Frau Angela Bacher staff interview

Emily Faust, Patriot Staff Writer

Although in High School we as students are subjected to different cultures in terms of world language classes, the idea itself is not widely popular. Yes, there are more languages offered to than the standard Spanish, French, and German which widens our views, but to see what else is really out there, more and more opportunities have to arise. Fortunately, new things are occurring in the World Language department, especially for students enrolled in any German class. These new things are being made possible for Washington Township High School because of German teacher Frau Angela Bacher.

Bacher is very dedicated to her job and dedicated to the German culture. She teaches German 1A, German 2A, AP German and also commutes to the Elementary schools to teach fifth graders Introductory to World Language. She has been teaching for twelve years now and this year marks her tenth year at Washington Township High School.

Bacher always had a loving relationship with language ever since she was a child. She explained that the biggest reason for wanting to pursue German was because of the movie The Sound of Music. “I was a weird child! I loved that movie, plus I had a really great German teacher growing up so I combined the two.”

Besides having a deep passion for the German language itself, Bacher also loves to be involved. She currently is running German club and National German Honor Society with her fellow colleague Frau Jill Graham, another respected German teacher. She goes even further than that by being the Model UN supervisor. Bacher loves every minute of her job. She is proud to be a part of so many different clubs and societies that push world language to the top. She also is adamant about her students. “We have really great kids in all of these clubs and it’s a lot of fun,” she says, “It’s nice to pursue German outside of the classroom. There is no pressure for students. For me it’s a lot of organizing.”

The biggest excitement at the moment for Bacher would be the opportunity of a lifetime by means of the GAPP program. “GAPP stands for the German American Partnership Program sponsored by the Goethe Institute. It helps coordinate German and American high school students,” Bacher explains.

“The goal is to have a true exchange where Americans can go to Germany to live with their host family and Germans can come to America to live with their host family.”

The GAPP program came to Bacher from a former teacher in Haddonfield. He had invited her out to dinner and proposed the idea to her. One of the visiting teachers needed a hand. “They asked for Washington Township to be their new partner school and I agreed!”

The exchange will take place on October 22, 2016 starting with twenty Germans coming to America to connect with their twenty Washington Township student hosts. The German students were asked to make a video in English explaining who they are and any interests they have that would be shown to the American students. Washington Township students were required to fill out an informational sheet asking the same “about me” questions. Each German/American student was placed with each other based on compatibility.

The exchange lasts two and a half weeks where these German kids have the opportunity to shadow their American pairing in school and around their own home while truly getting to see the cultural differences between Germany and America. These kids will also have a chance to participate in the many school functions offered at Washington Township such as Homecoming, football games, spirit week, etc…

In the summer of 2017, Washington Township students also have the opportunity to fly to Germany and stay with their same German student in their house and at their school to also have a chance to see the differences between Europe and America.

Bacher is beyond excited that through the GAPP program, this amazing opportunity would be able to be offered to her German students along with any other student willing to participate.