Transatlantic Friendship Blossoms: SHS Hosts McGehee Girls’ for an Unforgettable Week!
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Transatlantic Friendship Blossoms: SHS Hosts McGehee Girls’ for an Unforgettable Week!

Transatlantic Friendship Blossoms: SHS Hosts McGehee Girls’ for an Unforgettable Week!

"To our McGehee guests – I hope you feel a sense of belonging here. This is a school that values courage, kindness, creativity and above all else, character. We are a small community with a big heart. And we’re excited to share that heart with you this week. So join in. Ask questions. Laugh with us. Challenge us. And know that you are part of something bigger now – two schools, two cultures, one connection". (SHS Head Mr Payne)

Shrewsbury High School’s membership of the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools has seen the development of our blossoming partnership with McGehee Girls’ School in New Orleans, where faculty projects and teaching and learning practices are being shared, alongside exchange programmes for our girls to build relationships with their US peers.  This week we welcomed two members of staff and four pupils from McGehee for a week’s visit with us at SHS, with four SHS families hosting the girls in their homes.

And what a fantastic week we have had with our transatlantic friends! They arrived bright- eyed and bushy tailed on Sunday after spending a few action-packed days in London.  Once connected with their host families they familiarised themselves with their new surroundings, and enjoyed sampling our famous British roast lunch, discovering that a Yorkshire pudding is in fact not sweet at all despite its name.

Monday brought a full day of Shropshire discovery led by our own Mr High who shared stories and the history of our region, whilst also stopping for an ice-cream or two. We visited Ironbridge, Much Wenlock and Church Stretton.

Tuesday was another busy day at the Y9 Biology field trip to Erddig. On Wednesday, our guests experienced a full day of SHS in action. They thoroughly enjoyed the ultimate Shakespeare experience provided by Ms Labbé in the PA and enjoyed outdoor activities as part of Period X.

Thursday saw us in Chester hearing tales of a Roman soldier who showed us how life in Roman times would have been.  Our new friends arrived in school this morning with heavy hearts to be leaving us but knowing they have made new friends from across the pond, who will surely remain good friends as our partnership grows and flourishes.

Amongst all this our pen pal initiative is well underway, with over 60 students across the school now in contact with a student from McGehee.  I would like to say a huge personal thank you to our five SHS student hosts and their families, but also to the staff and students of SHS to making our guests feel extremely welcome during their stay.  We hope to have a long and fruitful alliance with the McGehee school and who knows what exciting things next chapter will bring

"There’s something very special about students from two schools with shared values, across different continents, connecting in real time. I hope this week brings curiosity, laughter, and new friendships – and that we learn as much from you as you do from us. I have been delighted to see students engaging with this opportunity by either hosting guests or writing to pen pals – hopefully in the next year or so, now that we have a sense of the opportunities, we will start to grow this initiative further. I also hope this is the start of a meaningful and long-lasting partnership between our two schools". Mr Payne
Transatlantic Friendship Blossoms: SHS Hosts McGehee Girls’ for an Unforgettable Week!
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