After just being pen pals over the summer, I was finally able to meet Lydia and her family. All lethargy was gone when I took my luggage off the carousel at Birmingham International Airport. Even though it was four o’clock in the morning Vancouver time, the excitement surpassed any fatigue I felt. I met the Brindley family in the arrival lounge. Leaving the airport and going to their house, it had finally sunk in that I would be staying in a foreign country for an entire month.

            Driving to Clent was an unforgettable memory. Although I have been to England before, getting used to the fact that people drive on the left hand side of the road and that the driver sits in the right hand seat is incredibly difficult. Her family welcomed me with open arms into their home, and I felt comfortable right away. I knew I would be happy living in England, but naturally, I would miss the comforts of my own home and my family.

            My first weekend in Birmingham was definitely one to remember. Working through drowsiness, I managed to go out, and I was very glad I did. I saw so many things that you don’t get living in a city like Vancouver. Seeing multitudes of fields, cows and sheep just off the road, and giant vegetable competitions gave me a shock, and some of my most vivid memories. As the weekend came to an end, it dawned on me that the next day I would be going back to school. But I found it a little strange remembering that it would not be my school.

            Just as you would be anxious for the first day of school, that is what I felt like getting ready for my first day at King Edward VI High School. That emotion was there, but was mixed with anticipation and excitement as well. That anticipation slowly edged its way out of my mind as the day progressed. Taking the coach first thing in the morning gave me the opportunity to meet people from many schools in Birmingham. Everyone there was so nice, and that boosted my outlook towards the rest of the day. Even after only being at the school for a short period of time, the worries I had felt earlier in the day had dissipated. All the girls I met were incredibly welcoming and friendly. I was greeted with such a high level of enthusiasm that my already high spirits were lifted even further. I settled into the classes well, and tried  to use this incredible learning opportunity to the fullest potential.

            There are many aspects of York House School and King Edward High School that are comparable and different. For one thing, the way KEHS’s forms and school schedule work are very much different from those of York House. Other than trivial things such as school subjects and the time school runs to, these two schools have many fundamentals in common. The students of both schools strive for excellence and do everything to the best of their abilities. The schools themselves bring out the best in their students through the wonderful social and academic environments offered. These qualities are what make York House School and King Edward High School outstanding academic foundations across the world.

            I would like to thank all the people involved in making this exchange possible. Many hours were spent working on this exchange, whether it was communicating across the globe or sitting on a plane, and my time in England has been an amazing experience. This exchange has presented so many opportunities for me, and the memories I have gained here will be carried on for a lifetime.

My name is Janelle Yee and I am from a private school in Vancouver, Canada called York House School.  I am 14 years old and this is my tenth year going to York House.  York House is a small all girls school for girls from ages 5-18.  Our school has three buildings: a junior school, senior school, and gym.  We have recently finished a two year period of construction where we have built a new underground facility that includes an auditorium, counseling area, music room, and several recording studios.  On top of all of that, we have our new Astroturf field, and we have rebuilt our gym facility as well.

            At York House, I am in grade 9, which is equivalent to year 10 here in England.  Many of the courses I take at school are the same as here, but there are not as many courses.  Some of the courses that are the same include math, French, English, and PE.  Biology, Chemistry and Physics do not get split up into three different classes for another couple of years so they are still all in one class, science.  I also take band, textiles, and social studies, which is basically history and geography, put together into one class.  In grade 9 we have a tri-term, which is just three classes in which you take a different one each term.  The three classes are art new media (art on the computer), ethics, and computer programming.  Unlike here, at York House we do not have to take Latin, or religious studies.  We do not have a music class, but we have a concert band and jazz band and they are an elective.  As I take textiles, other girls that did not choose the same as I, do Art, Drama or Spanish. 

Personal health portfolio is a class we have once a month that is basically the same thing as PDM here.

            My exchange partner is Alice Sadler, in U4B and I’ve been taking all the same classes as her and I have found it quite different from what I do at home.  First of all, I take the train to school every morning with Alice now.  At home I usually only have to take a 10 minute bus ride or car ride to school as we do not have trains and I live quite close to the school.  Next, at my school there are only four classes a day, each of them one hour and 15 minutes long.  The classes here feel so much shorter and seem to go by so quickly since I am used to the long blocks.  Lastly, KEHS is a bit more confusing to get around than at York House.  We do not have to take so many turns to get to our different classes and we definitely do not have as many classrooms.  There are only two floors at our school and it is just one simple, long hallway with classrooms on each side.  Hopefully by the end of my four-week stay here I will be able to find my way around the school without having to follow everyone to each class!  In all, this exchange is a really great experience for me and I am very excited for Alice to be coming in February!