It was with great pleasure, on Thursday 20 August, that we welcomed vice-principal Mr Murasawa, Ms Takayanagi, Ms Hara and 15 students from Toyohashi Minami Senior High School (TMSHS) in Japan to St Albans Secondary College for a 6-day homestay exchange program.
Whilst at St Albans, the TMSHS students attended an art workshop where they learned about our indigenous Australian culture and art, and a footy clinic where the Japanese students learned a little bit about Australian football and its rules and skills. We saw some great handball, kicking and marking skills there! They also teamed up with their host students and attended a variety of classes.
The Japanese students also loved the hands-on experience and educational display during the reptile show incursion and an excursion to Healesville Sanctuary Zoo where they got to see iconic Australian animals such as emus, kangaroos and koalas. The most rewarding part of the program, however, was to see the friendships that formed between the students and their host students and families. The TMSHS group left the college Tuesday afternoon (25 August) and many tears were shed at the farewell ceremony.
Even though it was our first time hosting a group of students from Japan, the program went quite smoothly and we were able to achieve a huge success. This would not be possible without the support of the school community. I would like to thank the host families who volunteered to host our special guests and helped make this exchange a memorable experience for the students.
I also wish to thank St Albans staff for welcoming the students into their classes and assisting with the welcome and farewell ceremonies. Thank you also to all staff who assisted with aspects of the organisation and planning. A special thank you goes to:
Ms Tran, Ms Shepherd, Mr Fan, Mr Orchard, Mr Cooper, Mr Moore, Ms McKenzie, Mr. Lynch, Ms Segura, Mr Jennings, our extras team, IT department staff and administration staff for their support.
In 2027 it is anticipated that a group of St Albans students will travel to Japan and homestay in Toyohashi. Any students from Years 8, 9 and 10 (as at 2026) keen to visit Toyohashi Minami Senior High School and experience the wonders of Japan, including a trip to Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Tokyo, are encouraged to apply for the study tour. More information and an application form will be available in Term 4.
Mr Jun Hayashi – LOTE – Japanese | Sister School Program Leader