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BY PRISCILLA GREEAR
Staff Writer
ATLANTA--Fifth-graders from St. Mary’s School in Rome not only had the
opportunity to visit the Georgia General Assembly, but did so while hosting 12
other fifth-graders from the Benjamin Franklin International School in
Barcelona, Spain, as part of an exchange program between the two schools.
Rep. Paul Smith introduced the students to the General Assembly in the state
Capitol March 10. The tour of Atlanta was one of a series of activities planned
during the students’ stay March 8-15, which included a trip to Zoo Atlanta
and other popular sites.
While in Rome, the youth stayed with families of St. Mary’s
fifth-graders, sharing their heritage with the school community.
St. Mary’s music teacher Cecelia Dawson and her sister-in-law Becky
Dawson, a fifth-grade teacher at the international school, initiated the
exchange.
St. Mary’s Principal Susan Odle remarked on what the experience has
meant for students.
“It’s bringing an international flavor to the school. It has
allowed the students to be exposed to other cultures and it has helped them to
appreciate the things they have and take for granted. ...They’re very
enthusiastic. It kind of shows that all children ... are the same throughout
the world.”
At the Barcelona school, classes are taught in English in an American
studies program.
“We teach them a lot about the U.S.,” Becky Dawson said. “I
thought we would let them come see it instead of reading about it ... sampling
Southern foods, seeing what the houses in the region are like--all the cultural
differences.”
She said the visiting students, who are natives of Spain and other
countries, have observed lifestyle differences such as how most Americans live
in houses instead of apartments and how Atlanta has more open spaces.
The international students brought gifts from Spain, including videos on the
history of Barcelona and a book of photographs of Barcelona for the school
library.
The visiting students gave presentations to St. Mary’s classes on
holiday customs in Spain and the differences between the Spanish and Catalan
languages spoken in the Barcelona region of Catalonia. They brought erasers
from the Barcelona soccer team and foods, including Spanish olives and olive
oil.
“They’ve just become friends,” Becky Dawson said.
To prepare for the visit, St. Mary’s students learned about Spain and
Barcelona in particular, said Jackie Scott, fifth-grade teacher and trip
coordinator.
“We made a lot of signs. We made posters. We take Spanish language
class, but we’ve also done more. We’ve doubled up on Spanish language
instruction.”
But studying did not always prepare students for some of the differences
between the two cultures. Scott said her students were surprised when their
visitors wanted to give them kisses on both cheeks, which is their traditional
way of greeting one another.
Both groups of students quickly became acquainted.
“They’re so excited. ...They have been talking about things that
they have and we don’t have and vice versa. They’ve already been
exchanging notes about if a boy is interested in a certain girl,” Scott
said.
Leticia Ballester, 10, from Barcelona, gave a presentation on Spanish and
Catalan, languages which have different accents and spelling rules. She
compared Georgia to Barcelona, saying that people where she lives eat more
tomatoes and olives, and that the city has more historic sites. She also noted
that houses are smaller in Spain and that schools there have fewer
international students. She, in turn, has learned about the Civil War and
Southern accents, she said.
“It’s cool to be in another country, another continent,” she
said, adding that her favorite part is living with an American family.
St. Mary’s fifth-grader Ben Gaylon, who hosted two Barcelona students,
said he enjoyed “having many people to play with. ...They’re really
nice and they’ve got a real good soccer team.”
From viewing a book on Spain, Gaylon said, “They have churches from
medieval times there and really pretty scenery.”
Cecelia Dawson hopes that some St. Mary’s students will travel to
Barcelona next year to learn firsthand about life there. Until then, they will
have to rely on their memories of their newfound friends.
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