Hola. Bonjour. Ciao. Salut. These are just a few ways that people around the world greet each other. On the weekend of January 31, Verona High School students got to greet several international students, who visited Verona for the weekend. The international students came from countries such as Belgium, Italy, Finland and Iceland. These students are here for an entire year and live with host families and attend school in America. Verona students welcomed the international students into their homes for a fun-filled weekend in Verona.

The weekend began when the students arrived at VHS at 7:30 Friday morning. The students then had a bagel breakfast and mingled with VHS students. They then spent the entire day sitting in on classes at VHS.

When the school day ended, the weekend kicked off with an international buffet. Students gathered for a smorgasbord of different ethnic foods. Foods included empanadas, penne vodka, and a good ol’ American Apple Pie.  Once dinner was over, students danced the night away with music provided by a DJ.

The next day the students went to Jenkinson’s boardwalk. For many of the international students, it was their first time visiting the Jersey Shore. The highlight of the Jenkinson’s trip was not the beach but rather going to the candy shop. The international students obsessed over the varieties of American candy. After one last look at the beach, the students boarded the busses and headed home to get ready for another night of socializing.

That night the students went to the home of VHS student Gabrielle Brehne. Students had a lot of fun playing Just Dance with the international students or challenging them to a game of ping pong. The weekend concluded on Sunday morning with a brunch at the home of Emilia Frizzi. Students enjoyed breakfast and got their last chance to say goodbye to the international students.

The weekend gave VHS students the opportunity to meet other students their age from a different country. Senior Gabrielle Brehne hosted a student from Belgium, who speaks French.  For Gabrielle, who takes AP French here at VHS, “it was really cool being able to talk to her in French.” Senior Emilia Frizzi said,

“It was a really fun weekend and I really enjoyed meeting the other students,” said senior Emilia Frizzi. As the weekend came to a close, VHS students said adios, Ciao, and au revoir to the international students and were glad that they got the opportunity to meet other students from around the world.