The student news site of Bellarmine Preparatory School

The Bellarmine Prep Lion

The student news site of Bellarmine Preparatory School

The Bellarmine Prep Lion

The student news site of Bellarmine Preparatory School

The Bellarmine Prep Lion

Sister-School visit a big success – Consider Colombia trip next summer

In June we welcomed our first annual visiting group from Colegio San Luis Gonzaga, our sister school in Manizales, Colombia. The 11 students and their teacher-chaperone lived with Bellarmine families, saw the sights, practiced their English in lots of fun social situations, and got together for several special events, including a day of community service at the L’Arche farm.

We are also honored to have our first academic exchange student from San Luis Gonzaga here with us until Christmas. Her name is Manuela Noreña, and she’s a sophomore. She’s also a soccer player who went to the state finals with her team last year, and represented her state in the all-Colombia soccer tournament. Be sure to say hi to Manuela when you see her around campus!

Now we’re going to start recruiting a group of dedicated and enthusiastic Spanish students for our upcoming, first annual exchange trip to Manizales next June. Program participants will travel to Colombia and stay with San Luis Gonzaga host kids and their families. Then we’ll return with those host kids and host them in our homes.

Manizales is a beautiful and walkable city of 400,000, located in the coffee-growing region in the central part of the country. This part of Colombia remained untouched by the troubles of the ’90’s, and Colombia in general is now considered a safe and beautiful tourist destination. The people are super friendly, warm and hospitable, the culture is fascinating, and the food is hearty and filling.

Story continues below advertisement

The sister-school program, celebrating its first anniversary this summer, is an extension of our sister-province relationship between the Oregon and Colombia Jesuit provinces. It will include ongoing opportunities for participants to communicate in both languages with SLG students via Skype, Facebook and email, as well as the awesome two-way travel exchange. It’s an incredible opportunity to improve your Spanish, learn about other cultures, and make friendships that can last a lifetime.

To find out more about the program, go to the World Languages section of Moodle, go to Spanish, and find the Colombia Exchange area. Watch the PowerPoint, and check out the links to YouTube videos and other info about Colombia. We’ll be having a meeting soon for interested students and parents, so stay tuned, and if you’re already interested, come see Profe Bryan in room A12 for an application.