The Round Square hosted the first Joint Exchange Program from the 9th to 15th April 2011. Four Schools participated and they were The Vidya Devi Jindal School Haryana, The Assam Valley School Assam, The Scindhya Kanya Vidyalaya Gwalior and The Sanskar Valley Indore.

The delegates from the four schools attended the opening assembly where they presented their school flag to the Principal, Mr. Michael Guzder and were later formally introduced to the students of The Millennium School. They began attending regular classes from day one itself. The next morning the girls had a wonderful morning at The Manzil Centre for Special Needs Children, Dubai wherein they interacted with intellectually challenged individuals and spent time some quality time interacting with them. The afternoon session was an interesting one, wherein the girls actively took part in group discussions on the IDEALS of the Round Square. The next day they toured The Mall of the Emirates and went on to visit the indoor snow park called ‘Ski Dubai’. The Dubai Mall, the Oasis Centre and the Deira City Centre were the other places the girls visited later in the evening. They splashed about at The Dreamland Aqua Park in Um Al Quwain all morning on the third day and rehearsed for the group dance performance to be set up for the Farewell Assembly later that afternoon. 

The Closing Assembly organized the next morning was wonderful and the delegates confidently spoke about their school and Round Square activities they undertake in their respective schools during the course of the year . The bottom line of their talk was, “Millennium School…We Will Surely Meet Again!”. The joint group dance performance ‘Tu hi Tu’ was the highlight of the program and it was amazing to see perfect harmony in mind and body as the girls gracefully danced away to the melodious tune. It won a lot of praise from all present. The Flags of the respective schools were then handed over to the delegates after which the girls presented their gifts to the Principal. Later that afternoon the girls experienced an adventurous desert safari which gave them a taste of the vast expanse of sand dunes as they went about dune-bashing which literally rocked them in their seats. The four-wheel drive in sturdy Land Cruisers across the rugged terrains of the Arabian desert brought out the true spirit of adventure in each one of them. They gained a wonderful insight into Arab culture at the hamlet right in the heart of the desert where the girls got busy with henna designing, dressing themselves in the traditional Abayyas, trying their hand at sand surfing and enjoying the rich taste of the traditional Arabic coffee and ‘Shawermas – The popular Arabic snack. The girls sat back and enjoyed the Belly Dance and the Egyptian Folk Dance organized for their entertainment. A sumptuous dinner spread with a variety of Arabic dishes was laid out which the girls must have surely found appetizing. The desert safari was truly an adventurous experience for all.

The final day the girls were up early to join the Best Buddies in sharing some wonderful moments of fun and games at ‘Space City’ in Safeer Mall, Sharjah. They enjoyed a variety of rides with the children of The Manzil Centre and helped partake in their joy by just being there to let them know they have friends who do love them for who they are. The formal lunch oragnised that afternoon gave us the opportunity to let the girls know how wonderful they had been during their stay with us. Presentations of the schools were on display and I must say, they truly portrayed the schools in good light. The girls received their mementos and a CD on their memorable dance moments from the Principal, Mr. Michael Guzder who spoke very highly of the girls and expressed his appreciation for the wonderful learning environment being provided by their respective school managements towards shaping such wonderful individuals of the future.

The girls were outstanding in the way they conducted themselves throughout the exchange program. It was admirable to see them blend so well with the girls of The Millennium School, adjust quickly to the family requirements and environment of the host families and they were positive in their approach to every activity / event within the schedule of the program. We wish to thank all those who have contributed in making this Joint Round Square Exchange Program a great success!