One of the longest running student exchange programs in NSW was celebrated in cultural style at Kirrawee High School this month.
This year the school marked its 30th anniversary of its Sister School partnership with Komae High School in Japan.
In the past three decades, 1500 students have been part of the successful exchange program.
Students who study Japanese are hosting their global classmates, who are in Sydney to learn about education in Australia.
Then in return, Kirrawee students spend time in Komae, where they participate in flower arranging (ikebana) and sword fighting (kendo).
They experience everyday life in a Japanese school – and Kirrawee’s head teacher of languages Emma Quan describes it as enriching and skill-boosting.
“It is an experience which engenders strong relationships which endure long after the visits,” she said.
“The best way to learn a language is to live it, everyday and in every way.”
Kirrawee High School is also hosting a tree planting ceremony on August 10. A Japanese maple and an Australian banksia will be planted side-by-side on school grounds to mark the union between the two schools.