WHS German Exchange Students Talk About Their Experiences by AMY PORTER “Martina Did a Wonderful Job of Matching,” Staff Writer Said Gerbetz
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TONIGHT: Showers late. Low of 50. The Westfield News Search for The Westfield News Westfield350.com The WestfieldNews Serving Westfield, Southwick, and surrounding Hilltowns “TIME IS THE ONLY WEATHER CRITIC WITHOUT TONIGHT AMBITION.” Partly Cloudy. JOHN STEINBECK Low of 55. www.thewestfieldnews.com VOL. 86 NO. 151 TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 2017 75 cents $1.00 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019 VOL. 88 NO. 231 WHS German exchange students talk about their experiences By AMY PORTER “Martina did a wonderful job of matching,” Staff Writer said Gerbetz. She said the two schools and the WESTFIELD – Westfield High School has students are very similar, and match very well. been participating in the German American The teachers are not the only ones that are Partnership Program (GAPP) with Woerth- enthusiastic about the program. The 14 am-Rhein, a town in southern Germany not German students were eager to talk about their unlike Westfield for the past three decades. experiences visiting New England. In the GAPP program, which is sponsored “The host families are really nice,” said one. by the German government, the Goethe “After a few days, you really feel like a part Institute, and American Association of of the family,” said another. During their stay, Teachers of German (AATG), eleventh grade the host families have taken them apple pick- students from Germany spend three and a half ing, through corn mazes, and carving pump- weeks in the U.S. with student exchange part- kins. One student said she visited Yankee ners, staying in their homes and going to Candle, where it snows all the time. school with them. In June, the American stu- The school also has been very welcoming, dents will go to Germany and stay with the according to the students and their teachers. In same exchange partners in their homes. The the entrance to the school is a glass display program runs at no cost to the district. case with the photos and names of all the “These kids and exchange partners; some German students. “We had a very nice wel- stay friends for a lifetime,” said teacher come party on our first day of school,” Gerbetz Christine Gerbetz, who along with her three- said. and-a-half year old daughter Annemarie and The students in Westfield were described as fellow teacher Eva Glaser accompanied the being very friendly, open-minded and asking German students on the trip. them a lot of questions. “Everyone says hello Gerbetz said she is still in touch with her to you,” they said. exchange partner from high school when she One of the requirements for the German participated in GAPP. students, who have been studying English GAPP 2019 German exchange students with their teachers. (Photo by Amy Porter) The teachers are also exchange partners since the fifth grade, is to give presentations to they named. They also go to all the Star Wars trucks are bigger. with each other. WHS former German teacher different classes about their food, culture, sites and Marvel movies. Some of the differences they mentioned Kathy Gallogly started the GAPP exchange in and music. Turns out these are not very differ- One student said they know a lot about the included how every teacher in the U.S. has Westfield, and still leads the group with cur- ent, either. The students said they listen to the schools and buses from the shows they watch. their own room, and every day has a different rent teacher Martina Hauser. Her exchange same music, and also watch the same TV pro- When asked what was different here than at schedule. partner is Gerbetz, while Glaser stays with grams. “Friends,” “The Big Bang Theory,” home, they said everything is bigger. The food Hauser. and “Stranger Things,” were among the shows is bigger, people’s yards are bigger, and the See GAPP, Page 3 Artist finds inspiration in everyday settings By LORI SZEPELAK “My parents encouraged me to explore art embroidery designer. Correspondent when I was young,” said Kahn, adding she On her blogpost titled Marcia Kahn – WESTFIELD-Marcia Kahn vividly recalls would copy pictures from magazines since Dreamcatcher, she details how she studied the moment in junior high school when a they were “full of design” techniques. painting with Alton Tobey, Charles Kingham teacher’s lecture changed the way she visual- While Kahn said her parents were support- and Richard Miller, and sculpture with Carla ized art. ive of her artistic abilities, they also insisted Rae Johnson and Helen Beling. In addition, “When I was about 10 we had an art class on her major in college would ensure a job when she notes she studied plastics with George how to balance a picture,” said Kahn, who she graduated. Adamy. lived in Astoria, a neighborhood in Queens, “I majored in education at Hunter College, After Kahn and her husband Elliot raised N.Y., in her early years. “Our art teacher also with a minor in art and design,” said Kahn, three children, George, Paul and Linda, she Westfield resident Marcia Kahn will be the taught us how to understand colors and what who graduated in 1942. “There was a very felt compelled to return to the art world – but featured artist in October at the Jasper Rand colors meant.” small number of women at Hunter College at with a new twist. Art Museum. (Submitted photo) From that inspirational moment on, Kahn the time and most of the ladies were interested “I worked in sales for Tiffany’s, Saks Fifth knew she would pursue a career in the art in teaching jobs. It was the Depression and we Avenue, and Astro Minerals,” said Kahn, not- daughter,” said Kahn, noting that was 16 years field. were happy to have any jobs.” ing that during those years she was also taking ago. Kahn, who will be celebrating her 97th While Kahn never taught in a public or pri- lessons in jewelry making. In time she started While Kahn’s exhibition will showcase her birthday on Oct. 5, is exhibiting a “mixed bag vate school, she did follow her dream of a jewelry-making school with Joan Weiskopf love of the circus, she will also display some of artwork” from Oct. 3-29 at the Westfield design – which led her to the commercial art in Larchmont, N.Y., which flourished for 25 of her Nautilus shell works of art, as well as Athenaeum’s Jasper Rand Art Museum. A world. Over the years she held positions as a years. other assemblages. reception for the artist, open to the public, is mechanical draftswoman, a textile designer, a “When I decided to move to Westfield I sold slated Oct. 5 from 2 – 4 p.m. sketch artist for costume jewelry, and an my house and business to be closer to my See Artist Marcia Kahn, Page 2 7th annual Ghost Tours bring history to life By PETER CURRIER by the characters in the tours was how the Historical Commission had not Staff Writer they simply survived in what is now had the chance to tally up how much WESTFIELD- The 7th annual Old Westfield in the 17th and 18th centu- money had been raised as of Sunday Burying Ground Ghost Tours took ries. Between attacks, disease, and evening. She noted that the funds that place on Friday and Saturday at the nature itself, Gaylord said she is sur- are raised will be used for the mainte- Mechanic Street cemetery and people prised that the settlement of Westfield nance and preservation of the Old turned up to learn about the city’s his- made it out of that time period. Burying Ground where the tours take tory through the eyes of its current Bob Plasse of Westfield on place. This year, the wrought iron prominent residents. Weekends portrayed Jeremiah Fowler fencing surrounding five of the ceme- Historical Commission Chair Cindy in the tours, and he described Westfield tery’s plots is in need of repairs. Gaylord said that more people showed at the time of its founding as the She also addressed previous com- up than was expected, as a lot of the ‘”Wild wild west.” ments she and other commissioners tickets were not sold ahead of time. “This is such a great event,” said made where they questioned whether Many of those who took part in the Plasse. “The best part about this for there would be any Ghost Tours in tour purchased their tickets at the gate, me is that it is an a-typical ghost tour 2020. Gaylord said that the decision Gaylord said. in a way, as the people on the tour get had not yet been made and likely will “We didn’t know what to expect to interact with the guide, going from not be made until closer to next fall. because we didn’t sell all the tickets, stone to stone and meeting the ghosts “If we do take a break it will just be but a lot of people came to the gates.” along the way.” for a year or two then we’ll come back said Gaylord. Gaylord said that she and the rest of bigger and better.” said Gaylord. This year’s tour saw the introduc- tion of a new ‘character’ from Westfield’s history that had not previ- ously been portrayed in the tours. Isaac Phelps, one of the city’s 13 founding members, was portrayed by his own ninth great-grandson, Michael Ingraham, who also sits on the Historical Commission. Another character making their return this year was John Ingersoll, who was newly portrayed in last year’s tours, by Steve Dondley.