Trying New Things in Tasmania Caroline Vanderloo â&#x20AC;&#x2122;22 (pictured far left) also spent time at The Friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School in Hobart, Tasmania in the summer. Here is a blog post she wrote about her experience: This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Hobart, Tasmania for a month-long exchange trip. The program included classes at The Friendsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; School (TFS), a fellow Quaker school in Hobart, as well as weekend excursions throughout the island. I traveled with three other sophomores from Abington Friends in Philadelphia. The trip began with 24 hours on a SODQH WR Ë&#x160;\ IURP 1HZ <RUN WR +REDUW ZLWK OD\RYHUV LQ /RV $QJHOHV DQG 0HOERXUQH 8SRQ ODQGLQJ ZH PHW RXU KRVW families and started settling into the laid-back Australian lifestyle. 6FKRRO DW 7)6 ZDV VLJQLË&#x2030;FDQWO\ GLIIHUHQW WKDQ :)6 7KHUH ZHUH PRUH RSWLRQV LQ HOHFWLYH FRXUVHV VXFK DV VSRUWV VFLHQFH GDQFH DQG FRRNLQJ ZKLFK JDYH PH the ability to try new classes. Classes there were slightly larger in comparison to those here, which took a little bit of getting used to, but eventually, I came to enjoy having so many opinions in one room. They also didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have homework which was surprising to me. One of the major differences was that the school was split into four â&#x20AC;&#x153;houses.â&#x20AC;? The houses competed against each other in various competitions including drama, athletics, and more. The winner of each event earned points for their house. This was really interesting because the students were all very devoted to their house and wanted to earn as many points as possible. They also offered other sports, such as Aussie rules football, netball, and crew, that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t available at WFS. I took advantage of the fact that they only practiced once a week and tried them all. While I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be taking up any of these sports in the near future, I appreciated being able to try things that I would not have the opportunity to try here. It was really interesting to me that sports were a lot more low-key and relaxed. Each weekend I was able to take trips to see some of the most memorable parts of the island. Some of these included hiking through Shipstern Bluff, visitLQJ WKH 021$ PXVHXP DQG H[SORULQJ WKH WRS RI 0W :HOOLQJWRQ :H DOVR WRRN D GD\ WULS WR D ORFDO DQLPDO FRQVHUYDWRU\ VR , FRXOG VHH DOO WKH QDWLYH ZLOGOLIH including kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, wombats, and echidnas. All of these places were very different from each other, but I noticed that they all value nature a lot. During these trips, I also noticed some cultural differences, including a lot of colloquial language and a relatively relaxed way of life in comparison to the constant busyness many of us experience daily. This winter, I will have the opportunity to reconnect with a member of my host family, Eloise, who will stay with us for a month. She will be involved in the :)6 FXOWXUH ERWK DFDGHPLFDOO\ DQG DWKOHWLFDOO\ :H DOVR H[SHFW WR WDNH WULSV WR 3KLODGHOSKLD 1HZ <RUN DQG :DVKLQJWRQ ' & WR VKRZ KHU VRPH RI WKH KLJKOLJKWV RI WKH (DVW &RDVW ,Č P GHË&#x2030;QLWHO\ ORRNLQJ IRUZDUG WR UHFRQQHFWLQJ ZLWK ERWK P\ KRVW IDPLO\ DQG WKH RWKHU H[FKDQJH VWXGHQWV
Saturday, March 7, 2020 6:30 to 10:00 pm PLEASE JOIN US! Wilmington Friends School West Gym â&#x20AC;˘
TRIVIA - FUN - PRIZES - BONUS BASKETS - FOOD & DRINKS â&#x20AC;˘
Open to all adult Friends community members â&#x20AC;˘
Visit wilmingtonfriends.org for more information and to purchase tickets today! Childcare will be available from 6-10pm in the Lower School ASP Building. Check our web site for more information. 18
Winter 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ QuakerMatters
