Thanks very much for your email. I really enjoyed reading it. I think we have a lot in common. I wonder if our school life is similar too.

I go to a big high school in Sydney called Maylands High School. There are about 1000 students and 80 or so teachers. My class has 25 students in it, which is normal for a Year 11 class. In the junior school there are about 30 students in a class.

In the senior high school we have lots of subjects to choose from, like maths, physics, chemistry, biology, history, German, law, geography, software design, graphic arts and media studies. (Different schools sometime have different optional subjects.) English is a must for everyone and we have to do least three other subjects in Year 11 and 12. At the end of Year 12 we sit for a public exam called the High School Certificate.

As well as school subjects, most of us do other activities at school such as playing a sport, singing in the choir or playing in the school band. We can also belong to clubs, such as the drama club, the chess club and the debating society.

We have a lot of homework to do in senior school to prepare for our exam, so unless I have basketball practice, I usually go straight home and start studying. I arrive home about 4 pm, make myself a snack and work till 6. Then I help the family to make dinner and we all eat together. I’m usually back in my room studying by 8 pm. I stop at about 10 o'clock and watch TV or read a book for half an hour to relax. On Saturdays, I usually go out with my family or with friends and I sleep in till late on Sunday morning. Then it’s back to the books on Sunday afternoon.

How about you? What’s your school life like? Do you have a lot of homework? What do you do to relax when you’re not studying? I’m looking forward to finding out.

Your Australian friend

Terrie

“Every child has a great curiosity about something they love,”said Carolyn King, a doctor in Grand Rapids, Michigan. King, who once studied at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, is the co-founder of a yearly event called Reach Out to Youth (ROTY).

Wayne State has held the event since 1989, which lets kids ages 7 to 11 experience science and medicine in an interesting way.

“We’re here to help distinguish future scientists and future physicians,” said Richard Baker, director of Medical Education at Wayne State.

Diamond Moore, a medical student and the leading organizer of ROTY planned a special but interesting day for attendees. Exhibits included a room where you could see a brain, heart, and some other parts of our body, and a room where you could test your reflexes (反射动作). Wayne State teachers and medical students, including Moore, shared their knowledge of medical science with kids.

“This program wants kids to learn about science, arts, and the health care system,” Moore said, so that hopefully, they’ll become interested in medicine.

Some of the students were excited about the chance to tour the exhibits and learn more about medicine-related jobs. “A doctor would be a cool job,” said first-time attendee Desiree Anders.

Jeremiah Tower, an 11-year-old from Detroit, said that learning about science and things about the body was what the program was all about. Still, he wasn’t excited about having to get up early on a Saturday morning.

This year’s theme was “Play It Safe: Brain Safety.” After seeing what a brain looks like up close, young attendees learned about the danger of concussions (脑震荡). A fun test was given about brain safety so that kids could see how much they had learned.

About 350 kids take part in the program each year. It’s a great way to get an idea of what it feels like to be a doctor.

Every year, thousands of K-12 students visit the University of Georgia (UGA) through the Experience UGA program. Hosting these students is made possible by the Experience UGA ambassadors (大使), a team of UGA students trained to support the program. They help create and support the field trips and introduce school children to college with interactive and educational visits that are grade-level specific. For example, every second grade group tours the Ramsey Student Center to learn about health-related topics, and all seventh graders explore UGArden to learn about nutrition and agriculture.

“Each year I realize the impact I’m making on students,” said Leslie Oroyemi, who is beginning her third year as an Experience UGA ambassador. “I love reaching younger populations and engaging with them. It’s nice to see them grow and discover different interests.”

This was the first year that Oroyemi has been an ambassador for second grade trips, and she said it has become her favorite. Her favorite part of the day is teaching second graders how easily germs (病菌) spread through a game of tag (捉人游戏) — those with “germs” have chalk on their hands and go around trying to touch and “infect” others. The kids then learn how important hand washing is to prevent the spread of germs.

Camille Holcomb is beginning her second year as an ambassador. She said working with different ages means connecting with them differently. The second graders are excited about everything, while the seventh graders are more reserved (保守的). Holcomb learned that connecting with the older students works best in between the activities — being personable and asking questions while walking around campus. Holcomb also learned that some friendly competition helps engage the more reserved students.

“Each ambassador is very fervent about giving back to the community and holds a special skill that contributes to creating a wonderful experience for students during each grade level trip,” said Aiyana Egins, coordinator of Experience UGA. “I look forward to seeing the impact they will have on students this year.”