Westlake School Exchanges Holiday Traditions with New Zealanders

WESTLAKE, OH - Two classes at the Hilliard Elementary School have joined an International Baccalaureate unit that compares American family traditions with cultural traditions from around the globe. The exchange started after Elementary IB Coordinator Deb Wadded found a request from a New Zealand teacher asking K-1st Grade teachers to Skype or Google Hangout to discuss holiday traditions.

Wadden decided to connect with the teacher, Angelee Jarrett at St. Mark's School in New Zealand.

“It was tricky with the time change, but we found a window of about 20 minutes when the New Zealand students were arriving at school and our students were getting ready to head home,” Wadden says in a statement.

So, on Dec. 7, first-grade students at Hilliard found themselves chatting with kindergarten students in New Zealand. Living in the southern hemisphere, the New Zealanders were getting ready to start their summer vacation. The two groups exchanged holiday their holiday differences. First, Westlake students explained Thanksgiving, then the New Zealanders explained a holiday celebrating the harvest, and celebrations of Queen Elizabeth's birthday and Boxing Day.

With the 18 hour time difference between the two schools, teachers are planning more connections for later in the year (when the New Zealanders return from summer break).

Photos from Westlake Schools