This year at Canning Vale College we were lucky to host Margherita, an Italian exchange student coming from Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Margherita spent ten weeks at CVC, from Week 7 Term 2 to Week 6 Term 3, and was hosted by the amazing Gibbs family. Margherita attended a range of classes and subjects, and enjoyed a truly memorable experience in Perth. Our students were thrilled to get to know her and discover so much about Italy and the Italian culture and language with Margherita. Thank you Margherita for such wonderful few weeks, thank you to the teachers and students who made her feel at home, and a special thank you to the Gibbs family for welcoming Margherita as a daughter in their home.
A Message from Margherita
Hi I’m Margherita,
I’m an exchange student from Italy and I’ve just spent the last three months in Australia. I had the chance to attend the Canning Vale College and live with the Gibbs family. This was an experience that truly changed my life.
From the moment I arrived, I felt welcomed and supported. The Gibbs family treated me like one of their own, involving me in everyday life, family trips, and even Aussie traditions I had never experienced before. At school, the teachers were kind and understanding, and my classmates made me feel included right away. I was nervous at first, but I settled in quickly.
One of the things I appreciated most about the Australian school system is the strong and positive relationship between students and teachers. In Italy, the connection is often more formal and distant, but at Canning Vale College, I felt that teachers really cared about us, not just as students, but as people. They took time to listen, support, and encourage us, which made learning more enjoyable and meaningful.
This exchange helped me grow in so many ways, not only I had the opportunity to improve my English but I had the chance to become more independent, learning to see the world from an other perspective and learn about new cultures.
Thank you all the teachers at Canning Vale College for your support and a special thank you to the Gibbs family for making me feel at home.
I’ll never forget this amazing experience!