Embracing Other Cultures

Tuesday, 12 March 2019 15:04

Photo credit: Vanessa Pye, Program Coordinator for Muskoka Language International Inc.

Woodstock has welcomed Japanese exchange students into the community.

WOODSTOCK - Woodstock has welcomed Japanese exchange students into the community.

The exchange students were shown around the community, participating in different activities in the Friendly City, organized by Muskoka Language International Inc.

Program Coordinator Vanessa Pye says they've even gone around to different schools to show other students more of their culture.

"They had the pleasure to go to St.Patrick's and they did a little cultural sharing. So they showed the students from St.Patrick's a couple of their dances, they did some Origami and some Japanese old games. So that was a very, very cool experience. It was awesome to see the kids, the young students interact with these junior high school students from Japan, and it was just so great to see. So many students were engaged, it gave me chills it was so awesome."

The group of students are from Nakamura Gakuen JHS in Japan and they arrived on March 5th, consisting of 31 female students who made the trip along with their two teachers and one chaperone.

Muskoka Language International coordinated a trip for a group of Japanese students in October last year, having them come to St.Mary's High School for a one day event. St.Mary's principal, Stephanie Circelli, agreed to host another event for them in March this year.

Pye says it's been a great experience seeing the exchange students interact with the community.

"It's been a really good experience to see. They are very respectful, they are kind, they are funny and just the smiles on their faces says it all. They are enjoying their time here, from my understanding, and the host families have done an awesome job making sure they're integrated into our culture because they wanted to. They wanted to learn our culture and they wanted to see what we do day in and day out, and I think they've had a good taste of that."

Pye says it's also been great for Woodstock to welcome more diversity into the community.

"I think it's great for Woodstock. I love the diversity that's coming in Woodstock, it's great to see the diversity because it's our future. Diversity, we see it all over the place and we need to be able to engage with everybody and be everybody's friends and learn from one another."

Pye says the students will have a farewell ceremony tonight, before spending the whole day in Niagara Falls tomorrow. The exchange students will head back to Japan on Thursday.