South Australian Exchange Teachers' League

Fabulous to catch up with two ex exchangers from Colorado. Marilyn was here in 1984 and teaching at Cowandilla PS and Rick even further back in time at Yankalilla in 1980. Marilyn was one of the chief organisers of exchanges from Colorado. We reminisced for hours over lunch at the Hallet Cove Boatshed.

SAETL Memories: Great catching up with former Colorado exchanges Judy Hansen and Ian McMillan. Discovering what Adelaide has to offer both in scenery and food!

What a pleasure it was to join with so many South Australian educators on Saturday afternoon who have all had the privilege of experiencing a post-to-post exchange. The earliest exchanges represented in the group were in the early 70s before SAETL existed through to those who experienced an exchange during COVID IN 2020 (our final exchanges 🥲). It was also wonderful to have so many attendees who gave back after their exchanges theough involvement in the SAETL Committee - you couldn’t find a more passionate, dedicated bunch!
Thank you for the memories ❤️
🇦🇺🇨🇦🇯🇵🇺🇸🇬🇧
Exchange isn’t a year in your life, it’s a life in a year.

SAETL: The End Of An Era.
The South Australian Exchange Teachers’ League had its FINAL public function yesterday. Since the late 1970’s when SAETL was formed it has hosted, advised and entertained hundreds of teachers from all corners of the globe.
Yesterday’s final celebration was well attended by more than one hundred former exchange teachers, most who considered their year of exchange as one of the best years of their lives. The wonderful friendships made both overseas and Australia continue to this day.
A fitting, final speech, was given by SAETL President Lausanne Cheers where she mentioned her own exchange, gave praise to all committee members past and present and summed up a ‘teaching exchange as not being a year in our lives, but our lives in a year.’
Thanks to the Edinburgh Hotel for changing the venue from outside to inside AND that food was delicious!
I was exhausted when we got home but VERY happy!

The SAETL committee meet on zoom to discuss final details for the final SAETL event ever, before disbanding after 40 years. THE END OF AN ERA!

Exchanges…such enriching, life changing and memorable experiences. But it’s the end of an era and we want to celebrate those shared experiences with as many of you who have been touched by the exchangee experience.

Hello!

I am contacting you as president of the South Australian Exchange Teachers League. It is with some sadness that I am letting you know that SAETL will be winding up in 2025.

In the years since COVID it has become apparent that the exchange program, as it existed previously, is no longer viable.

The Department for Education in South Australia is still supporting a small number of exchanges with Himeji and Okayama in Japan. However the Post-to-Post program has ceased to operate as we no longer have active partners overseas.

To recognise the many years of exchange and the support provided by SAETL we would like to invite you to join us in a celebration and farewell.

We will be celebrating on Saturday 22nd February 2025 between 2:00 and 5:00pm at the Edinburgh Hotel, Mitcham in the beer garden. First drink and canapes provided.

Please RSVP by Friday 14th February 2025 here: https://forms.office.com/r/3a2XQvFEGu

We are aiming to spread the word far and wide. If you are in contact with others who have been on exchange please feel free to forward this invitation on.

More fun as past exchangees meet up for another time in Adelaide. Seattle, Adelaide and Denver are represented by this group of friends. We met in the 1980's and we can STILL remember each other!!

Hello!

I am contacting you as president of the South Australian Exchange Teachers League. It is with some sadness that I am letting you know that SAETL will be winding up in 2025.

In the years since COVID it has become apparent that the exchange program, as it existed previously, is no longer viable.

The Department for Education in South Australia is still supporting a small number of exchanges with Himeji and Okayama in Japan. However the Post-to-Post program has ceased to operate as we no longer have active partners overseas.

To recognise the many years of exchange and the support provided by SAETL we would like to invite you to join us in a celebration and farewell.

We will be celebrating on Saturday 22nd February 2025 between 2:00 and 5:00pm at the Edinburgh Hotel, Mitcham in the beer garden. First drink and canapes provided.

Please RSVP by Friday 14th February 2025 here: https://forms.office.com/r/3a2XQvFEGu

We are aiming to spread the word far and wide. If you are in contact with others who have been on exchange please feel free to forward this invitation on.

SAETL Connections: Still strong, catching up with Seattle exchangee Carol Storch - Mathias, revisiting the scene of her exchange - Adelaide.

CONNECTIONS: Chance Meeting With Old Friends

This story was posted on Gleny’s Face Book page, but I thought I would give my slant on it. I first met Dave and Glenys Benda in the late 1980’s. I was very involved with the South Australian Exchange Teachers’ League (S.A.E.T.L.) at committee level and I organized several tours to Burra, the Southeast, a two-week tour to Uluru and weekend tour to Renmark and the Riverland for teachers on exchange. The tours were organized so they would experience different parts of SA.

Dave Benda had been on exchange and lived in the Riverland with his wife Glenda. He would act as a liaison and local guide when I organised groups of up to 20 exchange teachers to visit Renmark and the surrounding Riverland. He and Glenys organized welcome drinks, a look over Renmark High school, visits to the local orange groves and processing factory, a boat tour on the Murray, wine tasting a dinner at the local pub. They did a terrific job hosting and even transported us around by driving the old school bus. I do know there were many exchange teachers who had great memories from those weekends. I think I even presented Dave with a SAETL sweatshirt that I screen printed on behalf of the League. If I didn’t …. I owe him one!!

I had a few visits to Renmark and as an aside, while staying at the caravan park, I can remember my young son Alex viewin a small piece of the movie Jurassic Park which was on TV. It scared the crap out of him and he had nightmares all night. It’s amazing what sticks in your memory.

I haven’t seen Dave and Glenda since those days in the mid 1990’s even though we kept in touch through Facebook. I had read they were going to be in Ljubljana but had forgotten. As Anne and I were facing the window, tasting a local delicacy of hot, sliced sausage, who should walk by but Dave & Glenys. The connections made by exchange teaching are endless.

CLOSE ENCOUNTER: It was a pleasure to bump into Lilli Eley, her husband Robin and her daughter in law Rachael and kids at Mitcham Shopping Centre. Lilli oversaw international teaching exchanges in the 1990’s and early 2000’s for the Education Department. She was the lady who made teacher’s dreams come true!! And she was GOOD at it!

We caught up with her husband, met her delightful daughter in law and grandchildren and found out what son Robin was up to in the art world. He is an incredible painter. Basketball got a little bit of a mention too because artist Robin was a very good basketball player for Norwood and could ‘shoot the lights out’ on any given night. Now he produces award winning portraits!
Lilli loved sending South Australian teachers to various parts of the world and equally loved meeting their teaching counterparts.

Are you in a leadership position at your school and have thought of going overseas to Canada for a study tour? A work shadowing experience might be for you. View some images of Lisa Dorian’s (Port Augusta Secondary School) recent adventures in Alberta.

Ms Lisa Dorian from Port Augusta Secondary School did a work shadowing exchange with Laurel Suignard from Our Lady pf Wisdom School – Chestermere, Alberta, Canada

Lisa says, “I have my last day at school tomorrow in Canada at Our Lady of Wisdom School in Chestermere, with Laurel Suignard hosting me.

The experience has been excellent, and I'm looking forward to coming home and promoting the program as best I can.”

If you want more information about this program or teaching English in Japan contact:

Darryl Carter
Manager Stakeholder Engagement and Quality
International Education Services
Department for Education
T: + 618 8226 7523 | E: [email protected]