German Exchange 2012 - Mittwoch

On Wednesday, our exchange group went by coach to the romantic castle Lichtenstein, where they enjoyed a guided tour -but unfortunately no view - the whole valley had vanished in low cloud.

By coach we went to the Wimsener Höhle and explored the cave by boat: Some of us had a scary encounter with a bat while others just enjoyed the smell of the Stollen which are stored in the constant temperatures of the cave.

Boot eins

Boot zwei

Boot drei

enjoying German food

Don't touch the electric fence....

From the cave, we beat last year's record for the walk to Zwiefalten - getting drenched on the way in rain and drizzle. But at the end was the beautiful church of the Zwiefalten cloister. Having dried off a bit on the coach, we ended the day with a bit of shopping time in Bad Urach.

Frau Allens diagOnal arty photos...

French Exchange: treasure hunt

This morning was an early start for everyone as most French students started school at 8.00!

Even the staff looked like they were struggling to wake up properly!

After a quick pose in front of the 'Collège', we headed for the town centre in order to proceed with the treasure hunt.

How natural!

On the way, we discovered that French builders may not be the best in the world. One gust of wind and...

Anyway, after all the instructions were issued, groups of students had to plan how they were going to tackle the challenge before heading off. Results of the hunt to be announced in due course.

Once back at school, students followed their partners to join them for lunch and for their afternoon activities.
Tomorrow: day trip to Paris.

French Exchange - first day

Today, 28 eager students embarked on the French Exchange trip to Lille. We set off at 9.30 and hit the road in direction of Folkestone to catch a Shuttle train to Calais. We got there with time to spare so decided to take a little break before getting onto the train.

Then, very skilfully, our driver got the coach onto the Shuttle and we waited for the light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that we'd arrived in France.

After a short 1-hour drive, we'd arrived at the school in Lille. Time to meet the French students for the first time.

With the booklets the right way up, it might be more convincing...

More news tomorrow after our first day exploring the streets of Lille.

German Exchange 2012 - Dienstag

Ulmer Münster - the highest cathedral in the world

Today we travelled to Ulm and enjoyed a guided city tour, some souvenir shopping time and a scary climb to the top of the highest church tower in the world!

Inside the Ulmer Münster

trout spotting in the river

das schiefe Haus

it only rained for parts of the guided tour

in the stair case

exhausted but happy after the climb - with shaky knees

Student of the month - September 2012 French

Here are the Students of the Month from the French Department: 
Madame Tsang has nominated

Sasha Tyson in 9X for consistent good effort and behaviour,

Phoebe Johnson in 9Y for consistent oustanding work in classwork and homework,

Lauren Hart in 10G for good work and behaviour,

Sam Grundy in 7Q for outstanding work and behaviour and

Alex Vincent in 8M for excellent work and behaviour!

Well done to these stars!

Four more star pupils are the creators of these fantastic posters: Amrit Bunet, Sarah Heddle and Katie Yeung (all in 9a/Fr) and Terrence Ncube in 7Q.

A poster advertising Camberley by Amrit Bunet

This great work is by Sarah Heddle

Katie Leung wrote this fantastic text on Camberley

Terrence Ncube in 7Q has produced this lovely work on "il y a"

German Exchange 2012 -Montag

with Germanwings to Stuttgart

21 Tomlinscote students from year 10 and 11 left on Saturday for this year's exchange programme with our German partner school, whose students had come to visit us last July.
After a pleasant flight to Stuttgart, the English students were whisked away by their partners to spend the weekend with their host families.

They experienced a wide range of things: from a Porsche museum, a chocolate factory and a classical concert to handball matches, walks through the vineyards and medieval towns and a visit to the Volksfest, Stuttgart´s version of the Oktoberfest.

On Monday morning, our youngsters came to the Robert-Bosch-Gymnasium for a 7.50 start!  Staying with the group gave everyone an opportunity to swap stories about their weekends, work on their booklets and play with the blackboard (which was actually green). All seemed very happy in their families and Emma had even been allowed to try on her host's dirndl!

After an official welcome by Herrn Adolf, the head teacher, the students joined their partners in class to experience German school life first hand. Some got involved in interviews in an English lesson and helped analysing radio ads.

it was dark, foggy and cold at 7.30

but everyone was on time and in good spirits

in the corridor

playing with the black board

telling Frau Allen about their weekend

being interviewed by German students

in a classroom

 

helping out in an English lesson

  

Student of the Month - September 2012

Frau Sparkes has nominated Isobel Lynch in 8G as MFL Student of the Month for this lovely poster of a hymn to the power of sport.

German Theatre Performance at Tomlinscote

140 German learners in Key Stage 4 and the sixth form enjoyed a special performance today by a youth theatre group currently touring the British Isles with the "Über die Grenze ist es nur ein Schritt" (It’s Just a Step across the Border).

The German language play, written by Michael Müller, is a tragic yet comic story about an African youngster who has been living in Germany for five years and found friends and love. When it emerges that he and his family are living in the country illegally, the situation threatens to get out of control.

The author himself is the director and producer and has two superb young actors from the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg bring his story to life. They introduce their captivated audience to topics of migration, identity, dreams and search for oneself - issues which are just as relevant and important in the UK as they are in Germany and beyond.
Tomlinscote students thoroughly enjoyed the event and could identify with the subject matter. They asked interested questions and participated in a lively discussion with actors and author after the performance.
Three of our language ambassadors, Isobel Leigh, Patryk Mungai and Isobel Lambert gave a thank you speech in German to cast and producer.

The Jugendtheatertournee has already toured with "Über die Grenze.." in Dublin and Glasgow and will move on to London tomorrow to perform at the Goethe Institute (our PASCH partners who make these events possible with logistics and funding), before continuing their tour in the Netherlands and Scandinavia. We at Tomlinscote feel privileged to have had the opportunity to watch this brilliant play!
Here's a comment by one of our sixth formers:
"The play effectively showed the dangers that constantly threaten refugees even after escaping and was extremely realistic and thought provoking. It was also a great help to my German - thanks guys!"