In the Summer of 2015, 21 SMHS students had the wonderful opportunity of traveling to Germany with teachers, Frau Wilson, Ms. Sneed, Mr. Walsh, and Frau Rowland serving as chaperones. The group spent two weeks with host families in Schorndorf and two weeks in Frankfurt with host families. Highlights of the trip included an overnight in the beautiful Austrian city of Salzburg and a day trip to the German city of Heidelberg. Additionally, the students benefited from visits to museums such as the Frankfurt Film Museum and the Dialogue Museum. It was an unforgettable four weeks and Frau Wilson and Frau Rowland look forward to leading a group again next summer!
The Summer Travel to Germany is often accompanied by a visit from students of the visited schools who are hosted by the families of SMHS students in the Spring or Fall during our school year (ie. and "Exchange Trip.")
Frau Wilson and Frau Rowland have established relationships with Gottlieb-Daimler Realschule in Schorndorf, and Schillerschule, a Gymansium in the city of Frankfurt. Each fall and spring groups of exchange students come to Charlotte as part of a two week exchange. Students live with South Meck host families taking various field trips throughout the region as well as attending class. The visiting students are mesmerized by Charlotte and life in America, with a trip to Charleston a highlight enjoyed by all.
South Meck students who participate in the German Summer Travel program spend 10 days in Schorndorf and 10 days in Frankfurt living with host families, enjoying trips to Munich, Salzburg, Stuttgart and more in between. Frau Wilson, from Schorndorf, introduces her students to her family and her life there. Frau Rowland, who completed her first year MA (German) in Salzburg, Austria, has students stay in the former convent where she lived. The exchange has allowed many students to make friends with students from abroad, developing new cultural perspectives. Frau Wilson and Frau Rowland hope to continue these exchanges for many years to come.
Through travel our students:
Frau Wilson and Frau Rowland have established relationships with Gottlieb-Daimler Realschule in Schorndorf, and Schillerschule, a Gymansium in the city of Frankfurt. Each fall and spring groups of exchange students come to Charlotte as part of a two week exchange. Students live with South Meck host families taking various field trips throughout the region as well as attending class. The visiting students are mesmerized by Charlotte and life in America, with a trip to Charleston a highlight enjoyed by all.
South Meck students who participate in the German Summer Travel program spend 10 days in Schorndorf and 10 days in Frankfurt living with host families, enjoying trips to Munich, Salzburg, Stuttgart and more in between. Frau Wilson, from Schorndorf, introduces her students to her family and her life there. Frau Rowland, who completed her first year MA (German) in Salzburg, Austria, has students stay in the former convent where she lived. The exchange has allowed many students to make friends with students from abroad, developing new cultural perspectives. Frau Wilson and Frau Rowland hope to continue these exchanges for many years to come.
Through travel our students:
- improve their world language skills
- make connections with their host families allowing students to learn about the culture, hobbies and cuisine first hand.
- gain confidence as they experience life in Germany.
Our exchange sister schools include:
MEMORIES MADE IN Germany
What was your favorite thing about Germany? Your least favorite? How did it compare to Charlotte? My favorite thing about Schorndorf was seeing my exchange student again. I really enjoyed getting to know him when he stayed with me for the two weeks in the fall, and reuniting with him this past summer was a lot of fun. I also really enjoyed spending time in a small German town, noticing the similarities between that and other small towns I've visited in the US. There weren't very many similarities between Schorndorf and Charlotte. One major difference actually was the abundant amount of public transportation, which isn't even as prevalent in Charlotte... a city MUCH larger than Schorndorf. My favorite thing about Frankfurt was experiencing life in a large German city. Frankfurt is like the New York of Germany, along with Berlin and a couple other cities with comparable populations. The German students in Frankfurt were quite different and a bit more exciting/entertaining as well. If I were to pursue a career with a German affiliation or influence in the future, I would definitely consider including Frankfurt in my thoughts, if doable.
My favorite memory about Schorndorf was when my host family and I went to a castle a few hours away called Hohenzollern. I was very excited because it would be my first time seeing a castle. Once we got there I had no idea how long and steep the walk would be. I had a bit of difficulty at first but in the end the view was totally worth it. We were so up high and all you could see was green as you looked around the castle. Also, all around the castle there were many statues of King Fredrick the Great. I thought it was a little funny because my host family wanted me to take a picture with every statue they saw. We didn't stay very long but the time that we spent there was amazing. My favorite memory about Frankfurt would be having the chance to explore and see different things everyday. Everyday my exchange student would take me somewhere different. For instance, one day we would go to the Main river, then another we would go to the city and do some shopping, the mall, or the Main Tower. It was always something different and I enjoyed that. I think the Main Tower would be the best place, because you got to see all of Frankfurt. Also, while we were at the Tower there were news reporters ready to broadcast. I've never seen that before and thought that was cool. My exchange student was able to point things out for me while we were on top of the building. My least favorite part was not being able to stay longer, because of how much fun I was having. I liked everything in Frankfurt, there wasn't anything I didn't like. Frankfurt was similar to Charlotte because since they are both cities, traffic gets pretty hectic around 4-5 p.m.. The people there are a lot busier like they are here. Something different would be that here we take our cars and over there they take the bus, train, and bikes.
My favorite thing about Germany is that you can just hop on a bus that comes around every five to ten minutes and hang out with friends uptown. In Charlotte it's very difficult to do that because you have so many things to worry about; parking, timing, what to do, whereas while I'm in Germany you just have to show up, no hassle.
My favorite thing about Germany is the people I have made connections with. I feel like as though I have another family that lives in Germany. My least favorite thing was the weather. Schorndorf is extremely different from Charlotte, size wise, setup wise, the architecture. Frankfurt on the other hand was very similar, the big city feel.
My favorite thing about Frankfurt was that the city was filled with many shops and wonderful German food; the restaurant etiquette was different and stood out. For example: when you eat a meal in Frankfurt, you would have to say to the waitress "Have a good day".
What was your favorite German food? My favorite German food I tried in Schorndorf was Kartoffel Salat (potato salad), a much heartier and tastier potato salad than that is here. My favorite food in Frankfurt was Heiße Liebe (hot love) which is essentially hot raspberries and vanilla ice cream. My favorite food that I ate while in Germany was a Rindswurst and Schnitzel. My favorite German food was Schnitzle, with a desert of watermelon with lemon juice. Very exquisite! My favorite German food is a doner, which is the German version of a gyro, but its better there. It has lamb, lettuce, tomato, sauce, and whatever else you want on it. I also love Apfel sholer (which is like apple juice soda). The best food that I ate was probably the Schnitzel because with one bite, it felt like you were in heaven. Also my host family from Shorndorf owns a great Mediterranean restaurant where they serve delicious cheeses, olives, and seafood. I had the opportunity to work a day in their shop and of course sample the food!
What was the strangest/funniest experience you had while there? The strangest or most interestingly funny experience in Schorndorf was realizing how many students bicycled to school. There was an enormous amount of bikes parked in the bicycle lot in front of the school, and I was stunned to see how many students - varying widely in age range - bicycled to school. My response for Frankfurt was noticing how many Germans go to the mall and just shop all the time. I actually thought - as Americans - we were excessive in our shopping, but it's not much different there either. My funniest experience would be taking the bus and train home alone with Danna. It was very interesting and scary. To our luck there was a guy who spoke Spanish and happened to be going the same place as us and was able to guide us a little. I think some people thought it was a little funny because they must have noticed we were foreigners trying to make our way home. It took us about an hour to get home, but the experience of doing it ourselves was something to remember. The strangest thing was the first night, the night of the welcoming party, I and some friends danced in the street for laughs. The strangest experience I had was breaking a German man's shoulder by accident while I was inline skating. It was both strange, sad, and now, looking back on it, kind of funny. The strangest thing I experienced in Frankfurt was not seeing air conditioning systems in the houses. Many days this summer the heat was over 95 F which was uncommon. Several days in Shorndorf we wore long sleeves; it was chilly and 65 F.
Had you been to Germany before? Where else have you traveled? Will you travel out of the US in the next three years and, if so, where will you go? I have been to Schorndorf, Germany once before on the same type of trip with South Meck. I've traveled to Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and a quite a few countries in the Middle East. I'm certainly planning on traveling outside the US within the next three years and I will hopefully be venturing to Ireland next summer, and if all goes well, I will utilize my advantage of being in Europe to hit Germany as well. I might travel to the Middle East to visit family within the next three years, and I definitely want to study abroad in Germany, or somewhere German-speaking such as Austria or German-speaking Switzerland. I had never been to Germany before - it was my first time. Other places I have traveled to have been Peru, Mexico, Japan, and Puerto Rico. I do plan on traveling again next year to Spain and while there maybe take a train to visit one of my host families in Germany. I have never been to Germany before, I really liked it, wish I will do it in a few years to see their universities. I have traveled to France and Spain. Yes, this is my second time going to Germany. I went on the South Meck exchange trip last year as well and loved it so much that I had to go back. I have also been to France and Austria. In the next three years I hope to travel to Italy and/or Spain. The last time I traveled to Germany was in the seventh grade when we went to Ludwigsburg. Ludwigsburg was a smaller town somewhat like Shorndorf whereas Frankfurt had a beautiful skyline much like Charlotte.
Are you a native German speaker? What other languages do you speak? I'm not a native German speaker. However, after studying German pretty consistently the past couple years, and having traveled there on two separate occasions, I will safely say I'm a moderately intermediate speaker. I also speak a decent bit of Arabic (strong for me in my father's home country's dialect). I am not a German native speaker, but I am fluent in Spanish, and speak a little Japanese. No, I am in German 3 at South Meck this year.
What was the most interesting thing you saw in Germany? The most interesting thing I saw while in Germany was the progressiveness throughout the country. I noticed this the first time I traveled to Germany as well, and I've been fascinated with it ever since. The general German lifestyle is such a sensible entity. Germans have become engrained and normalized with the process of recycling, and being environmentally cautious/correct as a whole. The use of solar power is pretty ubiquitous and can be found on the roofs of homes, in a collection throughout the countryside, atop of buildings, etc. The German people's mentalities harbor a great amount of sense and clear judgment; surrounding myself around Germans ultimately enriches me with a more profound and improved persona... I will always be drawn by the German way of life. The most interesting thing I saw while I was in Germany was a small part of the Berlin wall, when we went to Point Alpha. The most interesting thing I saw on my trip was the tallest steeple in Ölm, very magnificent view! The most interesting thing I saw in Germany was the old church in Frankfurt. I liked how nice and pleasant the Germans are; I hope I can experience Germany again in the near future.
My favorite memory about Schorndorf was when my host family and I went to a castle a few hours away called Hohenzollern. I was very excited because it would be my first time seeing a castle. Once we got there I had no idea how long and steep the walk would be. I had a bit of difficulty at first but in the end the view was totally worth it. We were so up high and all you could see was green as you looked around the castle. Also, all around the castle there were many statues of King Fredrick the Great. I thought it was a little funny because my host family wanted me to take a picture with every statue they saw. We didn't stay very long but the time that we spent there was amazing. My favorite memory about Frankfurt would be having the chance to explore and see different things everyday. Everyday my exchange student would take me somewhere different. For instance, one day we would go to the Main river, then another we would go to the city and do some shopping, the mall, or the Main Tower. It was always something different and I enjoyed that. I think the Main Tower would be the best place, because you got to see all of Frankfurt. Also, while we were at the Tower there were news reporters ready to broadcast. I've never seen that before and thought that was cool. My exchange student was able to point things out for me while we were on top of the building. My least favorite part was not being able to stay longer, because of how much fun I was having. I liked everything in Frankfurt, there wasn't anything I didn't like. Frankfurt was similar to Charlotte because since they are both cities, traffic gets pretty hectic around 4-5 p.m.. The people there are a lot busier like they are here. Something different would be that here we take our cars and over there they take the bus, train, and bikes.
My favorite thing about Germany is that you can just hop on a bus that comes around every five to ten minutes and hang out with friends uptown. In Charlotte it's very difficult to do that because you have so many things to worry about; parking, timing, what to do, whereas while I'm in Germany you just have to show up, no hassle.
My favorite thing about Germany is the people I have made connections with. I feel like as though I have another family that lives in Germany. My least favorite thing was the weather. Schorndorf is extremely different from Charlotte, size wise, setup wise, the architecture. Frankfurt on the other hand was very similar, the big city feel.
My favorite thing about Frankfurt was that the city was filled with many shops and wonderful German food; the restaurant etiquette was different and stood out. For example: when you eat a meal in Frankfurt, you would have to say to the waitress "Have a good day".
What was your favorite German food? My favorite German food I tried in Schorndorf was Kartoffel Salat (potato salad), a much heartier and tastier potato salad than that is here. My favorite food in Frankfurt was Heiße Liebe (hot love) which is essentially hot raspberries and vanilla ice cream. My favorite food that I ate while in Germany was a Rindswurst and Schnitzel. My favorite German food was Schnitzle, with a desert of watermelon with lemon juice. Very exquisite! My favorite German food is a doner, which is the German version of a gyro, but its better there. It has lamb, lettuce, tomato, sauce, and whatever else you want on it. I also love Apfel sholer (which is like apple juice soda). The best food that I ate was probably the Schnitzel because with one bite, it felt like you were in heaven. Also my host family from Shorndorf owns a great Mediterranean restaurant where they serve delicious cheeses, olives, and seafood. I had the opportunity to work a day in their shop and of course sample the food!
What was the strangest/funniest experience you had while there? The strangest or most interestingly funny experience in Schorndorf was realizing how many students bicycled to school. There was an enormous amount of bikes parked in the bicycle lot in front of the school, and I was stunned to see how many students - varying widely in age range - bicycled to school. My response for Frankfurt was noticing how many Germans go to the mall and just shop all the time. I actually thought - as Americans - we were excessive in our shopping, but it's not much different there either. My funniest experience would be taking the bus and train home alone with Danna. It was very interesting and scary. To our luck there was a guy who spoke Spanish and happened to be going the same place as us and was able to guide us a little. I think some people thought it was a little funny because they must have noticed we were foreigners trying to make our way home. It took us about an hour to get home, but the experience of doing it ourselves was something to remember. The strangest thing was the first night, the night of the welcoming party, I and some friends danced in the street for laughs. The strangest experience I had was breaking a German man's shoulder by accident while I was inline skating. It was both strange, sad, and now, looking back on it, kind of funny. The strangest thing I experienced in Frankfurt was not seeing air conditioning systems in the houses. Many days this summer the heat was over 95 F which was uncommon. Several days in Shorndorf we wore long sleeves; it was chilly and 65 F.
Had you been to Germany before? Where else have you traveled? Will you travel out of the US in the next three years and, if so, where will you go? I have been to Schorndorf, Germany once before on the same type of trip with South Meck. I've traveled to Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, and a quite a few countries in the Middle East. I'm certainly planning on traveling outside the US within the next three years and I will hopefully be venturing to Ireland next summer, and if all goes well, I will utilize my advantage of being in Europe to hit Germany as well. I might travel to the Middle East to visit family within the next three years, and I definitely want to study abroad in Germany, or somewhere German-speaking such as Austria or German-speaking Switzerland. I had never been to Germany before - it was my first time. Other places I have traveled to have been Peru, Mexico, Japan, and Puerto Rico. I do plan on traveling again next year to Spain and while there maybe take a train to visit one of my host families in Germany. I have never been to Germany before, I really liked it, wish I will do it in a few years to see their universities. I have traveled to France and Spain. Yes, this is my second time going to Germany. I went on the South Meck exchange trip last year as well and loved it so much that I had to go back. I have also been to France and Austria. In the next three years I hope to travel to Italy and/or Spain. The last time I traveled to Germany was in the seventh grade when we went to Ludwigsburg. Ludwigsburg was a smaller town somewhat like Shorndorf whereas Frankfurt had a beautiful skyline much like Charlotte.
Are you a native German speaker? What other languages do you speak? I'm not a native German speaker. However, after studying German pretty consistently the past couple years, and having traveled there on two separate occasions, I will safely say I'm a moderately intermediate speaker. I also speak a decent bit of Arabic (strong for me in my father's home country's dialect). I am not a German native speaker, but I am fluent in Spanish, and speak a little Japanese. No, I am in German 3 at South Meck this year.
What was the most interesting thing you saw in Germany? The most interesting thing I saw while in Germany was the progressiveness throughout the country. I noticed this the first time I traveled to Germany as well, and I've been fascinated with it ever since. The general German lifestyle is such a sensible entity. Germans have become engrained and normalized with the process of recycling, and being environmentally cautious/correct as a whole. The use of solar power is pretty ubiquitous and can be found on the roofs of homes, in a collection throughout the countryside, atop of buildings, etc. The German people's mentalities harbor a great amount of sense and clear judgment; surrounding myself around Germans ultimately enriches me with a more profound and improved persona... I will always be drawn by the German way of life. The most interesting thing I saw while I was in Germany was a small part of the Berlin wall, when we went to Point Alpha. The most interesting thing I saw on my trip was the tallest steeple in Ölm, very magnificent view! The most interesting thing I saw in Germany was the old church in Frankfurt. I liked how nice and pleasant the Germans are; I hope I can experience Germany again in the near future.