Wednesday, September 30, 2015

First Connections

Waiting at the airport with the posters in my hands, my nerves were running wild. I was so anxious for the Brentwood girls to round the corner, I was 'buzzing' as they would say. Once I spotted my two students, Charlotte and Lauren, I freaked out and ran towards them. Although the neon signs and screams seem to have overwhelmed the England girls, our first hug was priceless! It was so wonderful to see Charlotte and Lauren in person and (most importantly) to hear their accents! Of course the first thing I asked each other was, "How funny do we sound?" The car ride home was full of questions and good vibes. Bonding over our common likes, like Taylor Swift, and our differences, like driving on the opposite sides of the road, were just the start to our friendship.



After showing them around the house and giving them time to settle into their rooms, Char and Lau came down with the sweetest gifts for Reba and I. London sweat-shirts, postcards, and tea cups were just a few of the many gifts I was given. We made them chili and noodles and talked about more differences and their home. They were tired so we all went to bed, excited for their first day on campus and their presentation. I cannot wait to continue spending time with my two newest friends! They are just so 'stinking cute'! Bring on the rest of the week, more inside jokes, bonding moments, and fun times are for sure coming our way! So happy to have this experience with these lovely girls!

-Caroline Adams '16

Brentwood England Visitors Arrive at UA!

On Monday Ursuline St. Louis hosts eagerly awaited the arrival of the Ursuline visitors from Brentwood England at the airport. After a smooth journey over to our side of the pond, the visitors were greeted with handmade signs and smiling faces.
Ursuline St. Louis and Brentwood students at the airport

The excitement was in the air on Tuesday as the school greeted our dear guests for the week. Student ambassadors lead the group on a tour. Afterwards, the Brentwood group came up to the art room to create screen printed bags aided by some of our art students.

Art students help with screen printing

A finished bag

The whole school got to enjoy a presentation that the Brentwood students carefully prepared for us. We viewed a video the students made of their school, we saw some similarities and differences. The students are divided into different houses which are run by a system somewhat like our student council, but across grade levels. We also exchanged performances of our school prayers and songs along with cheers. The energy in the auditorium was very high with lots of enthusiasm from both groups. I could sense the strong bond of our common Ursuline connection, and suddenly it felt more like family coming to visit rather than strangers. How powerful!


Host sisters and visitors together after the presentation
In the evening the host families and visitors gathered together in the UA Cafe for a Welcome BBQ. We are excited to see what the rest of the week brings. Look forward to blog posts written by host students shortly.
A host family with two Brentwood students at the BBQ