Riverwood Welcomes Brazilian, Spanish Exchange Students

From Riverwood Int'l: Riverwood International Charter School is hosting two exchange students, one from Spain and one from Brazil, for the 2018-19 school year. As an International Baccalaureate Diploma school, Riverwood welcomes the opportunity to learn with and from students from around the world.

Henrique Rivelli is from Lima Duarte, Brazil, which is situated in the foothills of the Mantiqueira Mountains, on a Rotary Youth Exchange program. Rivelli, a native Portuguese speaker and a sophomore, is taking a full schedule of classes each semester. Between AP World History, Geometry, Algebra 2, Chemistry, Spanish, Digital Technology and Engineering, and Weight Training, he says his favorite class thus far is Weight Training. Rivelli observed a big difference between people in the United States and in Brazil is that people here “say what they think.” Similar to most teen-aged boys, he enjoys catching up on his sleep, playing video games, and playing basketball in his free time.

Francisco Rodriguez Esteban is from Lugo, small city situated in the Northwest part of Spain, and comes to Atlanta as part of the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) program. Esteban, a native Spanish speaker and a junior, is also taking a full schedule of classes which includes AP Spanish, U.S. History, Honors Pre-Calculus, Chemistry, International Affairs, Computer Science, American Literature, and Weight Training. His favorite subject is Math. Esteban comes by his love of math naturally as his mother is a math teacher. He added, “I also like U.S. History because it is interesting.” In his spare time, he likes to play basketball and tennis. Esteban is very excited about having tried out and earned a spot on the Raider Tennis Team in January. In fact, last year’s Boys Tennis team had a foreign exchange student on the varsity roster, too.

Both students noted that the educational system is very different in Brazil and Spain. In their schools, the classroom belongs to the students; the teachers move from class to class while the students remain in the same room. They both added that lunch is eaten at home with family rather than at school. Said Esteban, “The favorite foods that I have enjoyed in America are wings and barbeque ribs.” He continued, “I have dinner at 6:30pm here, but if you have dinner at 6:30 in Spain it would be crazy. I wanted to study in the US because it is an unforgettable experience and it can only happen one time in your life. I also wanted to come here to study because I will learn a lot of English and it will become my third language.” Counselor Sally Page is the foreign exchange coordinator. She remarked, “Having exchange students at Riverwood fits perfectly with the ‘International’ focus in our school's name and mission. Giving our students the opportunity to interact with students from other countries enriches their lives and broadens their experiences.

Images via Riverwood Int'l