THE long-standing relationship between Leeton High School and Tondabayashi Senior High School has grown further this week with a visit to town by a group of students from the Japanese school.
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This year marks the seventh visit by students from the Osaka school, which began in 2000. Every two years a group of students come to Leeton, staying with host families and attending school, with Leeton students reciprocating in alternate years.
Leeton High Japanese teacher Shirlee Rowland said the group arrived on Monday and would spend eight days in town.
"They'll be going to classes and a town tour with a couple of the kids that went to Japan last time," Mrs Rowland said.
"It's a whole different world. School is different, school hours are so different.
"They go to classes with the hosts and go to the preschool for one day and Leeton Public for one day so they get a broad view of what school's like.
"We adjust each visit on what they want, what they want to do and what they thought of what they did last time."
The visitors will also go to Altina Wildlife Park at Darlington Point and make a farm visit. Having spent time in Sydney and the Blue Mountains before Leeton, they will also visit Melbourne before flying home.
All of the students are studying the equivalent of year 10 and 11, and they have one teacher travelling with them.
"The host families were so excited about them getting here," Mrs Rowland said.
"Just listening to then the chatter at the airport and the host families calling out the students names when they arrived."
Mrs Rowland said it was "phenomenal" for a sister school program to still be running after 14 years and that it was all due to the interest shown by students in both schools.
"Usually they break down by now, it is such a unique thing it has lasted so long," she said.
"We put an effort in to make it bettere ach time and the kids appreciate it. It is held in such high esteem over there.
"It is something I am proud of personally and somethign the school should be proud of."