VILLECRESNES ~ AUGUST 2004
31 July 2004 D Day
The day everyone has been looking forward to and just reward for all the good exam results! We all met at Johannesburg International at 5:00 pm And were astounded by the crowd. We boarded our flight AF995 and then settled in for what proved to be a very pleasant flight. The meals were excellent and the flight attendants were courteous, friendly and spoke French!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
1 August 2004 D Day – again!
The D this time stands for "disaster", because after our initial welcome to Paris we found that none of our luggage had arrived with us! Two hours later, feeling rather exhausted and jaded and having filed a report for each passenger...our luggage "miraculously" appeared! The coach had been waiting for us for ages and the children (plus chaperones!) were delighted to arrive at Villecresnes at 11:30 am! After registering, we sampled some typical French cuisine and then spent the afternoon relaxing and lazing by the Olympic sized pool. The weather is glorious and everyone is happy! They all love their rooms - two to a room plus bathroom en suite. I see we have delicious "pain au chocolat" and juice for tea and then dinner is at 7:00pm. At 9.00 the team of facilitators met with the group and explained the programme to the students --- all in French! --- and then we had a South African group meeting where I explained our expectations, highlighting that their safety and security were our prime concern. Lights out is scheduled at 11 pm --- but most of our group were in the land of nod long before that!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
2 August 2004 Allons a Paris!
What a beautiful day and what idyllic surroundings! Everyone met in the dining area which overlooks the pool and sampled an authentic French breakfast -- les croissants, baguettes et du chocolat chaud! Thereafter, the dreaded "test", which did not prove to be as daunting as expected, and everyone was divided into various levels so that the pupils feel comfortable working with others of a similar ability. The great attraction after lunch --- a coach ride to Paris At 3.00pm everyone boarded the "bateaux mouches" and we had a glorious cruise along the river Seine. The weather is so very hot and we encourage the children to drink lots of water and use sun cream! After this we all went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, from where there was the most magnificent view -- not a cloud in the sky --- absolutely perfect conditions! The group gathered by the coach for their picnic -- baguettes, oranges, chips etc and we enjoyed a quiet half hour in the nearby gardens before visiting the Champs Elysees! EVERYONE loved this -- we all walked from Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe, and yes, several purchases were made! The coach departed at 9.00 pm --- still broad daylight, and then a welcome bed awaited them! They are mixing so well as a group and once again I am astounded by the calibre of our South African students --- they are a credit to their families and their schools.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
3 August 2004 School and sport
Today the students were placed in their groups according to their individual ability and exciting, innovative lessons took place until lunchtime. In the afternoon the students were given a choice of sporting options, including basket ball, soccer, tennis, table tennis, swimming and volleyball --- the South Africans reigned supreme at the latter! After a three course dinner, there were other activities including card games, board games and an hour and a half of aerobics! Needless to say, everyone was ready for bed at 11.00pm!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
4 August 2004 Visit to the Louvre
The team of educators is absolutely superb and they provide great stimilation for your children. After lunch, everyone boarded the coach and once again headed towards Paris, this time to the Louvre, where four separate groups had a two hour guided tour --- all in French! To be so close to the Venus de Milo and La Joconde was an amazing experience for everyone. After this, there was fee time to enjoy a wonderfully relaxing picnic in the cool of the evening in the Tuileries Gardens, before boarding the coach for home at 9.00pm
Written by: Jenny Peddle
5 August 2004 A relaxing day!
It is wonderful how the school organizes the outings and the trips to Paris only every second day. This gives the children time to recharge their batteries and enjoy the beautiful park-like surroundings of the residence. Once again, they enjoyed some exciting lessons in the morning, followed by a sporting afternoon and cultural activites in the evening. The teachers only speak French to the students, who are growing in confidence daily. Accord Headquarters in Paris has agreed to open their internet cafe facilities to the South African students on Sunday afternoon --- something unheard of, but I said we were desperate! In the meantime, rest assured that everyone is happy and thank you to those who responded to my personal email -- I have passed all messages on to your children and sent your love!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
6 August 2004 Visit to Fontainbleau
Time flies and we realize how important it is to savour every moment! It's hard to believe that a week has almost passed since we set off on our exciting tour and that there is only one week left at the school. After the stimulating lessons this morning, everyone boarded the coach and enjoyed a visit to the palace and gardens of Fontainbleau --- often referred to as a miniature of Versailles. The keen interest shown by the pupils in the history was astounding and left them hungry to learn more about Napoleon and his Empire. Quite a few of the former students, known fondly as "les anciens" are leaving tomorrow, so, in their honour, there is a disco planned for tonight! Everyone is looking forward to this --- the students are in charge of the music and decorations, whilst the school will provide the refreshments. Promises to be great fun!!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
7 August 2004 Socializing with new friends
With no lessons today, it was a time to sleep in a bit longer and relax. After a leisurely breakfast, there were various sporting options on offer- for the energetic, there was basketball, volleyball, tennis and soccer whilst for the less energetic, the poolside held the greatest attraction! In the afternoon and evening, there were various board games on offer --- pictionary in French being a firm favourite -- and there were also videos to watch. A wonderfully relaxing day spent socializing with the many friends everyone has made at the school.
Written by: Jenny Peddle
8 August 2004 Notre Dame et Montmartre
To hear the bells of Notre Dame on a Sunday morning was a truly moving experience. The students were enthralled by the magnificence of the architecture and the beauty of the rose windows. Thereafter, there was free time for the students to wander around the Ile de la Cite, viewing well known places like Sainte Chapelle, Le Palais de Justice and La Conciergerie. On the right bank, they were able to have a good view of "Paris Plage", where palm trees and colourful umbrellas have been erected along the banks of the Seine, to simulate being at the seaside! On the left bank, the students had time to savour the essence of the Latin Quarter, as they wandered through the myriad of quaint streets and enjoyed browsing and chatting to the "bouquinistes". At midday, the coach transferred the group to Montmartre and the students were given the opportunity to spend the afternoon wandering around this famous district in Paris. They were given a worksheet to complete, which helped them to orientate themselves and highlighted important aspects of this area. The white basilica of Sacre Coeur was a stunning sight to behold and certainly warranted the seemingly endless number of steps to arrive there! La Place du Tertre was humming with tourists and the atmosphere was vibrant. Several of the girls had their portraits painted --- tried to encourage the boys, but no takers!! At 6.00pm the coach departed for Villecresnes and it was hard to get a word in edgeways with all the excited chatter! Dinner and a relatively early night awaited the group, who had to recharge their batteries for lessons the next day and another trip to Paris!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
9 August 2004 Shopping in Paris!
The day everyone has been looking forward to and a reason to work extra hard in class in the morning! The coach arrived at the magnificnet Hotel de Ville at 2.30pm and the group was given 4 hours to explore the Rue de Rivoli! What joy and excitement as they returned,laden with packets and full of stories about the wonderful "bargains" they had found! It was a sight to behold, as everyone peeped into each others packets and ooh'ed and aah'ed at every item of clothing, every pair of shoes, every bottle of perfume,etc etc!! Oh to be young again! In high spirits, we boarded the coach and made our way to the Tour Montparnasse, which provides one of the best vantage points over Paris. It was an amazing experience to reach the 56th floor in just 28 seconds -- by lift of course! We spent a relaxing hour at the top and enjoyed some refreshments at the restaurant, whilst appreciating the beauty of Paris at dusk. Another fairly late departure back to Villecresnes, but luckily a day to recharge batteries tomorrow!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
10 August 2004 Such progress!
Once again, it was wonderful to wake up to clear skies and such beautiful, park-like surroundings. After breakfast, there were lessons as usual, and the teachers are delighted with the progress the children have made and how they have noticeably grown in confidence. In the afternoon, everyone participated in one of the many sporting options on offer and then in the evening they were able to relax and enjoy the company of new-found friends, either playing board games or watching videos in French!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
11 August 2004 La Villette et La Geode
After class and another three course lunch, everyone boarded the coach and headed towards La Villette - La Cite des Sciences et des Industries. As the name suggests, it is a magnificent complex where technology of every description is demonstrated and where the children are able to explore the various facets in an interactive way. The boys were in their element, but some of the girls needed to be encouraged to develop an interest in such high-tech displays! I personally will remember La Villette as the place where my visa card was gobbled up by one of the machines -- but I'm pleased to report that there was a happy ending to this traumatic episode! At 6.00pm, we all enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing picnic in the beautiful gardens of La Villette before braving a virtual reality film at La Geode on the 180° screen - this was an incredible experience for eveyone and a great success. Not sure though, how many people had dreams of leaping off cliffs that night ---!!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
12 August 2004 What an exciting day!
What a wonderful way to end two weeks at this exceptional French language school. Today all the groups were mixed and they were given a variety of fun tasks to complete for a competition. I never cease to be astounded by the initiative of children and their willingness to embrace challenging and new circumstances.Their original interpretation of all the tasks provided pure entertainment for the jury, which comprised the full complement of teachers, the chaperones and the "animateurs". Everything was handled in a very professional manner and the scoring of the various sectors was taken very seriously, with special attention being paid to each individual's participation within the group, the originality of the presentation and their proficiency in French. We were exceptionally proud of our students who have coped so admirably on this course. After lunch there was time to relax, play some sport and start to pack suitcases, because from here on there is very little free time left. At 6.30 everyone met in the foyer where there was a prize giving and great applause as the various recipiants received their prizes. The vibrant atmosphere and the excited chatter of children reminded me why it is I am so passionate about what I do for my business! The team of teachers and "animateurs" completed the meeting with a little show of their own - a caberet of song and dance, much to the delight of everyone! As if all this excitement wasn't enough, there was the disco to look forward to at Le Rocheton in the evening, with a professional DJ from Paris! Everyone looked lovely and it was a time to show off some of the purchases bought on the Rue de Rivoli! The coach arrived after dinner and off they went to enjoy an evening with all their new friends, which included their teachers and "animateurs"!
Written by: Jenny Peddle
13 August 2004 Disneyland Paris/Parc Asterix
The day everyone has been looking forward to -either Disneyland Paris or Parc Asterix. For those who have chosen the latter, a coach will collect them at 7.00pm and take them to Disneyland Paris, where the entire group will meet for a final dinner in a restaurant and witness the fantastic fireworks display at 11.15pm. ETA at Villecresnes -- approximately 1.00am!! I leave Paris with half the group tomorrow and we arrive in Johannesburg just after 9.30am on Sunday. The other half will continue with Jean Luc Michel and Denise Buxbaum on a tour of Normandy and the Loire Valley. So, this is probably my last personal update and I know that tomorrow is going to be very sad for everyone to say goodbye to each other. But, with address books brim full, I have no doubt that everyone will keep in touch with their new friends for many years to come. A big MERCI to all the children - they have been a pleasure to accompany --- a la prochaine ---!
Written by: Jenny Peddle