Fun and games aid Japanese students

Australian-themed board games are winging their way to Asia after a Busselton student developed a proposal to exchange cultural ideas with his Japanese peers.

Patrick Donovan was one of five Busselton Senior High School students who visited the sister city Sugito in October.

He has since collaborated with society and environment teacher Simon Mead to create games to help the exchange students further their English skills. The pair, along with the Year 9 Australian and Asian studies unit, created game projects which were completed on the last day of the school year and sent to the Sugito Board of Education for use in schools.

Busselton and Sugito Sister Cities Association president Ray Toia thanked Patrick, his classmates and Mr Mead for the significant effort which went into completing the games.

“Although we provide some learning materials to the Sugito schools during student visits, these group projects are based on the understandings and knowledge of local students who then had to devise a game and rules that would enable Sugito students to increase their own understanding of Australian culture, ” he said.

“It is a very worthwhile activity that has been born out of our friendly sister city relationship.”