Our final say...

I thought it was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life! I was taught a lot of things and it was so interesting to see how Australians live and what they do for their living. This is one of the things that I will never forget. I was so glad to see my Australian friends again, we were all like one big family with endless friendships! It was impressive to see how many soldiers died in the Great war and where they ended up. This trip was one of a kind and I would like to thank the two awesome teachers who took care of us like their own children! It was a two-week trip with laughter, a lot of food, fun, happiness, sun, interesting activities, beautiful war memorials , memories etc. … now in one word: FANTASTIC!

-          -  Diana Marvani

A once in a lifetime experience that I’d like to experience all over again. This trip has been so eye-opening for me. I have the feeling that I have come back wiser and very satisfied. I can honestly only look back on this trip with a big smile on my face. However the idea of going to Australia seemed scary, exciting but also not doable, it all worked out just fine. There were no moments where I felt unsafe or starving, thanks to the two great teachers whom we shared this experience with. Being so far away from home and parents can be not that nice, but the feeling of independence and joy was stronger than the fear for me. Mrs. Tytgat and Mrs. Tyberghien where our Aussie moms that let us discover but also cared for us and I really respect and am grateful for all they have done for us. It was a pity Mrs. Wijnakker couldn’t join after all her hard work, so I’d also just want to thank her for giving us all this great travel opportunity.

I guess I’m just so, so grateful that we’ve gotten this chance, have seen beautiful things, got to pay respect to fallen soldiers, see friends I wouldn’t be able to see otherwise, … Not only the teachers but also all the people who invested time or money into this amazing experience: THANK YOU SO, SO MUCH! This has been a trip of a lifetime and I can surely say I enjoyed every bit of it, which wasn’t hard with all the great company around me and all the nice activities. If I could, I would do this trip all over again.

There’s still so much to add to this text but I think I should just end with how happy I am to have had this experience. Thanks OZ!

-         -  Ayla Christiaens

First of all, I would like to thank Mrs. Tytgat and Mrs. Wijnakker for giving us this amazing opportunity that I will remember for a lifetime. This was a great experience and everything we did for it was worth it! I have learned a lot in the past two weeks, and it has been my pleasure getting to know more about the Aussie life. Mrs. Tytgat and Mrs. Tyberghien filled our two weeks with so much joy, from laughing at the table, to funny karaoke rides singing old songs.  Of course we all missed someone whom we left back home, like our parents, but the thing I and a couple of the other students kept saying was: “Can we just stay here for another week, please?”  I can’t stop saying thank you to the students that I shared this amazing and unforgettable trip with, you are one by one lovely and you all made this better.  We shared jokes, food, taste of  music, so many funny moments that I’m sure we won’t forget and most important is that we got to know each other better.  I think I already know where I’m living in the future, thanks to the amazing teachers!

 -Tannia Lievens

When Mrs. Tytgat and Mrs. Wijnakker came up with the idea of doing an exchange project with Collie Senior High school, I was very surprised and exited. It’s not every day that you hear that ten students are going to Australia. Once we were out of the airport I was so happy, I couldn’t believe I was in Australia. This trip to Australia was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. And I want to thank Mrs. Tytgat, Tyberghien and Wijnakker for making this happen for us, for giving us this great opportunity. Without them it wouldn’t have been the same, of course. We had a lot of fun with them. And we were so lucky to have them with us.

Australia was awesome, everyone is so kind and respectful. Everywhere we went was amazing, we met so many wonderful people there. It felt like you were in another world. We visited so many beautiful and interesting things. I learned so much about the soldiers that fought for us and many other things. It’s so beautiful there, everywhere you go, from the beautiful King’s Park to the beaches. The whole group was awesome, I have learned more about them in those two weeks, I had such a lot of good and funny times with them, I couldn’t imagine a better group. All those memories that I’m certainly not going to forget. We had so many appreciations and compliments from everyone because of this exchange. I was so happy to hear all this, that people supported what we did.  Australia felt like you wanted to stay there forever. I’m really going to miss Australia, but I’m going back, for sure!

-          - Prescillia

I’m really thankful that I got to be part of this project. It’s been a great adventure. From the start with earning money until the end with making this wonderful journey. I have learned a lot about the culture, the different cities, the Aboriginals and Australia itself. I want to thank everyone who helped with this project and especially Ms. Tytgat, Ms. Wijnakker and Ms. Tyberghien for making this come true. It was a once in a lifetime experience. So thank you. I have a lot of great memories from this trip. The monuments, the people, the car rides with our music, the moments in our hotel rooms with the hyperactive, emotional, sometimes sad and happy moments, etc. But the greatest memory will always be Collie and its people. It was wonderful to see them again after 9 months. I will always remember them and I will definitely keep in touch. Also a thanks to the Abbott family for looking after Gwenny and me those days in Collie. Their friendliness made the days there so wonderful. The last day was also a great experience. The filming for the commercial was nice to do. I can keep on saying that this was an amazing journey and there are almost no words to describe how amazing, but I’m very grateful that I got to do this. It was like a dream coming true. I can’t believe we’re on the plane back home now, I can’t believe the journey has almost come to an end. But I will remember and treasure these memories forever in my heart. And some day I would like to go back, I would like to see my Australian friends again. Maybe one day I can do this again.

-        -  Liesl Coussens

I remember in April last year after the Collie students came to our school and I kept asking every day in English class whether we were going to Australia. I remember how happy I was when Ms Tytgat said that 10 students would get the chance to go to Australia. I remember how sad I was when I wasn’t one of those 10 students and I remember how happy I was when Ms Tytgat and Ms Wijnakker told me in June that I was allowed to come. It seemed so impossible that we would get the 30000 euros that we needed to make our journey. The activities we did were very tiring but it was totally worth it. This has been an adventure that I’ll never forget and I’m so grateful I got to be part of it. My favourite parts were when we were just hanging out and getting to know each other. I absolutely loved Collie and I want to thank the students and especially the Abbott for making us feel so at home and giving us the beautiful tour around their town, and also for showing us the kangaroos. I want to thank everyone who helped us get the money and make our dreams come true. I would also like to thank Ms Tytgat, Ms Wijnakker and Ms Tyberghien for giving me the chance to come here. I definitely want to come back here. It’s unbelievable that we’re already on our way back home. I’m sure I’ll never forget any of this and I’ve made friends for life.

-        -   Gwenllian

First, I want to thank everyone who made this dream come true, without your help we wouldn’t be here. I still know the moment when I received an e-mail from Ms Tytgat and Ms Wijnakker. I was on my way to Antwerp and when I read the mail I couldn’t believe it! First I was in shock and after a while I realised how thankful I was that they chose me to go on this amazing adventure. We worked a lot to raise the money, but with the help of our parents, Ms Tytgat, Ms Wijnakker and Ms Tyberghien we did it! We raised €30 000  in 9 months, (still can’t believe we raised it). In Australia we learned a lot. Not only about the War, but also about life, friendship and being thankful for what we have. It were two weeks full of happy moments. We saw things that we will probably never see again and made friends for life!. We shared a lot of unforgettable moments like singing in the car, making too much spaghetti, seeing dolphins in real life, etc. but the best part was seeing our friends from Collie again! We were just like one big family those two days. I’ll never forget how friendly and hospitable the people were. We did a lot of activities together, but the sing battle was the nicest part. We sang typical song from Belgium and Australia . It was a journey that I’ll never forget and I’ll hope, one day, that I’ll come back to Australia.

-         - Camille

I thought it was an incredible experience! I enjoyed every step we did to get there! I remember when I got the message on smartschool to say that I was selected to go to Australia, I was asleep when my sister came to say that she was selected. I was afraid that I hadn’t been selected but when I opened my smartschool messages I saw the positive message. My parents, my sister and I were very excited. We immediately started thinking about ideas to raise money. All the things we did to get the 30 000 euros were exhausting, but it’s because we did so many activities together as a group that we are now such a great and close group. All the things we did have been an experience for everyone. We learned to have responsibilities. Every time we got more money it was a step closer to Australia.

The trip was wonderful, we did so many great things. My favourite activity was at the Dolphin Discovery Centre. It was the first time I saw dolphins from so close. I also loved to see how everyone was watching, we were like little children. That’s not the only day I love the most, I also really love the days we spent in Collie. Our family was so nice with us, it’s a lovely family and maybe we will see them in Belgium next year. The students from Collie were also very nice to us and we have met some new people like Shaun, who is now part of the Belgian-Australian family.

I want to thank all the people who helped us realise this trip: parents, teachers, the people from Collie, the group and the people who donated money, bought things, came to activities. It’s all because of you that we had such a beautiful trip that we will always remember, these memories won’t leave!

-        - Justine

First I want to say I’m so proud of us that we reached our goal. We worked hard for it and even if it has caused a lot of stress, sleepless nights in the past nine months, it was worth it. This journey was just amazing, we saw so many things in two weeks that I would never have seen if I wasn’t going on the trip. It has learned me lots of things and I’m happy that now I know a lot more about World War I than I knew before. But now let me talk about the past months where we were working hard to sold wine, biscuits and a lot of other actions we did to raise our money.. It was hard because we were tired of working so much and for some of us it created tensions in the families but it was worth the working. And my favourite part of the trip? I would say that the facts I learned about World War 1 were my favourite but seeing the people from Collie again was the thing that made me the happiest, so yes, this would be my favourite part! And if you get the chance to go once.. Take it!! It's a unbelievable trip, I would do it again if I could!!
- Amandine 

First of all I want to thank everyone who helped us raise the money and helped us make this possible. In the beginning we never tought this would come true. We are so proud that we completed our goal and we hope that the other people who will take part of this project can also make it true. This journey was unbelievable it was a great experience, full of laughter and emotions. We met a lot of amazing people and what we learned about the Australian life is that it is really laid back. But the main thing is we learned a lot about World War I. I was really amazed that from a country at the other side of the world there could be such a strong connection. It caused a lot of lives at both sides. I hope that the next generations never have to endure something like World War I. It's up to our generation to prevent something like that. But after all this was a journey all of us will never forget!

- Casey

Five days before take-off, Ms Tytgat asked if I, should it be really necessary (but chances were really slim for me she added), could travel to Australia. And before I realised it I was on the plane…

The group received me with open arms and I’m really thankful for that. Throughout the trip the atmosphere was great and Ms Tytgat and I joked at times that we were travelling with our ten daughters!

Girls, I am truly proud of you! You showed interest in the ANZAC, the memorials, the nature, the culture and the history of the country. Your enormous enthusiasm for your colleagues from Collie was at times even moving. You succeeded in forming close friendships in just two days’ time!

And of course I have learned a lot too: teenagers want to eat chips really every day, need about an hour to put on their clothes and can sing practically every song you play in the car! If you feed them they are quiet, and if you give them fizzy drinks, they don’t stop talking!

It was for all of us an unforgettable experience. In Collie they called me “The Lucky One” and I really am!

Thank you girls!

- Ms Tyberghien

About a year ago, Ms Wijnakker and I decided to take upon us the task of teaching our students of the 3^rd and 4^th year modern languages about World War One. More specifically we worked together to learn more about the effects of the war on our country and a country far away, namely Australia. For the students it all started with some simple research tasks and an unknown partnership with a school from Collie. It soon grew out to be so much more…

The goal was simple, the journey to get there not. We had to make many decisions, some of them easy, most of them hard. We really wanted to take the students there, without asking the parents for money. So we asked for their time, their assistance, their support. Together we worked hard to raise the necessary funds, to show everyone that it is possible if you put your mind to it. And we did it!

The closer the journey came the more my stress levels went up. The last-minute surprise of Ms Wijnakker caused me some more sleepless nights, but eventually we came up with a solution and the trip could begin.

I can only hope the students have learned as much as I have, not only about English and the War, but about life and people and cultures. I am certain that all of them have enjoyed the trip tremendously and I have to say, me too. The students were polite and friendly throughout all the ups and downs (no airco for example). They showed interest in all the places we visited and they were always positive. I am very proud of them!

- Amandine, I cannot wait to see your photos, I am sure your lens has caught some unique memories. I hope your fear of insects has diminished a bit, having survived the bush and all…

- Ayla, you have showed us that it is OK to be yourself, and not jump if someone tells you to. Your interest in prison life was a bit troublesome but in reality I was delighted with your questions.

- Camille, even though the jet lag caught you the worst, you stayed positive and laughing during the day. Your singing in the car was lovely even though the lyrics weren’t always the correct ones. We have never seen anyone enjoy eating as much as you do and we enjoyed watching you enjoy.

- Casey, it was a pleasure to have you with us. From day 1 we realised you’d have no trouble sleeping anywhere, anytime. It’s waking you up that is a bit harder, which explains the six alarms, each with a different tune on the first day in Perth.

- Diana, you were so helpful and caring to us, making sure we also ordered food and drinks for ourselves. Your happy moods made everyone instantly happy.

- Gwenllian, I think you went through the biggest transformation. You started out very quiet, never smiling in a picture, but once we had been in Collie you opened up, showing your true colours. Now that you’re 16 I’m confident you have 9 new friends and 2 teachers you will remember forever.

- Justine, you may not be the most talkative in the group, but you were definitely the most caring. You checked the rooms and cared for everyone. And you showed us fifty shades of red J.

- Liesl, you were definitely the most punctual one: always on time, tour book at hand (even if I forgot mine). You made sure we knew where we had to go, unless I mistyped the address in the gps-system. You enjoyed quietly, but from every second.

- Prescillia, we limited the luggage because we knew some people would buy a lot of souvenirs, and you did (including a new suitcase). Luckily, you learned to roll your clothes so that everything could come back home with you (although you were a bit generous in Bunbury). Your happy singing in the morning was not appreciated by all, but it always set the tone for a happy day.

- Tannia, your trip started with a bummer: your phone broke just before we left. Nevertheless you stayed positive. And this positive attitude didn’t leave you throughout the entire trip.

- Ms Tyberghien, I cannot thank you enough for saving the trip. Your patience and calm was very welcome in the stressful first days. And maybe, someday, we will be able to make a good selfie.

- Ms Wijnakker, the journey did not end exactly as we had planned. You did not see Australia yet, but you embarked on an even bigger adventure. The entire project was made possible thanks to you and ‘someone you knew who did this or that’. I can tell you it was worth the extra efforts and I really hope I can take you there sometime.

To end I would like to thank everyone who has made Atheneum Pottelberg Goes Australia 2016 possible. A special thanks to Mr Vinck and Ms Cagnie, who handed us the project and supported us through everything; Mr Tim Gurry, whose initiative (Centenary School Link Program) opened the door for a partnership with Collie Senior High School; Mr Ed Croft, who welcomed us with open arms (literally) in Collie and who arranged so much for us; the Collie parents and teachers, who were so kind to take in our students and ourselves and show us a bit more of the ‘real Australian culture’; the people of the RSL, who taught us so much more about World War One and their soldiers. And last but not least, the parents, families, friends and colleagues whose efforts made all of this possible.  

This has been a wonderful journey and I am confident that Athena goes Australia has a bright future, if we just believe in it.