This week, the junior high welcomes some new faces to the school. Several students received the opportunity to house exchange students from Altoona’s sister city, Sankt Poelten, in Austria. After spending a week in Washington, D.C., the foreign students stay with several people at the local high schools for a week and are able to attend school with them for three days. Along with seeing how a different culture’s school functions, the foreign students had the chance to tour Altoona and see several things such as the Penn State Altoona campus. Altoona’s students who housed people receive the opportunity to travel to Austria in the 2016-2017 year. Throughout the week they are here, the students will be able to experience all new foods, places, and faces.
Ninth graders Coby Bernhart-Horton and Sarah Harmon gather around a bonfire with their students Sophie Lecher and Rafael Burda. “I have never made S’mores before,” said Lechner, “They were very good!” Photo by Coby Bernhart-Horton.Lechner and Burda sketch their names onto the side of a fire pit during their third night in Altoona. The girls spent the night playing campfire games and roasting marshmallows. Photo by Sarah Harmon.Ninth grader Sarah Harmon stands with her exchange student, Sophie Lechner, at Canoe Creek State Park. The girls spent the afternoon on hiking trails and relaxed in front of the water. “I’m glad the weather has been so nice since Sophie came here.” said Harmon.Exchange students Sophie Lechner and Rafael Burda pose in their “dirndl’s”, a traditional dress. “When we attend festivities in Austria, we wear these dresses,” Said Lechner. Photo by Sarah Harmon.Members of the high school’s chamber orchestra perform during a banquet for the exchange students and host families. From 6-8 on Wed. April 15, everyone had the opportunity to mingle with one another and listen to the orchestra’s music.Iris Raschbacher, an Austrian student, performs a solo on her cello at the Sister City banquet. Rasbacher has been playing the cello for over ten years. Photo by Sarah Harmon.Altoona’s mayor, Matthew Pacifico, stands with Edwin Flatschart, an English teacher in Sankt Polten. Flatschart has had a large role in getting the exchange program up and running. Photo by Sarah Harmon.Lechner, Flatschart, and Burda pose together at the Sister City banquet. Flatschart has served as a supervisor for the exchange students while they stay in the United States. Photo by Sarah Harmon.Sophomore Elizabeth Pearlman, Rafael Burda, Sarah Harmon, and Sophie Lechner pose at the Sister City banquet. Both the exchange students and host families spent the evening mingling with one another and enjoying themselves.
NATALIE HOLSEY • Apr 27, 2015 at 12:22 pm
I loved having these students come to our school! It made the day more exciting, and I hope that these students will visit again 🙂