Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 28, 1994 TAG: 9404280149
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: NANCY BELL STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
At day's end, they travel the rural roads of Botetourt County in school buses to their temporary homes with American families.
Ten students from Allerton High School in Leeds, England, recently participated in an exchange program with Botetourt Intermediate School students. For three weeks they lived with the families of their peers, attending school and participating in other daily American activities.
Ten Botetourt Intermediate students visited England last October for a similar exchange.
"This is a really, really good program," said Botetourt Intermediate Principal Lou Barlow, who initiated the program through the National Association of Secondary School Principals.
"The students from England have touched the lives of a lot of people in the community who have come to know them from church or other activities."
He said he hopes the program will continue. "There have been no problems. Reaction from parents, students and teachers has been very positive."
Teacher Beth Logan chaperoned Botetourt Intermediate students who visited Leeds last fall, and she has been involved with hosting the Allerton students here.
"Being involved in the program - it's the hardest I've ever worked," said the history and social studies teacher.
"These students are younger than most involved in this type of program. It became very obvious that I was to be the link between home and a different country."
Logan said she finds differences in English and American schools fascinating. "No student fails there. They move to the next grade automatically. There are no grades, no report cards."
Although Logan was not required to teach during the three weeks she spent in Leeds, she voluntarily taught a religious education class there. Logan said she was surprised to find religion part of the English curriculum. The lessons were general and usually interesting, she said.
In English schools, students wear uniforms and there is more emphasis on foreign language study. Students walk to school or pay to ride metro buses.
"There is not as large an emphasis on sports there. They have no cheerleaders. Sports tend to be more intramural," Logan said.
Leeds is an industrial city about three times larger than Richmond. The Allerton school is a community public school for students in grades 5-12. During their stay, the Botetourt students also visited London and Scotland.
American and English students involved in the program all said they wish the program lasted longer than three weeks. They were amused by differences in language.
"They call cookies `biscuits' - there is no word for biscuits like we have at dinner time. . . . And strollers are `buggies,' " said Katie Austin, a Botetourt student who visited Leeds.
Simon Cohen, visiting from England, said he liked Botetourt County. "There's a lot of land around the houses. The people are nice. I'd like to stay longer."
Some students visiting from England rode horses and drove cars for the first time. Others went with their American families on vacations to Philadelphia. All visited the nation's capital.
Barlow said students participating in the exchange were responsible for their own travel expenses and spending money. Host families provided room and board during the three-week stay.
He said host homes in both countries were screened carefully. Students were selected based on written essays describing their desire to learn in another country and on social and academic abilities.
"We are all amazed at how well matched the kids turned out to be."
Allerton High School students who participated in the Leeds/Botetourt Exchange are Simon Cohen, Hannah Cross, Angela Fulton, Steven Haupt, Helen Marks, Laura Middleton, Michael Pullen, Wayne Stanley, Clare Waterworth and Athena Witter.
Those from Botetourt Intermediate School who went to England in October are Katie Austin, Erica Beelman, Cally Guill, Ann Kelly, Megan Lawson, Dan Pittman, David Poff, Nathan Pope, Marglen Webb and Will Wyche.
by CNB