European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 11, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse U.s., German 6th graders share a learning experience German and american kids Pilch in far Kitchen chores a a o Cross Between Day Camp hotel and Schoat. First Lime Ever at Bat German Bay whack loft Alt. Elfride som nor organizer of special youth program. Pupils Linda Turner and Kurt Wietel on disco night. Story and photos by Tony Nauroth Nurnberg Bureau ninety three american and German sixth traders churned on the dance Moor , Germany along with Ahn Nofu of courageous Len chars an chaperones. The humidity gushed Down the Metal times of the doors and the wallpaper Ivas peeling of m great Limp sheets dancing in a Sauna is the Way one Chr Perono described in. Into this bubbling cauldron went the shy the gregarious the Gawky me self assured Iho fragile and the bold preteens All. And out poured a strange brew of learning. Since 19b2. Host Nalion teacher Ell ride Sommer has taken sixth Grade students from Grafen Ruhr american elementary school to a Safiu Fandrie irn. The is an institution German children attend in the later years o1 their elementary education. It s a Cross Between a Day Camp a hotel and a school. Throughout their elementary schooling German students colled Money door to door and the Cash goes into a fund Vicli support the Schulleri theim system. They attend Lor about a month. Sommer takes her kids 55 this year her largest group Yel for Ono week. Their parents had to pay Aboul $40 per child win additional funds raised through ear washes and bake sales during the year. The children gel away from regular school but they Aro expected to work. They must keep a daily journal collect postcards and other items from the Siles they Vijil. Ind urn in a report after they return i o school. of defense dependents schools officials say Sommer is the Only Host nation teacher in Germany doing this. She begins putting the program together of december and picks a different Schuhan Dhem each year. There Are More than 40 in Bavaria alone she said. Whal do the kids think of in when asked in general terms they unanimously say. It s Lun but pin them Down and they Femc Ber a cultural note Here a historic fact Here gleaned from a week of Louring and observing. There is learning going on Sormer said despite the surface appearance Al children having a Ball careening Down a Mountainside ride. Touring a Silver mine wandering through castles and Dise oing Al Nigil learning comes in bus and More important to Sommer is the social education they receive. They spend a whole week with German children living with Horn eating with them even arguing with them Sommer said they Lind oui that sixth graders Are pretty much the same regardless of where they come from the other 38 students came irom the Goossmann rather Volk Schule in Klumbach Al first american kids Sluck with americans Bui by the end of the week they had mingled to the Point where the few bilingual kids were acting As go Between in arranging budding preteen even during the disco the pupils were learning to to ask for a dance How to dance and How to control resulting jealousies Basic social skills complicated in a bilingual setting. Sorner pointed of Fiat Young romantic trials should be Laken very seriously. It is no joke to them she said it s not cute. They Are Iragido at this sixth graders she Chaper ories agreed Are a strange lot. At to Basilica of Wal Sasson. Where local saintly people wearing deteriorating finery have been entombed in Glass coffins German and american kids softly mouthed the words of the popular song Host busters. On the bus Biff or. To Tewalt was leaching four German girls the words to Home on the Hange. What is a discouraging word one asked or. T came to the Rescue during a Pieniel lunch Slop the americans Broca of Bals balls and gloves and showed their new friends How to play baseball. There vae Herbaugh. The smallest of the lot. And Andy Romero a six look tall sixth grader who wore sunglasses on a string to bed. There was Tammy Swift an aspiring Singer who can also dance Well and who used her bilingual skiffs to arrange romances Between germans an americans. Aaron Volker missed his mom. And Sormer held him in her arms and whispered ill be your mom still there was learning going on the occasional question directed Toa teacher away from Thyl crowd an observation Here a piece there that found a spol in a child s memory Bank the daily entries in the journals. Ill never do it again Sommer vowed on the last Ghl o the week never again but then she s been saying that Lor the past five years. P Page 14 the stars and stripes German and american 6lbgraden mailing the Eon vent Library of Waldt Aifen Realica. Wednesday
