Saturday, 25th June 2016
Easy check-in + flight? BORING!!

Not even in the plane and the difficulties started.
Right at the first step, the check-in, it took ages to register all pupils and in the end we were seated all over the plane.
Some baggage was too big for the computer to carry them away, that’s why we had to get them to a human who did this.
Last but not least we were on time and there was no hurry. And then there was the body and bag control.
Our group got split up because there were so many people, so we couldn’t see everybody but later they told us there had been an explosives control on Hannah and Clara, but just Hannah had to talk to the police because the test was positive. Funny thing is that she had no explosives and could pass the control a bit later. Just a random system??
Our criminal number one stays Mr. Lummel who brought a 2.36 Inch long (6cm) knife through the control because he looked reliable!? Crazy guys at this airport!
After we had passed the controls everything went good. We reached the plane and got our seats which weren’t too bad. The flight was quite good, but the Aberdeen airport with its runway was very small and that’s how the pilot landed the thing. Touchdown completed! WELCOME TO SCOTLAND!!!
After the nearly two hour long bus trip on the LEFT side of the street we arrived at Perth Grammar, and were very happy to meet our exchange families. Everybody waited for us and it was a nice welcome.
Already in the evening we met at the cinema and watched the movie INDEPENDENCE DAY ||. But nearly everybody except the guys that had not seen the first one told the others that it’s not the best one and it was exactly the same. And that was unfortunately right. NO PROBLEM, the popcorn was perfect!!
After that everybody got home and we enjoyed the evening with our host families.
A really interesting first day ended…
Jannik Schwarzkopf and Stefanie Göller

Sunday, 26th June 2016
Driving for two hours to get stung by midges ?!
Today we met at Perth Grammar School to drive to a waterpark. It was far away, so we drove for two hours. some of us already saw the waterpark even before we arrived but the bus driver drove past it. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes – then the drivers were a bit confused because we should have arrived already. So we stopped and the two drivers spoke to each other about what to do. And so we drove back and asked some people for the way. Finally we arrived after a long time and it was very cold. The Scottish students didn’t feel cold bit the Germans aren’t used to that kind of weather. So some decided to go into the water bit the rest didn’t want to and stayed outside. It seemed like the people in the water had fun but the students outside didn’t enjoy it as much because there were so many midges! And so we were stung by them.
After we had finished the attraction in the waterpark we drove about 500 metres further and had a BBQ. We all ate burgers and they were very tasty. Some of the students played table tennis. The teachers as well. All the Germans were upset because they couldn’t watch the football match Germany against Slovakia.
So finally at about 5.30pm we drove home again for two hours!
The first day and surely one of the hardest as well!
Leonie Westarp and Michelle Schönmann

Monday, 27th June 2016
Monday, the 27th June we had to get up early, because we met at Perth Grammar School at nine o´clock to drive half an hour to a mountain for hiking. When we arrived at the school our teacher Mrs. Jäger told us: The ones who do not have hiking boots should wear the shoes some hiking specialists had brought with them. If we didn´t wear them we wouldn’t get any pity if we got blisters or foot problems.
The weather was good, a lot of sun and some clouds. But the weather in Scotland changes very fast, so we couldn´t be sure if we would get back without getting wet. We started hiking with the goal to reach the top of the mountain. The view was beautiful and walking wasn´t as boring as we thought. As we arrived at the top of the mountain it suddenly started to rain. It felt like volley, because the wind was very strong. But five minutes later the sun was shining and we had an arresting view. The way down was much easier and we were very fast. Everybody reached the top apart from Mrs. Jäger and Mrs. Hepp, who went back earlier and had a cup of coffee in the little town beneath the mountain. All in all we would say it was an exciting and eventful experience.

Kristin Schniewind und Rebecca Foth

Tuesday, 28th June 2016
Today we met at 9 am at school and went by bus to a lake for about one hour. There we were divided into four groups. A guide explained how to shoot with bow and arrow and then we did archery. At first we trained and then we had a contest between girls and boys. And even the fact that men were hunters in the Stone Age hadn’t helped the boys to win.
Then we climbed with a rope over a waterfall. And if you didn’t pay attention your feet could get wet. But of course we were secured so that we didn’t fall into the water and float away.
After that we had a little break to eat our sandwiches.
Then we could decide between kayaking and canoeing. Usually when canoeing you don’t get wet. Nevertheless four students managed to fall into the water, so they were completely wet.
We went by bus back to Perth and bowled in hall illuminated by black light. The rest of the day we spent with our host families.
By Luca Fuso & Eduard Ott

Wednesday, 29th June 2016
From basketball and Scottish breakfast to selfies in Perth and Minigolf
At first we played basketball against the Scottish exchange partners and some people from the school. Although no one of the German students plays basketball at home in a team, it was a very close match. After that we had a Scottish breakfast with scones, marmelade etc. It was quite good. But we had to eat fast because after breakfast we visited the classes with our exchange partners. It was very interesting to see how similar the lessons were. Then we had to meet in the centre of Perth. After everyone arrived, we were split in groups. In these groups we had the mission to take selfies in front of interesting places in Perth. The group with the best selfies wins. Then we had to go to our host family to have a rest. In the evening we met at a place where you can play minigolf. The railways were very different, so it was difficult to estimate how hard you had to hit the ball.
Sören Lange
Thursday, 30th June 2016
Next stop Edinburgh
We were so happy to be on the train to Edinburgh this morning because we hadn’t expected it. Scotland’s capital city is a very old and interesting city with a lot of sights and a wonderful castle. The castle was our first stop. We had an exciting view of the city and its old houses. After that we split into groups and discovered the city on our own. Many of us spent much time in souvenir shops and with shopping. We can tell stories about running around in Edinburgh to find the Hardrock Café and annoyed people because we didn’t cross the streets in the right way or didn’t understand the check-out system at Marks and Spencer. Three hours went by very fast. And when we sat on the train talking about the experiences we had, we noticed that it was far too little time. All in all we can say that Edinburgh is worth a visit not only because of its excellent shopping facilities but also because of the wonderful flair the city has.
We recognized it was our last evening when we went to Ceilidh Event, where the Provost of Perth welcomed us. After two girls presented some Scottish dance, we could dance ourselves. We had a lot of fun and the time went by very fast. At the end of the day everybody was tired and went to bed soon.

Hannah Dinkloh, Sophie Gentil

Friday, 1st July 2016
Here we are again and guess what? It’s the last day in Scotland! We were leaving our Scottish homes with mixed feelings. On the one hand we were happy to fly home to see our beloved family members again, but on the other hand we were also sad to leave our Scottish homes, families and new friends behind us.
We met at school at 9 in the morning to do the evaluation of the week. Done with the evaluation we went to the Blackwatch Castle & Museum in Perth, where we were able to have a view of the beautiful poppy scaffolding and we also could have a quick look inside the Blackwatch Castle.
After that we had a little bit of free time and most of us went to McDonalds and surprisingly the burgers and nuggets tasted really good. I guess it’s because Scotland has more cows and sheep than inhabitants. 😉
Later on we met at school again and then it was already time to say goodbye. Everyone was hugging someone, some last words were said and there were also some kisses to give 😉
Hopped on the bus, everyone had their different way to spend their last hours in Scotland. Some of us were sleeping, others were enjoying the magnificent scottish scenery and some others were talking, laughing and singing. After about 2-3 hours we arrived later than expected in Aberdeen. Walking into the airport we had the insight that we had to leave Perth earlier. The check-in queue was very long, because there was another class waiting to check in. After the check-in came the security check, this time without any suspicion of explosives or other criminalities. 😀
The last minutes in Scotland were spent in the Duty-Free area and in some other shops where everyone stocked up themselves with food and drinks.
The flight was alright and the staff was very nice, but the best part was the landing. Finally we touched some german ground again! In Germany every proceeded very quickly, some last words by our teachers were said and then everyone grabbed their suitcases and then we were already awaited by our parents and siblings!
We hope you enjoyed reading our reports just as much as we enjoyed the week in Scotland!
Nadine Vu and Julian Schwarzkopf

Chronologie:

Oktober 2015: Vom 25.10. bis 31.10.15 sind 15 schottische Partnerschüler zu Gast am FDG. Sie wohnen bei 15 ausgewählten Schülern und Schülerinnen der 10. Klassen. Gemeinsam starten sie breitgefächerte sportliche und kulturelle Aktionen unter dem gemeinsamen Programm „Enhancing European Cooperation on the basis oft the Olympic Idea“. Am 26.10. wurden sie offiziell von Oberbürgermeister Klaus Herzog und Schulleiter Michael Lummel begrüßt. Den Nachmittag verbrachten sie bei strahlendem Sonnenschein im Kletterwald Heigenbrücken (Bericht folgt). Am Dienstag besuchten Schüler der Schule für Körperbehinderte Goldbach das FDG, um bei den gemeinsamen Mini-Paralympics ihr Können in verschiedenen Sportarten unter Beweis zu stellen. Herr Weiser und die Sportreferendare Herr Höller und Herr Ernst haben gründliche Vorbereitungsarbeit geleistet und spezielle Wettkämpfe kreiert, wie z.B. Blindenfußball und Rollstuhlparcours. Mehr dazu erfährt man mit einem Klick:

Erasmus Bericht Paralympics

Am Nachmittag erlebten die Schotten eine Stadtführung durch Aschaffenburg, bei der die FDGler die Sehenswürdigkeiten auf Englisch erklärten.

Weitere Aktionen dieser Woche sind der Besuch der „Skyliners“ in Frankfurt, eine Führung durch die Commerzbank Fußballarena, ein Basketballmatch und zum Abschluss Eislaufen und Eisdisco.

September 2015: Das Erasmus+ Projekt läuft! Nachdem alle Schülerinnen und Schüler der 10. Klassen über das Programm informiert worden sind, haben sich nun mehr als 20 Interessenten für die 15 Plätze beworben. Demnächst werden sie mit den 15 Projektpartnern aus Perth, von denen auch Steckbriefe vorliegen, gekoppelt. Die Woche vor den Allerheiligenferien (26.-30.10.15) verbringen die Schotten an unserem Gymnasium und natürlich auch mit ihren Partnern und Gasteltern. Getreu dem Motto „Enhancing European Cooperation on the basis of the Olympic idea“ erwartet sie ein abwechslungsreiches Programm in und außerhalb des Gymnasiums. Geplant sind sportliche Aktivitäten verschiedenster Art: Fußball, Basketball, Mini-Paralympics mit Schülern und Schülerinnen der Schule für Körperbehinderte Goldbach, Klettern, Highland Games, ein Besuch bei den Skyliners in Frankfurt und vieles mehr. Sollte euch ein Schotte über den Weg laufen – bitte freundlich grüßen! (Auf Englisch, denn sie lernen kein Deutsch.)

Die Fachschaften Englisch und Sport

Juli 2015: Die Erasmus+ Partnerschaft zwischen der Grammar School im schottischen Perth und dem FDG ist genehmigt. Erasmus+ ist ein Programm für allgemeine Bildung, Jugend und Sport in Europa. Es bietet eine finanzielle Förderung, die das FDG und die Grammar School Perth für ein dreijähriges Programm erhalten haben.

Die Schotten sind stolz darauf, mehrheitlich gegen den Brexit gestimmt zu haben. Sozusagen als Zeitzeugen in Perth erlebten 15 Schülerinnen und Schüler des FDG gemeinsam mit Schulleiter Michael Lummel und den Lehrerinnen Anja Hepp und Anke Jäger, wie sich Politik im Kleinen auswirkt – oder eben nicht.  Überaus europafreundlich gestaltete sich das sportliche Programm dieser 7 Tage, denn das Motto für insgesamt drei Jahre heißt „Enhancing European Cooperation on the basis of the Olympic Ideal“. Wenn man gemeinsam Basketball und Minigolf spielt, Bogenschießen übt, mit homemade scones und Himbeermarmelade schottisch frühstückt oder den  841 Meter hohen Ben Vrackie besteigt, dann siegen Toleranz und der Wunsch nach Zusammenarbeit.

Nur durch gutes Teamwork fiel keiner der insgesamt 30 Schüler beim Tyrolean traverse am Loch Tummel bei Pitlochry ins Wasser. Dabei hakt man sich mit einem Karabiner an ein Seil, das über den Fluss gespannt ist, hangelt sich daran auf die andere Seite und wieder zurück. Spaß hatten alle auch beim Kajak- und Kanufahren. Nur ein Boot kippte durch zu viel schottisches Temperament um, was zur Erheiterung aller Beteiligten und der Zuschauenden beitrug.

Begeisterung rief der Besuch des Water Parks Kinlochard hervor, wo man sich auf Wasserrutschen austoben konnte. Auch wenn  die Busse zunächst aus Versehen am Wasserpark vorbeigeprescht waren und man 2,5 Stunden lang über Berg und Tal fuhr und sich „lost in the middle of nowhere“ wähnte. Hier in den Highlands gab es nicht einmal eine Funkverbindung zur Zivilisation. Doch der Water Park und das anschließende Tischtennisspielen sowie die Barbecue entschädigten für alles – sogar für die lästigen midges, winzig kleine Stechfliegen, vor denen sogar die Pferde durch einen pulloverartigen Überwurf geschützt waren.

Ausgebildete Bergführer begleiteten uns auf der hiking tour zum Ben Vrackie. Die angebotenen Wanderschuhe trafen auf wenig Begeisterung, also blieben eben die Sneakers an den Füßen. Durch Sonne, Regen, Sturm und wiederum Sonne kämpften sich alle auf den Gipfel und genossen den Ausblick auf die nahen Highlands.

Die Sneakers bewährten sich ebenso beim schottischen Tanzabend, dem sogenannten Ceilidh (gesprochen: „Kejlie“). Nach anfänglichem Zaudern trauten sich auch die Dessauer-Schüler auf die Tanzfläche, denn die Paartänze wurden zunächst erklärt und eingeübt. Beim Abschlusstanz drehte jeder mit jedem mit eingehakten Armen eine Runde und kam heftig ins Schwitzen.  Dafür gestaltete sich der Ausflug nach Edinburgh sehr entspannt. Nach dem obligatorischen Gruppenfoto vor dem Castle durfte jeder seiner Lieblingsbeschäftigung nachgehen: shoppen nach der Lieblingsbluse, relaxen oder einfach durch die Gassen bummeln.

Bei der Stadtbesichtigung von Perth hingegen galt es einen Treasure Hunt zu bewältigen, bei dem mittels einer Treasure Map bestimmte Orte aufgespürt wurden. Als Beweis schoss man an jeder Station ein Selfie.

Am letzten Tag blieb Zeit für einen Besuch im Black Watch Museum Perth, wo mit einem Blutstrom aus tausenden von Mohnblumen aus Keramik der Toten des Ersten Weltkrieges gedacht wurde. Das Kunstprojekt war 2014 schon am Tower von London zu bestaunen und es ging in einer verkleinerten Version auf Tour durch das Königreich.

Der drohende Austritt aus der Europäischen Union gefährdet solche Programme. Möglicherweise rufen die Schotten ein neues Referendum über ihre Zugehörigkeit zu Großbritannien aus, und bleiben als unabhängiger Staat Europa erhalten.

Anke Jäger

 

Die Schulpartnerschaft zwischen dem Friedrich-Dessauer-Gymnasium und der Perth High School in Schottland steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen. Erste gemeinsame Schulprojekte geben den Startschuss für eine Weiterentwicklung der schulischen Zusammenarbeit zwischen Aschaffenburg und Perth.

Erste Kontakte wurden im Juli 2014 vor Ort in Perth geknüpft. Höhepunkt war der herzliche Empfang einer Q-11-Schülergruppe mit ihren Lehrern durch den Provost von Perth, Liz Grant. Die Stadt Aschaffenburg hatte diese Abschlussfahrt zu ihrer langjährigen schottischen Partnerstadt großzügig finanziell gefördert.

Das erste gemeinsame Schulprojekt wird im September 2015 beginnen:

• Sports project: Perth Grammar – Friedrich-Dessauer-Gymnasium
• Competition between German and Scottish students in sports like badminton, basketball, volleyball, football, or maybe even chess.
• Training sessions for the participating teams with special coaches will be organized.
• A visit of a premier league football game or a game of the Fraport Skyliners (First Division basketball club) in Frankfurt can be arranged.
• A hiking tour through the nearby forest (the Spessart) will be recommended.
• „Highland Games“ at the FDG could become the highlight. (Genaue Inhalte werden von der schottischen Seites aus dem FDG-Vorschlägen noch gewählt.
• Fest geplante Folgeprojekte kommen aus den Bereichen „Drama“ und „Biology“.

Eine Einladung für Schüler des FDG nach Perth soll den zweiten Teil dieses Projekts bilden.

In den nächsten Jahren soll ein Schüleraustausch ins Leben gerufen werden, der die Schulprojekte vertieft und erweitert. Beide Schulen sind voller Optimismus und erwarten eine sehr positive Entwicklung.

(Bild: Sicht auf Perth)