My time at Kronach-Grundschule was simply amazing.  Before I arrived, I wasn't sure what to expect - whether the students would be excited to meet us, if the teachers would readily welcome us into their classrooms, etc.  But everybody - the students, teachers, and other staff - made us feel incredibly comfortable and made our time at the school very enjoyable.  I hadn't been inside an elementary school since I myself was in the 6th grade, and it was interesting to be there with a teacher's point of view.

"Teaching" (or rather, playing games) was great.  In fact, simply answering the students' seemingly endless questions was probably my favorite part.  (My feet are size 49, I am 1.93m tall, I have heard of High School Musical, and my favorite band is the Beatles. Any other questions?) 

I truly appreciated their curiosity about me, my home, my school, and everything else, and I hope I inspired some of them to some day visit the United States (or any other country they're interested in) and experience the culture for themselves.  I strongly believe in promoting international friendships, and this was an amazing opportunity for me to do so.

The students definitely left a lasting impression on me.  I was very sad on our last day when we had to say our goodbyes, but when I now look at the cards and souvenirs the students gave me, I just have to smile.  I would like to give my sincere thanks to everybody at Kronach-Grundschule who made our time with you so much fun.  I hope to stop by the next time I'm in Berlin (which shouldn't be too long from now).

James

Dear students and faculty of Kronach Grundschule,

Thank you for welcoming us into your school! We had a great time at Kronach Schule, and we hope the students did too. We really appreciated their enthusiasm. The teachers and staff were also very nice. We taught the students a little about the United States, and they taught us a lot about Germany (and soccer!). Our month here flew by too quickly, and we are very sorry to have to leave so soon. But we will always fondly remember our experiences with you. Hopefully, we will see each other again soon.

Sincerely yours,