From a land Down Under

Editor’s note: This is the first of three parts.

Sweatshirts bearing Australia’s flag have replaced cardinal red and gold spirit attire at Estancia High School.

A didgeridoo, the indigenous Australian instrument, lay in a corner of the Costa Mesa school’s administrative office.

“Australian Youth Ambassadors Arrive January 16, 2010,” a banner on the school’s website announces.

On Saturday, Estancia will open its doors to seven exchange students from the land Down Under.

The visitors from Hoppers Crossing Secondary College will spend three weeks here learning about the school and community.

Since 2005, the Australian Education Exchange Program has allowed students and staff at Estancia and various secondary schools in Wyndham, Australia, to visit each other.

“There is nothing more important than broadening minds and opening eyes to people and places beyond our community and our comfort zone,” said Sue Smith, former president of the Estancia PTA who is a founder and director of the exchange program.

“This program breaks down prejudices and offers understanding. It makes our students hungry to learn, to grow, and to realize people are the same all over the world.”

Smith, students and teachers from Estancia will go to Los Angeles International Airport to greet the Australians upon their arrival Saturday.

This year’s sophomore and junior hosts at Estancia are hyping up the student body for the visit.

“We’ve been collaborating with the school on everything,” said junior Conner Graham, 17.

“We’ve involved the [Associate Student Body] in putting together posters and welcome signs. We’re really the only school that gets to do this. It’s a great opportunity.”

For the first few days, the Australian students will attend seminars on “Life in California” and shadow their host students, whose homes they will be staying at, in classrooms.

As they become more comfortable, they will be welcome to join any class they wish, said Assistant Principal Jennifer Chamberlin.

The host students have high expectations for the visit.

They hope to learn about everything from Australian classroom etiquette and curriculum differences to sports and dance moves.

Junior Vanessa Corona, 16, has been doing some research.

“Usually they don’t have homework; it’s very rare,” she said..

She hopes this is something that her teachers will pick up on when they meet with the Hoopers Crossing teacher and office assistant who will be accompanying the Aussie delegation.

As juniors, Vanessa and Conner, both of whom visited Australia last year as part of the 2009 exchange program, are especially interested in speaking to this year’s Australian visitors about senior year.

According to Vanessa and Conner, the Australian school system seems to be more “relaxed and laid back” in terms of grades and workload.

“Until senior year,” Conner said.

Both he and Vanessa are eager to talk to the juniors in the delegation about preparations for their last year of high school, as well as university options in Australia.

Sophomore Lauren Peterson, 15, is interested in finding out about language courses.

“Do they learn Spanish?,” she asked. She also hopes to pick up on a little bit of the local lingo, she said.

Besides classroom shadowing, the exchange students will tour Newport Beach, Balboa Island, Disneyland, an Anaheim Ducks hockey game, an Estancia water polo game, a visit to Wal-Mart and tour other district schools.

They will also attend Estancia’s Winter Formal.

“Their dance style is very formal,” Vanessa said, raising an eyebrow. “[Attending] our Winter Formal will be an experience for them.”

The whole program is a great experience, Conner said.

“We’re looking forward to their arrival,” he said.