Day 13

Tuesday 23rd February has soon come upon us as all bar Mr Jones-Williams will be leaving tonight to return to Wales. It is our last day in Macassar.

Messrs Jones-Williams and Abrahams return to school from the iNET conference they attended and presented in yesterday. We hear that the presentation went well and was well received as they were able to celebrate the partnership between Whitchurch High School, Macassar High School and Restoring the Sound. It was a shame that Trevor Samson could not also be there as a co-presenter but he already had a prior engagement in the London College of Music. It seems slightly ironic bearing in mind the conference was held in Cape Town. His views were able to be presented in a prerecorded clip.

Normally there is a whole school assembly on Mondays but for this week because of the iNET Conference it has been put back a day. This gives us a day long to prepare for the assembly as we are taking the lead for  our second and final one of our visit. It starts with the singing of the Macassar High School song and we all cheer as Rodney Mcellan (sports coach and chair of governors) reads out the names of the 56 competitors who qualified in the athletics competition last Thursday. Each stands up and they get a deserved round of applause. It is good to hear that Macassar was the second placed school, building on last  year’s fifth place. Things are looking up!

It is then our turn to take the assembly. Mr Jones -Williams starts by thanking the whole school for the warm welcome we have received these past ten days and how both he and Mr Abrahams were able to celebrate the many successes of the school at the iNET conference yesterday in Cape Town. We give the school a round of applause but we cannot compete with everyone else who joins in and their deserved pride simply adds to  our enthusiastic congratulations.

Picture clips of the Whitchurch staff reminiscing on learning how to cook a milk tart in a domestic science lesson brings wry smiles from those expert  learners who watched our novice stirrings and ladlings. The video clip of Whitchurch staff and students collectively having a go on the clay drums made by Trevor Sampson’s Restoring the Sound centre is eclipsed by the expert drum playing of Mr Abrahams in a music lesson. All three items just show that you are never too old to learn and it can be fun.

Each Whitchurch member of staff and student then speaks individually reflecting on what a fantastic and informed time they have had. It is sad to think of leaving later that night but we realize how privileged we have been to stay in Macassar and how much we have learnt about their culture and simply enjoyed their company. The junior choir, making their stage debut, sing a song wishing us a safe journey. The assembly concludes with the school song sung once again.

We spend the rest of the morning saying our goodbyes with the school shutting earlier at 1:00 pm for a presentation with staff, hosts learner and parents, and governors. On behalf of Whitchurch we present Macassar High School with   a small dragon clock, which can be set  to South African or Welsh time! We also present to Mr Abrahams a personal gift for all that he has done for our visit and thank the hosts and everyone who has done so much for us. We cannot believe that the ten days has flown by so quickly.

The afternoon is spent packing and later we make our way to the airport some thirty minutes away from  the school. The temperature is comfortable at twenty seven degrees and we debate what we should wear travelling to meet the icy winter blasts on arrival back home. We are so impressed by the massive turn out at the airport where the hosts all arrive with their relatives to see us off. After checking in we exchange shared stories in those  last few moments before we have to cross air side to mark the end of our Macassar February 2010 exchange. There is time for one last group photograph taken by Mr Jones-Williams, who is staying on for a couple of extra days for the iNET conference. At least he says it is only for a couple of days!

We then trudge towards passport control reluctantly waving goodbye and notice that Gareth epitomises our thoughts in not wanting to go, but even he makes the check in gate. We board South African Airlines flight 220 bound for Heathrow. At 20:10 hours it takes off and below Cape Town winks in the warm night sky and beckons for a return visit. Whether we return or not we know that we are returning home a different person. It has been a life changing experience.