Edison Wildcats

A lot has happened since we returned home from Germany. Some have left on other vacations, others have begun school sports, a lucky few have even had time to settle in and relax for a bit before the craziness of another academic year begins. Regardless of what we have done since returning to the states, the memories that we have of a great trip to Germany are alive and well within our minds. Those memories, along with the friendships that were forged, will live on forever! It's always fun to revisit times like these and there is no better way to do it than photographically. I have set up a site HERE where you can download all the pictures your heart desires. Even better, upload and share all of your photos with others! Simply sign up ... read more

Today was another busy day for the group, and perhaps the most mentally and emotionally taxing one as well. We began our day by meeting our guides, Monika and Joachim, at Harburg station at 8:30am. We proceeded as a group to Neuegamme Concentration Camp. Prior to and during World War Two, the Nazi regime set up a vast system of labor camps around Germany and Nazi controlled countries. Some were dedicated “extermination” camps, where the sole intent was to murder those who were shipped there. Others, like Neuegamme, were “work camps”. Those sent here were typically prisoners of war from Russia, resistance fighters from occupied countries like France and Norway, or others deemed socially unwelcome people (those considered lazy, unwilling to work, or even those who refused to give the Nazi salute). One could even be ... read more

The amount of activities that we have packed into our first two weeks of the German leg of this exchange is almost unbelievable!We have had some form of group activity literally every week day, most of them taking up the entirety of the day and a large portion of the evening. I know that most of our kids have been busy over the weekends as well. Today was definitely no exception! We met at Harburg Bahnhof at 9:45 and were off to the city. We visited a very large museum which details the history of this important Hanseatic city from its origins around the year 900 until the present day. We learned about pirates in the Elbe, mass Emigration to the Americas, the great fire of 1842 and many other interesting events that have served to ... read more

Today was a VERY interesting day. We didn’t know just how interesting until the end of it. We met at Harburg Bahnhof at 9:30 and caught a bus to Wilhelmsburg near the river Elbe. At this point in the river it is safe to swim. As we travelled, we watched the lightning dance across the sky, not ideal swimming weather! Nevertheless, we decided to give it a go as the storm had passed safely by when we arrived. Some dug in the sand, a few ventured into the water, one was buried and others lounged on the beach for a couple of hours until it was time to go. The bus was about 15 minutes late, and I wish we would have missed it! This bus trip was about as bad as I have ever experienced. ... read more

The Chaperones were not so subtly trailed to Hauptbahnhof this morning by some somewhat sly students who were utilizing every advantage they could possibly come by in order to win this most amazing of Hamburg races. We arrived to find several teams already at the pre-announced starting point. We met with each group to go over the plan, provide helpful hints and a map, and to remind them of safety strategies. By 10:07, they were all on their way! This was by far the earliest that all the teams have been on the course, speaking to the savvy and determination of all of the competitors. It was a great day wandering the city for the adults. Checking in with teams as we spotted them, or they spotted us. We got to speak to nearly every team ... read more

Like the kids, I am lucky to have “host parents” here that want nothing more than to make sure that I enjoy my time here in Germany and strive to show off their great city and country. The Saturday morning after we arrived home from Lubeck, my hosts and I were off to Berlin for the weekend! On Saturday we boarded a great “hop on, hop off” guided tour of the city. We hopped off at spots like the Beandenberg Gate, Freedom Column, Alexanderplatz, Checkpoint Charlie and one of the remaining sections of the still standing Berlin Wall. The stark contrast between East and West Germany is still strikingly apparent. Block houses adorn the former Soviet side of the city while more Western architecture is seen in the former U.S. and U.K. areas. Though decimated by ... read more

It was a brilliant and sunny morning when we met at the Harburg Bahnhof. It was one of those days when it was already hot at 7am and poised to grow to a steady and ceaseless broil by noon. Nonetheless, the American group, led by Monika and Joachim, my phenomenal hosts and guides for the day, were ready for our first American only excursion into the surrounding area. Some passed the time on the S-Bahn by creating games to play, like striking a pose and trying not to fall over as the cars shook and slowed along the route. Ninja master of this game was most definitely Delaney Gischer! Bergedorf it is a brilliant mid-sized shopping town steeped in history. Everywhere you look, history presents itself in this town. It is one of the very few ... read more