German adventure (From Penarth Times)

German adventure

IT WAS 'Guten Tag Deutschland' for St Cyres School pupils when they visited the Rhineland recently.

Thirty-four pupils from Year 8 set off for a 16-hour ferry and coach trip which took them to Kamp Bornhofen, where they enjoyed local specialities.

Throughout the five day visit, pupils were involved in a variety of cultural and linguistic activities, including a tour of Siegfried's Mechanisches Musikkabinett, where some of the pupils tried their hand at ancient instruments including one of the oldest grand pianos in Germany.

Other activities included a boat trip along the Rhine, a town trail through Rudesheim and a visit to Bonn and its cathedral.

Their trip culminated in a visit to Phantasialand, Europe's biggest theme park before the opening of Euro Disney in Paris.

Throughout the visit the pupils worked enthusiastically on workbooks prepared by the German department at St Cyres, which encouraged them to compare and contrast the country with their own.

A team element was introduced in order to motivate pupils to find information about the country and points were issued to advocate as much spoken German as possible.

Prizes for the best team, the most outstanding workbook and the most German spoken will be awarded by the headmaster Brian Lightman at a forthcoming assembly.

Mrs Owens, head of languages, said: "The pupils were a credit to their families and the school and a pleasure to take abroad.

"It's extremely rewarding to see pupils using their German so successfully and with so much confidence."

Thanks go to Mr C Owens, Mr S Britt and Miss M Coole who helped make the visit a success.