Annie relaxing at home,
excited about her future adventure
Annie Jankovich of Aberdeen is a very excited young lady, who next year will have the opportunity that many children can only dream about. Annie, a grade six pupil at Union High in Graaff-Reinet, has been selected by the school to spend a term next year at the prestigious Salisbury Cathedral School in the south of England.
The exchange programme between the two schools started in 1993, initially with just one boy from each school, but in recent years it has been expanded to allow a girl to participate. Salisbury Cathedral School is steeped in history, having been founded in 1091 by St Osmund to educate the cathedral’s choristers. It now serves a much wider community, with an excellent reputation both academically and musically.
The two students from Salisbury will spend the first term at Union High, and Annie and Ross Stanley (the other Union exchange student) will travel to Salisbury with them in April. Annie is looking forward to the experience, particularly as she has never before travelled outside of South Africa. She will be living in the school hostel, and has been eagerly finding out about life there from previous exchange students. She is very much looking forward to the hostel food, which apparently is first class, with puddings every day! She hopes to visit London to see the sights, and is also looking forward to seeing some of her extended family who live in England.
There are some things that Annie knows will be difficult to get used to, in particular the noise and general busyness of an English city. She knows she will obviously miss her family, and dreads saying goodbye at the airport! A new subject that she will have to study is French, and she is looking forward to the challenge this will pose. She pities her Salisbury exchange partner who will have to try to come to grips with Afrikaans – as well as the heat of a Karoo summer!
Annie is the first pupil from Aberdeen to be chosen for the exchange, and her parents are justifiably proud of her achievement. Those applying to be part of the exchange programme were interviewed extensively, and consideration taken of their academic ability as well as extramural participation. Annie is a high achiever who is involved with many cultural activities at the school, and has the maturity and confidence to make the most of this wonderful opportunity. Aberdeen wishes her well!
