International visitors

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A visit to Minot seems to rank right up there with a trip to Universal Studios, Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument for 26 visiting middle school students from Whitsuday Anglican School in Mackay, Queensland, Australia.

Their teachers, Renae Currie and Renee Cutler, said the kids were so excited they couldn't sleep on the plane Thursday night. They'd previously visited sites in California and South Dakota.

The students, who are staying with 17 host families in Minot and attending classes at their sister school, Jim Hill Middle School, were greeted like returning sports heroes by kids at Jim Hill Friday.

Cheerleaders chanted and kids wearing face paint and waving pom poms roared as the young Australians were introduced and ran out into the gym one by one to take their seats in front of the cheering crowds.

The Australians presented Jim Hill teachers with an Australian flag, while the Jim Hill teachers gave gifts with the Jim Hill school logo on it.

Chris French, the head of the Whitsunday Anglican School, said Minot is filled with the friendliest people the Australians have ever met.

French first met Jim Hill Middle School principal Cindy Mau at a conference in Minneapolis four years ago and negotiations for a visit and sister school relationship began. Students and teachers from the private school in Australia first visited Minot in 2005. Minot teachers and students returned the favor with a visit to Australia last year.

French said several of the Australian students along on the trip are the younger brothers and sisters of the young Australians who visited Minot three years ago. Whitsunday Anglican School is currently on a vacation break, unlike the Minot Public School students.

The kids will be in Minot for about 10 days and will have a chance to attend classes at Jim Hill, get to know American teens and will visit a number of places around the area.

The Australian kids are excited to see a B-52 at Minot Air Force Base and to attend a pow wow at one of the area American Indian reservations.

French and Mau encouraged the kids to get to know one another and exchange information about American and Australian culture.