Spanish, Chinese exchange programs go smoothly
By Kellen Olshefski
Editor
Students and staff involved with two recent exchange programs shared reports regarding their trips with the Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education on Oct. 12.
Representatives of the 31 total students, staff and parents that went to Spain in June kicked off the report.
International Exchange Coordinator Christine Lira, who also teaches Spanish at the high school, said the trip went well and of the four trips she’s done abroad, this was the best group.
“The behavior was excellent, we all took really good classes, it was just an all around good trip,” she said.
During the 10-day trip, students, staff and parents stayed with host families in Salamanca, a city in northwestern Spain. While abroad, students visited numerous locations, such as Avila, Zamora and Madrid, took flamenco dancing lessons and participated in a gazpacho competition.
In another exchange program this year, several students from China came to stay with families in the Elkhorn area during the tail end of the summer and beginning of the school year.
District Administrator Jason Tadlock said what he thinks was unique about this exchange program was the age of the students. While exchange students have typically been high school students in the past, this group was middle-school aged students from Weifang, China.
The Chinese students arrived in Elkhorn on Sept. 3 and stayed through most of September.
Students met with their host families on Sept. 3 at the middle school for snacks and an orientation in a comfortable setting to help the students being to settle in.
Two girls and three boys came for the trip and a total of three teachers from Weifang came over as well, alternating between the three with each staying for about 10 days.
In other business, the high school Spanish department proposed a new trip for the upcoming year in which Spanish students would travel to Costa Rica. The school board approved the trip.
For more details on the district’s foreign exchange program and these trips specifically, see future editions of the Elkhorn Independent.
