Exchange students from Ireland tour Marblehead High School thanks to Rotary

MARBLEHEAD – The 23 students facing the cameras in the lobby at Marblehead High Thursday afternoon looked pretty much alike – but 10 of them were visitors from Ireland on a Rotary-sponsored tour of North Shore high schools.Led by Rotarians and a group of Marblehead High students, they had lunch in the teacher?s lounge at the school cafeteria and visited a Spanish class and an art classroom to get a feel for the school?s curriculum.The visit, which included greetings from Assistant Principal Kristina Kyles and Superintendent of Schools Paul Dulac, was part of the Friends Forever program, an international non-profit that uses community projects to teach young people from conflict-torn regions like Northern Ireland and Israel about peace, started in 1986 by New Hampshire Rotarian and YMCA Director Robert Raiche.Rotary President Jessica Barnett, a chaperone, said this is the third year that the Marblehead club has sponsored the visit. “I hope we can do it every year,” she said.The Irish students attend kindergarten, seven years of primary school and seven years of secondary school and graduate at 18. Many wear school uniforms, their schools are more strict and much more formal and there is less variety in the class offerings and team sports, but the class offerings may be comparable.As she left the Spanish class, visitor Rebecca Porter noted that French is taught at her school; she took French from 11 to 16 years old when she chose to stop. Spanish classes begin for Marblehead students in grade 4, at the age of 10, and are available through grade 12.Social life is different, too.?They have more cliques. We don?t have groups in our (Irish) school,” said visitor Ciara McSorley, “We don?t have cheerleaders or jocks, nobody thinks they?re better than anybody else. We?re all just students.”Many Irish students may have already formed a first impression of Americans from our entertainment industry exports – and sometimes that can be inspiring. Visitor Martin Burns, who has another year and a half to go until he graduates, is thinking of going to college.?I?ve been thinking of going into forensics,” he said, smiling, “because I?ve been watching ?CSI.?”Further information is available at friendsforeverusa.org.