As part of our Erasmus+ project “I Like to Move it Move it”, we had the opportunity to visit the Netherlands and spend a day with students from ROER College in Roermond. Thanks to our teachers, Miss Schweizer, Miss D’Amora and Miss Overhage, this exciting experience became possible for us. Since Roermond is located close to the German border, the journey by bus only took about one and a half hours and the atmosphere during the trip was already cheerful and full of excitement.
When we arrived, we were warmly welcomed by the Dutch teacher Vincent and our exchange partners. Right from the beginning, everyone was very open and friendly, which made it easy for us to feel comfortable and communicate with each other despite speaking different languages. During a guided tour through the school buildings, we learned more about daily school life in the Netherlands and discovered many differences and similarities between our schools. ROER College was much larger than we expected and offered many spaces for learning, creativity and sports.
One thing that impressed us the most was how much importance the school placed on movement and shared activities. After the tour, we went to the sports hall, where we took part in different games and activities together with the Dutch students. We danced, played team games and spent a lot of time being active together. These activities helped us connect with each other very quickly and created a relaxed and positive atmosphere. Even though we came from different countries, it felt easy to work together, support each other and simply have fun as a group.
Throughout the day, our exchange partners helped us understand everything and made sure nobody felt left out. This showed us how important openness, teamwork and inclusion are in everyday school life. We especially enjoyed getting to know students from another country and learning more about their culture, traditions and routines. At the same time, we were also able to share parts of our own culture with them through conversations and small souvenirs from Germany.
Later, we explored the city centre of Roermond together with our partners. They showed us different places in the city and introduced us to shops and areas that were new to us. Spending time together outside of school made the exchange even more special because we could get to know each other better in a more relaxed way.
At the end of the day, saying goodbye was not easy because we had shared so many fun experiences in just a few hours. The visit showed us how valuable international exchanges can be. We not only improved our English and learned more about another culture, but we also experienced how sport, movement and teamwork can bring people together very quickly. Overall, the Erasmus+ trip to Roermond was an unforgettable experience that helped us become more open-minded and confident while creating many great memories along the way.
Written by Elisa, 7N
