The Dragon School Exchange Program
Some new faces appeared at St. Bernard’s this week, twenty-two to be exact. Students from the Dragon School in Oxford, England, arrived last Monday along with their chaperones. The ten boys from the group are staying with St. B’s families, and they joined St. B’s seventh graders in some of their classes on Wednesday. In June the ten seventh grade hosts will be visiting their current guests in Oxford, followed by a couple of days in London. This exchange program with the Dragon School has been happening for almost two decades, and we are happy to welcome the Dragon School students this year.
We spoke with four of the boys visiting from the Dragon School ̶ Theo, Lucas, Finn, and Alex ̶ who shared their impressions of New York and St. B’s. The first thing they noticed about New York was that they have to look up more often. They have particularly enjoyed looking at the skyscrapers, as there aren’t many tall buildings in Oxford. They all agreed that visiting the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building was a highlight. They have also visited Grand Central, the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, and Times Square (at night). They are looking forward to visiting the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and spending time with their host families.
When comparing St. Bernard’s to their school, they explained that St. B’s is built upward while their school spreads out. Their school is larger in size with almost seven hundred students, both girls and boys. They study many of the same subjects as the boys at St. B’s: Latin, French, history, music, and math. The sports they play are slightly different. The boys we spoke with play rugby, football, tennis, and cricket. They noticed that their uniforms are different. At Dragon School the boys only wear their “b-suits” (full suits with ties) for special occasions. They noticed that St. B’s boys wear blazers every day.
Their biggest piece of advice to St. B’s boys who will be visiting Oxford next June is to bring many coats. The weather changes quite quickly and it rains almost every day. There is much to see in their hometown of Oxford, which they describe as a lively, cultured place that is green, with many open pastures. They also felt strongly that the London Eye should not be missed while they are in London.
We wish the Dragon School students a wonderful stay in New York. Many thanks to St. B’s families who are generously hosting students from Oxford and to Mr. Risinger and Mr. Merrill for all of their efforts.
