Don’t be surprised to see greetings welcoming 2005 German American Partnership Program (GAPP) exchange students on signs in front of Sussex area businesses. Hamilton High School German Club members have been working feverishly making arrangements to host a group of 20 exchange students and two teacher-chaperones from Altdorf, Germany. Students from the picturesque, small town in northern Bavaria are visiting the Hamilton School District March 17 until April 8.
The GAPP exchange opportunity is designed to promote international understanding among young people, as well as provide students with an opportunity to learn German in an immersion experience. German teacher Robin Tessereau is excited about what this exchange means to the Hamilton German language students.
“I have seen learning German come alive for these students,” said Frau Tessereau.
The families of 20 Hamilton students will host the German guests and travel to Altdorf this summer for a three-week exchange at the Leibniz-Gymnasium, a college-preparatory, secondary school specializing in world languages, math and science. While in Germany students from Hamilton will attend classes at the Leibniz-Gymnasium and visit places of historical and cultural interest.
Hamilton students participating in the GAPP exchange are:
Brian Alland
Jeffery Denninger
Elizabeth Doucette
Gail Druschke
Nicole Glaser
Andrea Hearley
Ashley Hust
Cailin Iwen
Kevin Johnson
Nora Kudronowicz
Phillip Laper
Samantha Mezydlo
Kenneth Norby
Danielle Pirelli
Adam Swierczek
Paul Thompson
Adam Van Reenen
Whitney Zahn
Erica Zander
Angela Zapf