Millis High School Cultural Exchange Program

On Friday, September 22, Millis High School welcomed 13 Dutch students as part of an exchange program between Millis High School and Jac P. Thijsse College (high school) in Castricum, Netherlands. The Dutch students lived in the homes of host Millis High students for the week, returning to the Netherlands on September 28. The goal of the program is for participants to learn about a new culture through an immersive experience. During the week, the Dutch students attended some classes at the high school. They learned about American population demographics from students in Millis teacher Steve Bigelow’s AP Human Geography class, experienced American football with Scott Kendrick’s Outdoor Pursuits class, joined in field research with Erin Cheney’s Environmental Science class, shared autobiographical short
speeches in Mr. Caulfield’s Speech class, and were interviewed by students in Danielle Mannion’s Broadcast Journalism class. The Dutch students also presented to both middle and high school students about their country and culture. In addition, the Dutch students traveled with their host students to the Freedom Trail and Boston’s Museum of Science. They also went on a variety of excursions with their host families over the weekend and participated in a number of events with families after school. The Millis students will travel to the Netherlands in April and live with the Dutch families of their host students. There they will experience a Dutch high school, travel to Amsterdam and visit a number of historical and cultural landmarks. This is the second year of the partnership between Millis High School and Jac P. Thijsse College, and a strong bond has been formed between the two schools. Millis High school students participating in the program are:
Seniors Ryan Locke, Margaux D’Aprile, Shane Joseph; junior Lucy Clayton; sophomores Sam Riley, Abby Messias, and Amelia Coutts; and freshmen Livi Calais, Madelene Tavarez, and Abraham Chetsas