On Thursday 5th December, 38 students from Years
10 and 11 travelled to Germany to experience the wonder of the Christmas markets
in the three iconic German cities of Koblenz, Köln and Aachen.
During the four day residential, students stayed at youth
hostels on the Rhein, the favourite being Ehrenbreitstein, a fortress high up
on the banks of the river, which afforded fantastic views of the confluence at
Deutsches Eck, where the Rhein and Mosel rivers meet.
On day two, we visited our partner school in the medieval
town of Andernach where we received a very warm welcome as well as some home
baked German biscuits and traditional Weckmänner (dough figures) from our
German hosts, before being taken on a student-led tour of the town.
Later, students interacted and exchanged thoughts and
viewpoints on a number of topical themes such as the 30th
Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and Brexit before discussing the similarities
and differences between their schools.
It is hoped that the partnership between our two schools
will continue to develop and that we will be able to take part in further
collaborative work in the near future. We look forward to the German school’s
visit to Winston in February.
After this busy morning at school, students enjoyed a
walking tour of Koblenz, the two highlights of which were exploring some
segments of the Berlin Wall, now a memorial to the victims of a divided Germany
and standing at the ‘Deutsches Eck’ where students learnt about Kaiser Wilhelm
the First underneath an imposing statue. Students then explored the many
Christmas markets Koblenz has to offer.
On day three, having moved to our youth hostel in Köln,
students enjoyed a boat trip on the Rhein where they learnt some key historical,
geographical and cultural facts about the city, before visiting the gothic cathedral
and climbing one of the spires for a panoramic view. After a lunchtime visit to
the Christmas market at the base of the towering cathedral, students learnt
about the production of chocolate, from cocoa bean to end product, at the
famous Lindt Chocolate Museum. The huge chocolate fountain proved a big hit! Some
students were spotted going back more than once!
After the evening meal students conscientiously completed
their diaries in German, practising key GCSE vocabulary and structures in the
process.
On day four, en route home, we stopped off at the traditional
Christmas market in Aachen which offered a wide variety of craft and food
stalls and proved to be a favourite.
It was a pleasure to take such a fantastic group of
students, who all fully embraced everything the trip had to offer and made the
very most of opportunities to practise their German along the way!
I would like to thank the staff who accompanied this trip:
Miss Pflanz, Mr Fisher and Hannah Willig.
-Miss Finney.
Carols for Christmas
Parents, students and staff and governors packed St John's Church for a beautiful service of readings and carols. It was great to fill the church this year, with additional seats being found and the balcony in use. The choirs and musicians created a joyous occasion, providing time for reflection and an opportunity to celebrate together.
Musicians welcomed us to the service.
The Choir
Year 10 Ensemble
Twelve students in the Flute Choir.
Upper School Choir
Winston on Eagle Radio
Use the link above to find both our whole school choir and our Upper School Choir; enjoy a few minutes of beautiful singing.
