Colégio São Luiz: A school open to the world – 2. Students’ experience in the USA
Exchange students from Colégio São Luiz in Brasil return from an exchange program in the United States, after their experience at Sacred Heart School in Southaven, Mississippi.
The eight students from Colégio São Luiz who took part in the exchange program in Southaven, Mississippi, in the United States, are already back in Brazil. The group, consisting of students Isadora Bittelbrunn, Heitor Costodio Pruner, Enzo Gabriel Lauritzen, Isabella Chedid Rebello, Olívia Seubert Luiz, Pietro Pôncio Jimenez, Valentina Gamba Adami and Vinicius de Lemos Boni, returned with many stories and lessons learned after three weeks immersed in American culture. The exchange students were accompanied by the coordinator of the Bilingual Program, Mariane Werner Zen, and teacher Janaína Fernanda de Almeida.
Students and teachers spent 23 days living in a house provided by the Sacred Heart Southern Missions, having the opportunity to experience daily life as residents of the cities of Walls and Southaven. They attended classes every day at Sacred Heart School, a school owned by the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
According to the teachers, once again, the objective of the exchange program was achieved. “The students were very well prepared and had a very positive attitude at home, living together almost like a family. They knew they would need to help with daily tasks and chores, and everything went smoothly. In addition, they were very independent at school, performed well in class, and took their studies very seriously,” says Mariane.
Teacher Janaína points out that the work carried out at Colégio São Luiz through the Bilingual Program greatly contributed to ensuring that language was not a difficulty for the exchange students. “We were very proud of them because they were completely independent in using the language. Communication was never a barrier for them, and they were constantly learning.”
In addition to their routine at Sacred Heart School, this year the exchange students had the opportunity to visit another Dehonian school: Holy Family Catholic School, in the city of Holly Springs. The institution, which offers classes from kindergarten through eighth grade, made a point of welcoming the Brazilian students for moments of integration. “We visited Holy Family Catholic School for two days. It was incredible, and we were happy to experience this Dehonian presence, to recognize ourselves as Dehonians and be in that learning environment as well. The teachers welcomed us warmly. We built connections with another institution, and now the goal is to maintain this connection through online initiatives to foster integration between our school and theirs,” says the coordinator of the Bilingual Program.
Mariane also highlights the attitude of the exchange students in the classroom, which was highly praised by the American teachers. “We’ve received incredible feedback from the teachers at the school about how dedicated and engaged our students are. We’ve only heard positive things. More than ever, we’ve seen how the partnership between the school and the family has had an impact. We’ve seen that the education provided by Colégio São Luiz, in terms of knowledge, combined with the values taught by the families in terms of good coexistence, has borne much fruit.”
An unforgettable experience
For the exchange students, the experience will be unforgettable. Enzo Gabriel Lauritzen highlights the maturity that the experience brought. “I learned a lot, especially how to manage on my own. From making my own food to listening to and understanding English better. The class experience was very good, and I really liked the teachers”.
