSAILLES
Lycée Blanche de Castille Lycée Blanche de Castille is located in Chesnay-Rocquencourt, in the area and Diocese of Versailles and welcomes 2,400 students over two sites. It belongs to the Catholic Education system.
Principles were to welcome students of all diversities and to mentor the youth of the Diocese to give the best of themselves whilst maintaining the spirit of simplicity as they are encouraged to discover their place in the world.
Blanche de Castille was founded by Anne de Xainctonge (1567-1621) of the order of the Sisters of Saint Ursule de Dole. The Founding
www.blanche-de-castille.fr
About Versailles Versailles is a commune in the department of the Yvelines, Île-de-France, renowned worldwide for the Château de Versailles and the gardens of Versailles, designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Palace of Versailles is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 19 kilometres west of Paris, France.
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A King’s Parent’s Perspective Very appreciative of the organisation of such an amazing program for the boys. It changed by son’s life.
Ethan had a fantastic experience in Germany during the exchange, learning the language and culture. In fact, Ethan considers this as one of the highlights of his King’s education so far.
Ivy Wu Mother of Patrick Luo (Lycée Blanche de Castille, Versailles, France)
Lisa Pan Mother of Ethan Zhu (Kardinal Frings Gymnasium, Bonn, Germany)
Thanks to all involved in the organisation/ implementation of a brilliant program. Gopal Sivagangabalan Father of Prash Sivagangabalan (Institution St Dominique, Paris, France)
We had a fantastic experience with hosting Benjamin and great interactions with his family in Germany. Lisa Pan Mother of Ethan Zhu (Kardinal Frings Gymnasium, Bonn, Germany)
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A King’s Student’s Perspective Take the opportunity to go on exchange. Attempt to use the language as much as possible.
My host family were very nice, we did lots of things together. Ethan Low Year 11 2023 (Lycée Blanche de Castille, Versailles, France)
Kevin Yuan Year 11 2023 (Schiller Gymnasium, Cologne, Germany) My host family was helpful with my adjustment to the new culture and country. They put in time and effort to show me local customs and locations within both Bonn and Germany.
My language skills have improved significantly since my exchange. Grayson Odbert Year 11 2023 (Kardinal Frings Gymnasium, Bonn, Germany)
Grayson Odbert Year 11 2023 (Kardinal Frings Gymnasium, Bonn, Germany)
I think that the entire experience was great. Kevin Yuan Year 11 2023 (Schiller Gymnasium, Cologne, Germany)
I feel that I can converse in French with less hesitation than before my exchange. Patrick Luo Year 11 2023 (Lycée Blanche de Castille, Versailles, France)
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www.kings.edu.au P: +612 9683 8555 E: tks@kings.edu.au A: PO Box 1 Parramatta 2124, NSW Australia Cricos No: 02326F The Council of The King’s School, ABN: 24 481 364 152 Incorporated by The King’s School Council Act 1893