Trois Ono
On Monday, April 10th, nine Saint Mary’s students from their student council joined the Saint Maur community for a day-long exchange. The student exchange used to happen annually but was reintroduced this year after a three year hiatus due to the corona pandemic.
The exchange allows students to learn about how student council is operated in other schools and also provides them with an opportunity to connect and foster relationships with students from other schools.
The Saint Mary’s students were partnered with their corresponding Saint Maur student council officials. Following their partner’s schedules, they spent the day shadowing and learning different IB subjects. Hyunseo (G10), when asked about their experience, says “My favorite part of the exchange was the student council meeting. I was quite surprised that there were a lot of dedicated students who actively asked and answered questions and it was really helpful.”
One of the most interesting aspects of this exchange was the opportunity for students to experience the differences in school culture and education systems. Saint Mary’s students were able to observe the Saint Maur approach to education and the role of student council firsthand. They were fascinated by some of the policies we have in our school, such as the 24 hour extension pass. Saint Mary’s students were also able to attend 55 minute classes, as opposed to their 90 minute ones. Another interesting aspect of the exchange program was the opportunity for student council members to learn from each other. By attending the student council meeting during lunch, they were able to exchange ideas and insights with their peers from Saint Maur. Two juniors from Saint Mary’s adopted our current school mascot project as one of their proposals for their election campaign.
Executive president, Sarah (G11), exclaims “It was really exciting, and definitely a unique experience. I found there to be a lot more person-person connection since the COVID restrictions were lifted, especially in comparison to the other [Kanto Plain Student Council] meetings we’ve had.”
Overall, the school exchange program was a great success, and the student council members from Saint Mary’s International School learned a lot from their visit to Saint Maur. The exchange was an excellent initiative that highlighted the importance of promoting cross-cultural learning and collaboration among student leaders, allowing student council members of both schools to gain a deeper understanding of different educational systems and leadership styles. The Saint Maur student council now looks forward to May 8th, where they will be visiting Saint Mary’s and spending a day there with their counterparts.
Trois Ono