Have you noticed any new kids around school?  Nineteen Spanish exchange students attended Wayland High for two weeks, beginning September 20th.  The students went to classes and tried to blend in with their hosts’ daily schedules.

The exchange students arrived in Boston at 3:00 am on Saturday, September 18th.  While they were here, they took a couple of trips into Boston to go whale watching and visit the U.S.S. Constitution and the New England Aquarium.

This exchange program has been running for 40 years, but the partner school in Spain has recently changed. The trip is offered every other year to any junior or senior in a Spanish course.  This year, the majority of participants are juniors, but there are also some seniors.

“I am very excited about this opportunity,” said Alex Pena Morado, a Spaniard staying with Evan Tyra. Alex has been taking English for 9 years and can hold a steady conversation.

Some Spanish students are comfortable with English, like Pena Morado, while others have been taking English for only 5 years.  Although some of the students have trouble with the language, they seem to be enjoying the opportunity.

“One of the biggest potential problems is having a stranger in your house for two weeks,” said Mary Brown, the head of the Spanish exchange program.

Even though it can be challenging for some to entertain a stranger for two weeks, many families find fun things to do and work it out.

“One of the hardest parts is entertaining them while I do homework,” said WHS junior Tommy Hoopes.  “Since they don’t have homework, we have to have to find ways to keep them busy.”

Though goodbyes were said to the exchange students this past Saturday, it is not end of the relationship between these two diverse groups of teens. In February, the Wayland students will go to stay with their Spanish partners.

The Wayland students will miss a week of school to go to Spain.  The Spaniards live on the Northwestern coast of Spain, in the province of Galicia.  Betanzos, their town, is only a two-hour drive away from Portugal.

“Galicia is a beautiful province,” Brown said. “It has a lot of Celtic influence.”  Galicia was one of the last provinces to be captured by the Moors. This allowed the province to keep its Celtic cultural influence.

Unlike Wayland, Betanzos is small enough to walk most places.  “We don’t drive anywhere,” said Pena Morado

Brown is leading this trip for the sixth time and is looking forward to returning to Spain. However, a program like this doesn’t happen without hours and hours of work.

“Planning for this kind of trip is exhausting,” she said.