Report- German Exchange Programme
15th October – 4th November
 
The German Delegation arrived on the 15the October 2009. After a warm welcome, the guest students went to the homes of their host families.. During the welcome assembly the German teachers and students introduced themselves. After snacks, they were given a brief orientation about the school.
The students stayed with the host families and took part in the customs and rituals of Diwali.It was an amazing sight to see them all dressed up in the traditional Indian attire. During the Diwali break, the host families had planned a number of activities for the German students.
The school reopened after a brilliant Diwali. It was good to see all the happy faces in school after a break of four days. As planned, the students attended various classes like Art and craft class, English, Hindi, Maths and Biology classes. The host students made sure that the German students were comfortable and at ease. The students also learnt to write their names in Hindi. The German students attended Yoga and meditation, music and French classes. They also attended a cooking class and learnt to make coconut ladoos & and other Diwali sweets.
A number of historic visits to various places in and around Delhi were planned for the German delegation to acquaint them with our rich culture and heritage. They visited palces like Qutub Minar, Lotus temple, Akshar Dham, Chattarpur Temple and so on. They were amazed to see the architecture. A visit to Bangla Sahib, Cannaught Place and emporiums was also planned. The German students and the teachers loved the ‘Halwa’ at the Gurudwara. The German students, along with the Indian partners visited Lajpat Nagar for a last minute shopping spree. They shopped for Indian ethnic dresses, spices and gifts for family members in Germany.
The highlight of the exchange programme was the meeting with the honorable Chief Minister of NCT Delhi, Smt. Shiela Dikshit. The German as well as the Indian students had a very interactive and motivating session with her.
Besides attending regular classes, the German students and Indian partners worked together on a Project . The theme of the project was Diwali.
Another attraction was the visit to Agra’s historic Taj Mahal. The visitors were left spellbound at the sight of this magnificient monument of love. It was a memorable experience. Besides the Taj Mahal, they also visited the Red Fort and shopped for souvenirs made of marble. The Germans also enjoyed buying the famous sweet of Agra- Petha.
The German students also participated in a dance performance and the song for the farewell assembly. They greatly appreciated the various classical dances and the inter house western dance competition held in the school. They admired the rich culture and heritage of India.
A beautiful farewell was extended to the German delegation towards the end of their stay. We also celebrated the festival of Gurupurab with our German guests. The occasion was graced by honorable Education Minister Shri. Arwinder Singh Lovely. The Guest of Honor was Mr. Eberhardt Weller, Head of the language Department, Max Mueller Bhavan. It was a memorable evening. The German students performed ‘Tandav’ flawlessly. They also sang a Hindi welcome song. The audience was left dumbstruck by the wonderful performances.
Bidding farewell to the germans was an extremely poignant moment.We all gathered at the IGI Airport, departure terminal at 7.00 am. The German students departed with tears in their eyes. The teachers had to literally drag the students into the Airport. Even the Indian mothers had their eyes wet. It was amazing to see the bond, which had developed between the Germans and Indians in a short duration of three weeks.
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