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Since now June 13 will be known to the LSMU School community as a very special day. On this day students and teachers from the LSMU school went to Vilnius to greet and meet a sixteen-people delegation from two American schools (the Montgomery Bell Academy) and the Harpeth Hall School) and to bring them back to Kaunas. An unforgettable experience was the touching moment of the very first meeting, warm greeting speeches, the first handshakes, trying to remember strange foreign-sounding names and seeing in person your pen-pal. Also, it was the first step into the dreamy world of everlasting friendship and an opportunity to learn about other cultures. The meeting has paved a way to be tread by both the students and teachers of the LSMU School, the MBA and the HH.
Four days we all travelled together around the country, we participated in the official 14th of June commemoration ceremony of the Survivors of the Laptev Sea in Rumšiškės, we visited the Ninth Fort museum in Kaunas, the Cold War museum in the Žemaitija National Park, we also visited the Trakai Castle, we had an amazing evening with the Samogitian ethnographic ensemble, baked authentic Lithuanian bread, tasted special Lithuanian dishes at the Monte Pacis restaurant in Pažaislis and we listened to American Jazz performed by young Lithuanian talents.   
We all still live remembering the impressions of those days. We have been truly enchanted by the sincerity and attention that has been shown to our country and its people and history and we have been bewitched by their warmth, wisdom and positive energy. When the moment to say goodbye came, both sides emphasized: from now on we are a FAMILY, which believes that ideas and education can really change the world and it can become a safe and friendly planet.

International Projects Coordinator
Ingrida Krasauskienė

You can view photos and read participants’ thoughts here:

{gallery}Naujienos/2015-06-LSMU-MBA--HH{/gallery}

For four days in June 15 people from the USA visited us and were greeted by the LSMU School team. Having visited a huge part of Lithuania we all became good friends and made promises at the end to keep in touch and continue communication among our schools. (Milda Poderytė, grade 9).

Although at first it was a bit strange, we soon started to communicate easily. It was so fun. We learned a lot about the culture, traditions and customs of the USA. We also learned lots of games and taught some to our new friends. We chatted on the way, laughed and smiled. Our guests learned a lot about Lithuania but so did I. The Project was not easy, but it was worth it. (Simona Jakaitė, grade 9).

The first impression I got after seeing our guests from the USA was the way they were dressed: wide, white trousers, polo shirts and sandals. Then I thought that they are very different from us, but after a while I realized that their sense of humor, their lifestyle and the problems they face are not so different from ours, therefore, I can say that we are similar. While travelling around Lithuania it was great to communicate with our guests. On the first day I had to get used to their fast speech and the peculiarities of English as well as to being able to express myself fluently. I was especially fascinated by their natural ability to express emotions: every time they got something, even if it was a small gift, they were very sincere and thankful and it was visible that it was important for them. This short week with our guests, during which we became friends, was an excellent beginning to a perfect summer. (Žygimantas Vaičiukynas, grade 9).

I think that I will remember those four days for a long time. Travelling by coach, visiting museums, spending a night at the summerhouse... it was all wonderful! Very quickly we made new friends. Though there were a few silent moments, we communicated flawlessly. I hope I’ll be able to go to Nashville in the coming year! (Lina Petrauskaitė, grade 7).

During this project we learned a lot of things: we learned to communicate in English more easily, we learned more about the history of our country, we gained experience in communicating with people from other countries and also we gained confidence. In addition to that, we saw many places that we had not seen before. It was interesting to learn not only about the life of our American friends, but also, for instance, to meet with the woman who inspired the creation of the book we had all read in school. These few days left us with wonderful memories and I would like to participate in many projects like these (Emilija Radlinskaitė, grade 9).

The opportunity to meet the students and teachers from the United States was a big challenge for me, both because of a language barrier and because of cultural differences. But now I can say that it was an amazing experience. I met many wonderful people, with whom I hope to keep in touch for a long time, I also improved my English skills and had a wonderful time! (Roberta Gaidamavičiūtė, grade 10).

In the beginning I felt a bit unsure because I didn’t know anyone. But that changed: after we met with the Americans, I recognized my pen-pal Walker. In Rumšiškės I felt a lot better because I was speaking with him there. We spoke about many things, for instance, school, lessons, friends. It was difficult at first because our friends’ language was a bit different: it was fast and the pronunciation was a bit strange – that was difficult. But little by little I got more used to it and... it was very sad to part with our new friends. After four days I got really comfortable and didn’t want it to end. I understand that there is still space for me to continue to improve. I am very thankful for the team of teachers who always encouraged me to speak and I am very grateful to Emmett for speaking slowly and clearly. (Žygimantas Skučas, grade 5).

After a year-long communication with our pen-pals from the Montgomery Bell Academy and the Harpeth Hall School it was great to see them all in Lithuania. The few days we spent together were full of excitement and communication. On Saturday in the Rumšiškės Open-Air Museum of Lithuania, standing next to a Siberian yurt that was home to thousands of people exiled from Lithuania, we commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Lithuanian occupation and the 74th anniversary of mass deportations from Lithuania as well as the Day of Mourning and Hope. The Laptev Sea survivors presented teacher Emmett Russell with the wreath of oak tree leaves. After lunch we visited the Ninth Fort Museum. Together with the American teachers and students we listened to stories about the Lithuanian history. On Sunday we walked around the Hill of Crosses where our guests put a cross with their names on it. Later we listened to the interesting stories of the guide in the Cold War Museum. We, the students, loved sleeping in the Summerhouse next to the Plateliai Lake. We all got to know each other better. The next day we returned to Kaunas and our guests visited the Kaunas Old Town. We spent the evening in the Pažaislis monastery. On Tuesday we went to the Sabonis Basketball School and had photos taken with Donatas Motiejūnas. The rest of the day we spent in Trakai. Our friends got to learn about another bit of the Lithuanian history. I am very happy to have participated in the program. It was interesting and inspiring to see how interested the American studetns were in our history. I hope, we will continue our communication. (Vilius Paševeckas, grade 8).

Communicating with teachers from the USA not only was an enjoyable activity because both the teachers and students were very pleasant, interested in everything around them, but also because we could hear new ideas that we could apply in our work, too. (Teacher Kristina).