The exchange students from Kulossari School in Finland arrived at Vasant Valley School on the evening of the 27th of February. They were introduced to their hosts, students from Vasant Valley School. Excitement was in the air as the students paired up with their hosts, chatted with them, enjoyed the snacks that were served and made plans for the evening and for the next day. Early the next morning, the Finnish students arrived with their hosts at school. The day began with a briefing of the day's itinerary and a walk around school. Vasant Valley students proudly showed off their school to the Finnish students. There was a busy day planned for them with many activities to give the students a taste of Indian culture and heritage and also of the day at Vasant Valley School. The first activity of the day was Tie and Dye.
TIE AND DYE - It was an enriching experience for the exchange students as tie and dye was something they had never attempted before. They employed different techniques and even experimented with chick peas while tying the cloth. Once the cloth had been dyed, they left it on the railing to dry, eagerly waiting to see how it had turned out.

MADHUBANI PAINTING - The exchange students were given one folder each with information on the Madhubani art form and samples of artwork. After a brief explanation by the teachers, they were given paper and pens to try replicating the samples they had been given, or coming up with something original. Each of them enjoyed the activity and came up with beautiful designs.

P.E- The Finland students played a variety of sports ranging from cricket to softball. We also had a friendly basketball match between the Finland exchange students and the VVS students, with the Vasant Valley students emerging victorious.

ENGLISH - We began the class by reading the story "The Tiger King" by Kalki and then had an interactive discussion on the same. All major themes and the background of the story was discussed.

BHANGRA - It was a fun filled experience full of laughter and energy, for both the Indian and Finnish students. We all learnt simple steps at first and then increased the difficulty level. By the end of the session, we had come up with a dance routine which everyone performed with a lot of enthusiasm.

It was soon time for a scrumptious Indian meal in the conference room and it was a treat to see the Finnish students relishing the new tastes and flavours of India.
The day in school ended with goodbyes among much excitement about the plans for the next few days with their hosts.

Anahita Jain & Tanvi Bahl