News & Events

Students on the German Exchange this Maymester have been touring the country, studying the language, culture, and history. They're also learning from their counterparts at Norfolk Academy's partner school for almost a half century, Copernicus-Gymnasium in Löningen.

Earlier this spring, Norfolk Academy welcomed Herr Ralf Göken, head of school at Copernicus-Gymnasium, and his daughter, Julia, who studied at NA for much of the semester. Spring 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the exchange between the schools, marking a milestone in a relationship that has spurred cross-cultural understanding and built lasting friendships between families, as students stay in one another's homes. 

Mr. Chris Nelson, who teaches German in both Upper School and Middle School, is leading the Maymester course, along with Upper School Math Teacher Ms. Catherine McCallum. After taking some time to introduce themselves to their new friends at Copernicus-Gymnasium, the students began exploring. Among the cities the group has seen are Löningen, Frankfurt, Bremen and Berlin. They've also bonded at a Kletterwald, or climbing forest and competed in a biathlon in Löningen that included swimming and running (Davis '23 and Meghan '23 were the winners).

Here are some photos from the course, along with video of the students introducing themselves (in German):