INTERNATIONAL FRENCH LANGUAGE SCHOOL MATRICS JULY 2003
4 July 2003 D Day!
What excitement - eight Matric students off to an International French Language School in Paris! They were all a bit nervous – not sure if their French was good enough, but, after all, isn't that exactly why they were going! If their French didn't improve, we'd be entitled to our money back!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 July 2003 Bienvenue a Paris!
A stop-over in Athens and then on to Charles de Gaulle! Quite a confusing airport, but wonderful to be in Paris! Chauffeurs greeted us and took the girls to their various host families, which was quite daunting in the beginning! Little did they know then how fond they would become of their surrogate parents and siblings and how much they would help them to integrate into the French way of life. They stayed in pairs and three of the four families were situated within walking distance of the Arc de Triomphe!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 July 2003 Disneyland Paris
The girls twisted my arm to take them to Disneyland Paris for the day and what an incredible adrenalin rush that was! They loved every minute of it, even thought it was so freezing!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 July 2003 Day 1 at the School
The scary part! We arrived early for an oral and written test to ascertain individual levels of competence and accordingly the girls were placed in one of the 14 different classes. It was such an adult experience and they were surrounded by people of different nationalities, all with the common aim of wanting to perfect their French! The teachers had such innovative methods and the girls soon learnt not to be self-conscious. In the afternoon the school organized an outing to the Eiffel Tower (no queuing for us!) and then a cruise on the River Seine. Really romantic!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 July 2003 Really enjoying our classes!
Lessons again in the morning. The girls seem to be relaxing and enjoying their classes, especially the theatre workshops. Some free time to explore Paris in the afternoon and I accompanied a few girls on a guided tour of the American University of Paris. After leisurely strolling the streets of Paris, the girls returned home to spend the evening with their host families.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
9 July 2003 Guided tour of the Louvre
School was awesome today and it provided a new set of challenges. The girls really felt that they were making definite progress and they were quite proud of themselves! In the afternoon we were given a personal tour around the Louvre – the guide spoke in French and they were amazed how much they understood! After this, we walked to Notre Dame and then crossed the river to the Latin Quarter, where we thoroughly enjoyed the hype!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
10 July 2003 Happy birthday x 2!
Bon anniversaire! Pippa turned 18 today and Lauren turned 17. After classes, we were given a guided tour around Montmartre and Sacre Coeur after which we strolled around La Place du Tertre where some of us had our portraits painted – not too lifelike, but that didn't really matter ! Vicky, Megan, Pippa and Jenny all went to the Lido in the evening to celebrate Pippa's birthday---what an incredible show and a wonderful memory for an 18th birthday! Lauren's host family made her a cake and gave her a special birthday dinner.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
11 July 2003 Sad to say goodbye
Our last day at the School! Everyone felt so sad to say good-bye to all the many friends they've made from all over the world and they have all made a pact to keep in touch and even meet again perhaps at this same School one day! We then had a free afternoon to explore parts of Paris which we hadn't already seen and we started off at Galeries Lafayette, moving on to the Opera, Place Vendome, the Ritz, Rue de Rivoli, Madelaine and finally strolled up the Champs Elysees for the last time. We all LOVE Paris!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
12 July 2003 Until the next time!
Last minute shopping and then off to the airport. The girls had experienced so much in such a relatively short space of time and they all felt incredibly fulfilled, saying that this had been one of the best weeks of their lives. Their French really did improve and Lauren was so proud of a recent comment on her report which said: 'I am convinced that Lauren's trip to Paris has helped to boost her confidence in French." Bravo!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
13 July 2003 Thank you for this enriching experience
There can be nothing more rewarding for a chaperone than to return home with a healthy and happy group of students, who have really embraced each and every opportunity and who have been enriched from the global experience. Saying goodbye to the friends made on a tour like this is always hard and regular reunions are a wonderful way of keeping the memories alive. The girls were wonderful and made my role as chaperone an absolute delight – thank you!
Written by: Jenny Peddle