Hamilton welcomes students from Germany

“Welcome GAPP Exchange Students.” Don’t be surprised if you see this greeting welcoming the 2013 group of German American Partnership Program (GAPP) exchange students to Hamilton High School in Sussex. Members of the Hamilton German Club have been working feverishly to make arrangements involved with hosting 20 exchange students and two teacher-chaperones from the city of Reutlingen, Germany. Students arrived in the Hamilton School District March 14 and will stay until March 31.

The GAPP exchange opportunity is again offered at Hamilton to promote international understanding among young people and provide students with an opportunity to learn German in an immersion experience. German teacher Lindsey Klein is excited about what this exchange means to Hamilton German language students.

“I have seen true friendships formed within this program and the students learning used in real- life situations,” said Klein.

Nineteen Hamilton families and students are hosting the German guests and 20 students will be traveling to Reutlingen this summer for a three-week exchange at the Johannes-Kepler-Gymnasium, a college-preparatory secondary school. While in Germany, Hamilton students will attend classes at gymnasium and visit places of historical and cultural interest.

Hamilton students participating in the GAPP exchange are: Paige Brandt, Tess Carlson, Katharine Dowlding, Connor Engel, Joel Fotsch, Alexander Gwinn, Megan Hessler, Ashley LeBlanc, Rebecca Leibiger, Robert Little, Addie Morris, Amanda Muckerheide, Hannah Muckerheide, Kenneth Neitzke, Ashlyn Paulson, Joseph Rosewicz, Natalie Schmidt, Andrew Ullmann, Caitlyn Weiner and Kirsten Windbiel.