Chinese students visit council

East Gippsland Shire Council Mayor Cr Joe Rettino formally welcomed 15 Chinese students to the region last week.

The students were visiting East Gippsland as part of a Sister School program between Paynesville Primary School and Changshu Shimao Experimental Primary School, near Shanghai.

During their week-long stay, the students will explore some of East Gippsland’s landmarks including:

 Cr Rettino welcomed the students, along with their principal and English teacher, to East Gippsland and explained the role of local government in Australia.

Aged 11 and 12, the students are staying with school families. Although it was only their first day in Australia, the students declared they thought East Gippsland was so beautiful they wanted to stay.

Paynesville Primary School hosts students from their Chinese sister school each year, while Paynesville students visit Changshu Shimao Experimental Primary School every two years.

Paynesville has two sister schools; it also has a program with Chelsea School in Auckland, New Zealand.

Students from Changshu Shimao Experimental Primary School in Shanghai, China received an official welcome to East Gippsland from shire Mayor Cr Joe Rettino and CEO Gary Gaffney. The students are part of a Sister School program with Paynesville Primary School.