Children of Visiting Faculty Adjust to Life in the U.K.
By Jessica Gerlach
Harlaxton College Web Design Student
Friday, February 1, 2008
Abby Davis, Kate Meacham, Mareike Eydt-Beebe eat breakfast before walking to school.
(Photo by
Jessica Gerlach)
|
The noise of college students rushing up and down the stairs to class,
doors opening and closing, conversations, dishes and silverware clanking in
the refectory/cafeteria -- all sounds of everyday life at Harlaxton College.
Then a peel of children’s laughter cuts through the room -- a sharp contrast
to the sounds of the college students.
One of the unique things about Harlaxton College is that many of the faculty
members are also visiting from the United States and are living in the
manor, alongside the college students. Several of the nine visiting faculty
members have their spouses and children living with them at Harlaxton.
According to Ann McNeish, the Harlaxton College secretary, this semester
has brought the largest number of children accompanying faculty parents.
There are seven children at the Harlaxton Church of England Primary School (elementary
school in the United States) and one at Kesteven & Grantham Girls' School
(high school).
It is not just college students making adjustments to new life in the United
Kingdom. It is also the children of the visiting Harlaxton faculty who must
adjust to a new home, a new school, and life in a brand new country.
Kate Meacham, 9, said that at the primary school, she and the other children
are learning the same things that they would back in the States, but it is
in a completely new way. Annie Eydt-Beebe, 9, agrees. Although it is still
the same English language, many words mean different things. For instance,
“a check mark is called a ‘tick,’” Annie said.
At primary school the children are required to wear uniforms, but they do
not seem to mind. Kate and her younger brother Conor, who turns 8 today,
said that they were used to wearing uniforms, since they do at their school
in Evansville, Ind. “I wear one at home, but this one is better,” Kate said.
Annie Eydt-Beebe carries her breakfast tray to the table.
(Photo by
Jessica Gerlach)
|
Kati Anderson, 12, noted that there seems to be less social differences in
the primary school compared to school in the United States. “There aren’t
really popular kids or unpopular.” This makes going to school more enjoyable
because there are not different groups of “cool” kids.
Another difference from school in the States, Conor said, is that there is
no cafeteria. All the students eat their sack lunches in the classroom. The
children agreed that the most surprising difference is that they get four
recesses everyday. “Recess is a big part of our day,” Kate laughed.
They (the British students) are really nice and help us out.” said Annie.
She added that the British children are used to American students, since
there have already been children of visiting faculty attending the school.
The teachers at Harlaxton Primary say that it is not just the American
students receiving a good experience from attending school in a foreign
country, McNeish said. The British students also benefit from getting to
know children from other countries.
Besides a new school, the children are living in a totally new place,
Harlaxton Manor. Each of their faces lit up as they talked about the manor
and how much they enjoy living there.
A couple of cool cats:
Conor Meacham and one of the Harlaxton lions.
(Photo by
Karen Meacham)
|
“It’s actually our house! It feels like you own everything!” Conor said. The
children like the freedom of being able to explore the manor on their own.
Kati Anderson shared that “Once you get to explore it’s a little scary. You
realize how big this place is!”
When asked what the biggest difference between the manor and homes in the
States is, Annie giggled. “We have an elevator in our house!” Besides the
elevator (“lift” to the British), Kai Anderson, 7, said that he likes the
courtyard area in the back of the manor. The children also enjoy being able
to investigate the different rooms and secret passageways in the manor. “We
think we’ve found all of them,” Annie said.
But Conor said there is a drawback to living at Harlaxton. “You get lost.”
That is something nearly all the college students can relate to.
The Meachams and Andersons were fairly used to being around college
students, since their parents are college professors and they live near a
college campus. “It’s just kind of normal, only you’re seeing them for every
meal on a daily basis,” Kate said.
Kati said that she is used to college students “swarming” around. Her
younger brother, Kai, enjoys being around the students and adds that, “It’s
very interesting to meet new people!”
Harlaxton college student, Sarah Braun said that she is jealous of the
faculty children. “I wish that I had had an opportunity like this when I was
a young girl. I always loved exploring and having adventures,” she said.
Ian Stamps, another Harlaxton college student, enjoys having the faculty
children around. “It creates another dimension of teachers. They’re real
people with real lives outside of the classroom.”
Traveling to a foreign country is a new experience for Kate and Conor. But
Annie, Kati and Kai are used to traveling, having been to Germany before.
Kate, Annie and Kati all say that after traveling and being at Harlaxton,
they are looking forward to studying abroad when they are in college.
As for their present experience at Harlaxton, Kate exclaimed, “You’re seeing
things you never thought you’d get to see! Going on weekend trips and just
being here, you’re learning lots of new things … things you couldn’t learn
any other way!”
