Nine CCHS students depart for Germany

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

There were hugs, tearful farewells and last-minute preparations made before nine Charles City High School students boarded a bus early Tuesday morning, with Germany as their ultimate destination.

The bus was headed toward Minneapolis Tuesday, and the students will fly out from there to Germany.

It’s all part of the German-American Partnership Program (GAPP), which has been part of Charles City schools for more than 25 years.

GAPP is an active program in the Charles City High School that brings German students to Charles City, as well as taking Charles City students to Germany. GAPP students held a fundraiser dinner with silent and live auctions last year to raise funds to support the trip.

Students going on the trip are Lexie Carey, Chase Foxen, Ryeleigh Lair, Nolan Loftus, Katlyn Marty, Brynn Parks, Madelyn Tjaden, Kelly Ward and Carter West.

The students will stay in Walsrode, Germany, through June 25. They are scheduled to attend a German high school and stay with a German family. They will also spend four days in Berlin.

Marilyn Buttjer, high school German teacher, announced in March that she had secured a new GAPP partner school in Germany for the upcoming school year. Buttjer said the school district in Kothen, Germany, would be Charles City’s new GAPP Partner. Walsrode school made the decision to leave the program due to budget cuts and changes in exchange program regulations in Germany.

Buttjer has retired, effective at the end of this school year, after 16 years at Charles City. Shari Bender was appointed to serve as German teacher in Charles City starting next school year.