European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                \ Lessia Stosch Waves the stars and stripes she received As a souvenir other visit to the bad Hersfeldt elementary school in Germany recently. She was among a group of soviet children who visited the school. The visiting soviet children seem apprehensive As they enter an american classroom. By Jimi Jones a. Education writer to j 1 a g ,1. Quot i 1 % m Lohen princ pal Oakley Mceachren i Al tit Lila offered a miniature american Flag to the 20 a i i 1/v ii i i h a i i 1 i 111 i i Lih soviet children who surrounded him in the a Al m w  w 1 Al ajl Ira mall Al Quot a hallway of his elementary school they t Tensed and took a step backward. A soviet escort and teacher came Forward took a Young girl s hand and closed it firmly around the slim pole holding old glory the Post cold War scene was at the tiny Well kept bad Hersfeldt elementary school tucked away in the Rogelberg Mountain area of Central Germany where the soviet children got their first glimpse of a Western school. The students from Kiev in the soviet Ukraine were on a 21/�-hour visit to the american school earlier this month just one of Many events during their first vacation outside lesson for soviet children the soviet Union their two week trip was Courtesy of theban remm Cir Gorman Lions club. O u Arnen ran children in. The combination fifth and sixth Grade classroom had prepared a special Welcome and a other tree s for the Young  on capturing the moment they also snapped photos and rolled video tape. A v v., a a a a. / a a Quot v /. Quot the kids wore so excited they said they could t Leep last night waiting in anticipation Quot Mceachem said of his american students. A Quot / a \ a sharing desks with the american children the soviet pupils followed along as11 year old Hillary Johnson showed How to make a piano by folding coloured sheets of paper in different ways. She demonstrated the procedure at the chalkboard where a huge sign written in russian welcomed the students.  a a we wanted to plan an activity that  requires lot of verbal communication since there is a language Barrier Quot said Laura Mcdonough who teaches fifth and a sixth Grade a but As you can see there is absolutely no Barrier Quot a Quot a a  a / athe american children also presented the soviets with souvenir pin on buttons they had made especially for them some buttons had the american children a names written in russian others were decorated creatively. Quot a they be shown such an incredible interest we Are a going to take a big social studies spin off on this about the russian culture Quot Mcdonough said. Quot we Are fortunate for this experience. This is one of the most exciting events of my teaching  a a a. A fifth grader Hillary called the visit a a really neat  get the Chance to see these people from another country and they get the Chance to see what we do in .  .�?��,�?�/ /. A a a  Heinz Goriz vice president of the bad Hersfeldt Lions it club said his 40-member club plans a Long term relationship with the soviet children who live Only 55 Miles South of the scene of the worlds worst nuclear Accident. A a -. A / a the april 26, 1986, Accident at the chernobyl atomic Power Plant directly killed 32 people and left More than 500,000 contaminated by radiation. Many Western and 1 soviet researchers assert that at least 500 people a and possibly As Many As 7,000 a have died of cancer and other illnesses caused by the explosion and fire that spewed dangerously High Levels of radiation Over half the european continent. A year after the Accident police were still conducting radiation checks in these children s Hometown a a Quot. K a m a we saw a report on television about the children in Russia in the chernobyl stricken area and we decided to do something for these children Quot Goriz said. Quot the. Children Are suffering from health problems and a Lack of food and we Felt we should do something Quot a the German Lions club contacted an International peace organization in Frankfurt Germany which made contacts with a similar organization in the soviet Union. The soviet organization arranged for selection of the children who would visit Germany. A fourteen of the children on the visit to Germany Are orphans who lost their parents to traffic accidents / alcohol and other  c Goriz said a doctor had examined the children. Between the Ages of 9 Anu 12, soon after their easter sunday arrival but found no severe medical problems a it s looks like no one is really sick Quot Goriz said. Quot some of them Are malnourished but Overall they Are healthy without traces of radiation he said. / researchers however have said the extent of the disaster might not be known for years. Studies of the effects from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 found mat leukaemia rates did not Start rising for five years and some cancers were detected 10 to 30 years later. A a the children s visit to Germany also included trips to a farm the zoo and museums plus hiking fishing  and shopping Goriz said. Local businesses provided toys shoes and clothing for the children. At the american school a Small problem arose As the Cal t09ether in dance a photographer a l0 Mph t9lar and seekin9 shots of soviets whisper d to the principal Quot i can to Tell the soviet kids from the american  a ,. It be in thnllin9 to have russian and american -k-1? Abe t0 tel1 difference Quot Mceachem no i of an insi9ht-"lf. As educators Quot we inter at reality and see that those differences Are More made than  will help us in working with a  / a a. A soviet teacher Vidtor Kul Tschirki was impressed with the american a Liberal Way of teaching Quot he said. A in the soviet Union it strictly comes Down from above a. \ his Overall Hope he said was  coming after us will be Able to experience what we have Quot. Experienced today and that we russians germans and americans will live in peace and Friendship . A the soviet children found the american school quiet and Well disciplined Quot one said through an inter Efer another called the school Quot Well equipped a compared to their Bare classrooms with a a couple of closets benches and a  one said she Quot did t expect to get so Many  Young girl even noted that their new friends were Quot clean very intelligent people Quot and As the bus drove away from the school soviet Pupil Lessia Stosch was waving the Little american Flag i i of v i of w Vav a a h fifth grader Hillary Johnson shows american and soviet children How to fold paper to make a piano. A amps photos by Ken George Natalia Tymoschuk Dutches a gift she received during her visit to the school. Page 14 the stars and stripes monday. April 22, egg a the stars and stripes a Page 15