At the end of October, class 2 a had a welcome guest in their English lesson: Johannes Nepomuk Umdasch, who is currently spending a year abroad with his family, came for a short homerun during term break and shared his experience and impressions with his former classmates.
The list of questions that the students asked seemed never-ending and Johnny did a great job answering every single one, showing photos and introducing his class to life in Cambridge, England and at St. John’s, his British school.
Thanks a lot, Johnny! Hope to see you again soon. Don’t forget us and keep in touch!
If you want to know more about St. John’s and Johnny’s adventurous time in the United Kingdom, check out his text and the pics! Enjoy!
Mag. Michaela Eidlinger
Im Anschluss an den Besuch hat Johannes noch einen Brief an die Mitschüler und Lehrer verfasst, in dem er das Leben in seiner derzeitigen Schule in England beschreibt:
Hello friends and teachers from BG Amstetten!
I have a great time in my new school here in Cambridge.But I also miss my friends at the BG.
The St. John`s College School is very different from the BG.We have to register every morning in our class and then we go the the Hymn mess in our turn hall. Over there we are discussing important topics, we are singing songs and we are praying. After that school is starting. The three classes of my year are mixed up and the students have to go to different rooms for their lessons instead of the teachers. One lesson takes only half an hour.After two lessons ( one hour) we have got a break.My friends normally are playing table tennis but we also can go to the computer room,to the climb tree or somtimes to the football court. Most of the time we stay outside in the breaks that`s why I am very used to the temperatures and I have not cought a cold yet. We also have a smimming pool at school.My class has swimming lesson every Friday.We have sports three times a week: one time swimming or orienteering run and two times Rugby .The first term we play Rugby the second term Hockey and the last one we have Cricket. I think Rugby is a brutal sport.You are only allowed to pass the backwards and you have to run with the ball in your hands to the tryline wich is at the other end of the pich.Then you score a try and your team gets a point .
At school we have some different subjects to Austria: Arts (drawing); Designtechnology , Science and Drama. Drama is compulsory for all pupils, starting at the age of 4 years!
I learn Spanish here but most of the children of my year have Latin and French. We have got lunch at 01:00 pm and the school ends at 4:00 pm.We have to do all our homework (in England it is called Prep)on the computer.
The school also has a Boarding house for students who live too far to go home every day and for the Chorister boys. St. Johns has a very famous chore, and the boys who sing in the chore are not allowed to go home in the afternoon. One day I also had a sleep over with my brother in the Boarding house. It was great!
It almost rains every day and its quite cold here. But the sun is also shining almost every day, strange weather. There are many parks in the city with tennis-courts and playgrounds on it.We live in a little cottage which is in a quiet street near school. So we cycle every day with our bikest o school. My brothers attend Byron House, this is the Junior School and I go tot he Senior House.
I am enjoying the time here but after this year I will come back to Austria ,where my friends and familie are living.
