A visit by the German students to the Dekker Huis Museum highlighted a bus tour organized by city Marketing Director Abby deRoo.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
Nearly two dozen students and two teachers from a school in Germany have spent the past several weeks in Zeeland as part of a new cultural exchange program.
The students and teachers from the Gymnasium Michelsenschule in Hildesheim, in the Hanover region of Germany, are wrapping up their visit today after a three-week experience that included everything from a tour of the city, to taking part in the Pumpkinfest parade, to experiencing an American high school football game – the annual Bird Bowl between East and West.
Pierce Velderman, who teaches German at East, coordinated the visit.
“(The idea) started three years ago when I asked (East principal) Jessica Knoth if we could start a German program. She said ‘sounds great, let’s do it next year,’” Velderman said. “I was thinking maybe five years, 10 years down the road … but Jessica said yes.”
Velderman then reached out to his former German teacher at Hamilton High School, Lauren Robinson, who had coordinated an exchange program with the Michelsenschule for years before the school dropped German as a class offering around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robinson encouraged her former student to connect with the Michelsenschule.
The Michelsenschule students were recognized at a City Council meeting Oct. 5. They visited the Zeeland Public Schools Early Childhood Center Oct. 7, where they got a chance to do some hula hoop fun with kids.
Then on Oct. 12, City Marketing Director Abby deRoo took the students on a bus tour of city facilities. The tour included a visit to City Hall, the Public Safety Building to learn about police and fire services in the city, the Clean Water Plant, and Dekker Huis Museum.
“It was a really fun day,” deRoo wrote in an email to the Zeeland Record about the city tour. “I think they noticed a lot of similarities and differences. They specifically noted how different their police cars look.”
Marko Jancke is one of the two teachers from Michelsenschule who accompanied the student group.
“Zeeland, to me, is like a typical USA small town,” Jancke said. “Very neat, very friendly people. Whenever we are in the streets, people are waving and saying hello.”
The other teacher, Kim Hunze, had been part of the earlier exchange program with Hamilton when she was a student at Michelsenschule. An English teacher, Hunze loved being part of the Pumpkinfest parade.
“This was a great experience, seeing everyone so excited, waving at us. We were quite happy about being dressed up as cowboys (fitting the theme of this year’s festival),” she said.
Liliana Weniger, a 16-year-old student, raved about her experience.
“I just love this city. It’s very beautiful,” Weniger said. “There’s so many amazing (people). I love shopping here, to be honest.”
Weniger also said she greatly enjoyed watching the Bird Bowl game - she had never seen an American football game before - and the spirit displayed by students from the two schools.
A group of 14 Zeeland students will travel to Germany and Austria in May to reciprocate the visit, Velderman said.
Zeeland Record
Nearly two dozen students and two teachers from a school in Germany have spent the past several weeks in Zeeland as part of a new cultural exchange program.
The students and teachers from the Gymnasium Michelsenschule in Hildesheim, in the Hanover region of Germany, are wrapping up their visit today after a three-week experience that included everything from a tour of the city, to taking part in the Pumpkinfest parade, to experiencing an American high school football game – the annual Bird Bowl between East and West.
Pierce Velderman, who teaches German at East, coordinated the visit.
“(The idea) started three years ago when I asked (East principal) Jessica Knoth if we could start a German program. She said ‘sounds great, let’s do it next year,’” Velderman said. “I was thinking maybe five years, 10 years down the road … but Jessica said yes.”
Velderman then reached out to his former German teacher at Hamilton High School, Lauren Robinson, who had coordinated an exchange program with the Michelsenschule for years before the school dropped German as a class offering around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Robinson encouraged her former student to connect with the Michelsenschule.
The Michelsenschule students were recognized at a City Council meeting Oct. 5. They visited the Zeeland Public Schools Early Childhood Center Oct. 7, where they got a chance to do some hula hoop fun with kids.
Then on Oct. 12, City Marketing Director Abby deRoo took the students on a bus tour of city facilities. The tour included a visit to City Hall, the Public Safety Building to learn about police and fire services in the city, the Clean Water Plant, and Dekker Huis Museum.
“It was a really fun day,” deRoo wrote in an email to the Zeeland Record about the city tour. “I think they noticed a lot of similarities and differences. They specifically noted how different their police cars look.”
Marko Jancke is one of the two teachers from Michelsenschule who accompanied the student group.
“Zeeland, to me, is like a typical USA small town,” Jancke said. “Very neat, very friendly people. Whenever we are in the streets, people are waving and saying hello.”
The other teacher, Kim Hunze, had been part of the earlier exchange program with Hamilton when she was a student at Michelsenschule. An English teacher, Hunze loved being part of the Pumpkinfest parade.
“This was a great experience, seeing everyone so excited, waving at us. We were quite happy about being dressed up as cowboys (fitting the theme of this year’s festival),” she said.
Liliana Weniger, a 16-year-old student, raved about her experience.
“I just love this city. It’s very beautiful,” Weniger said. “There’s so many amazing (people). I love shopping here, to be honest.”
Weniger also said she greatly enjoyed watching the Bird Bowl game - she had never seen an American football game before - and the spirit displayed by students from the two schools.
A group of 14 Zeeland students will travel to Germany and Austria in May to reciprocate the visit, Velderman said.
Students from the Gymnasium Michelsenschule in Hildesheim, Germany, try their hand at hula hooping during a recent visit to Zeeland’s Early Childhood Center.
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
https://www.legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
