Blog update 8/2/2016
Dear everyone,
I just updated the "Excursions" page with the pictures of our 4-day stay in Paris.
Dear everyone,
I just updated the "Excursions" page with the pictures of our 4-day stay in Paris.
Situation in Nice, France 7/14/2016
Dear everyone,
Some of you will have heard by now, but it is with a heavy heart that I'm writing to let you know that dozens of people died tonight in Nice, France. Apparently, a truck drove into a crowd of people watching the July 14 fireworks. It is still unclear what happened exactly.
All the program sites in France (Saint-Brieuc, Brest and Saumur) are on the opposite side of the country. All of our students are safe. My heart goes out to all the victims and their families.
Dear everyone,
Some of you will have heard by now, but it is with a heavy heart that I'm writing to let you know that dozens of people died tonight in Nice, France. Apparently, a truck drove into a crowd of people watching the July 14 fireworks. It is still unclear what happened exactly.
All the program sites in France (Saint-Brieuc, Brest and Saumur) are on the opposite side of the country. All of our students are safe. My heart goes out to all the victims and their families.
Ouest France newspaper + Baseball + Dessert Monday + Salsa + Surprise party + Fashion Show + Last meal at the Igloo 7/14/2016
Ouest France newspaper article
Last weekend, an article about our students was published in a local newspaper (Ouest France)! More specifically, it reported on the event that took place at City Hall on July 4. In spite of the fact that July 4 was on a Monday and not a Tuesday, the fact that I'm not American, and the fact that IUHPFL is not an exchange program (see article below), the journalist got all the other info right – local newspapers tend not to check their sources too much. Here's a translation:
Twenty-eight Americans in a language program for five weeks
City Hall invited students and their teachers from Indiana on Tuesday, which was Independence Day in the United States.
On Tuesday night, Bruno Joncour and the deputy Mayor in charge of international affairs, Said Bendarraz, welcomed 28 American high school students and their four American teachers who came to Saint-Brieuc for an immersion into the French language and culture for five weeks. The Indiana program which unites the United States and Saint-Brieuc started on June 7 and will end on July 15. It is a very fruitful exchange program for the city and for the host families. According to one host family: "You have to adapt to someone who's very different, and it goes both ways. It is very rewarding culturally and personally." Sarah Kay, one of the American teachers, thanked the families for their "warm and family-feel welcome". After exchanging gifts, the students sang the French national anthem and then the American national anthem, on Tuesday July 4, Independence Day in the United States. It was a powerful and moving moment.
Ouest France newspaper article
Last weekend, an article about our students was published in a local newspaper (Ouest France)! More specifically, it reported on the event that took place at City Hall on July 4. In spite of the fact that July 4 was on a Monday and not a Tuesday, the fact that I'm not American, and the fact that IUHPFL is not an exchange program (see article below), the journalist got all the other info right – local newspapers tend not to check their sources too much. Here's a translation:
Twenty-eight Americans in a language program for five weeks
City Hall invited students and their teachers from Indiana on Tuesday, which was Independence Day in the United States.
On Tuesday night, Bruno Joncour and the deputy Mayor in charge of international affairs, Said Bendarraz, welcomed 28 American high school students and their four American teachers who came to Saint-Brieuc for an immersion into the French language and culture for five weeks. The Indiana program which unites the United States and Saint-Brieuc started on June 7 and will end on July 15. It is a very fruitful exchange program for the city and for the host families. According to one host family: "You have to adapt to someone who's very different, and it goes both ways. It is very rewarding culturally and personally." Sarah Kay, one of the American teachers, thanked the families for their "warm and family-feel welcome". After exchanging gifts, the students sang the French national anthem and then the American national anthem, on Tuesday July 4, Independence Day in the United States. It was a powerful and moving moment.
Baseball
The IUHPFL program has recently started implementing community engagement activities within its curriculum. Each program site chooses an activity which brings our students closer to the local community. This year, our students spent one afternoon teaching and playing baseball to a group of French teenagers. Baseball is quite rare in France and very few people have had the opportunity to touch a baseball bat. When our students explained to the French kids how to hold one and what to do with it, some of them were uncomfortable, took out a tennis racket instead and started playing baseball with it. I thought that was hilarious.
Dessert Monday (and Tuesday)
This past Monday we had our last Dessert Mondays event! (Although two students who were not able to bake something for Monday brought a cake to class on Tuesday and made the fun last longer). They were amazing cakes, as always. We got two Far Breton, chocolate cakes, chocolate mousse, and other cakes I cannot name but which were each one more delicious than the other.
Salsa
On Monday night, Sarah Kay gave a salsa lesson at the Igloo. A few of the host families knew that she was a salsa instructor in Bloomington and asked if she could teach them how to dance salsa. We didn't make it mandatory for the students (unlike the Breton dancing), so whoever was interested in dancing salsa came to the Igloo that night.
Surprise party for the teachers
On Tuesday, our amazing students, and your amazing (grand)-sons, (grand)-daughters, sisters, brothers and friends had prepared a little surprise party for us, teachers! After lunch, we were explicitly told by the students that we were not allowed in the gymnasium. We didn't think too much about it as we had a lot on our plate at that moment, trying to clear some minor issue that had just come up. After a few minutes, the students called us into the gymnasium. There, they had prepared a little party that looked like the parties we used to throw for students who had their birthday. The students had bought sodas, Petits écoliers, crêpes and candies for us. They also got 4 cards on which they all wrote nice words addressed to each teacher individually. One student gently grabbed my camera and forbade me to take any pictures this time. She took the pictures below and now you can see me! We were extremely touched and moved by what they had done. We will miss them when this is over.
Fashion Show
After the surprise party, the students did a fashion show as part of a project for the culture class they're taking with Catherine. This time of year in France, the Soldes are happening. The Soldes are a sales event that is very similar to Black Friday, but the Soldes take place twice a year, last for 6 weeks, and huge discounts are mainly applied to clothes, shoes, and linen (not electronics). Our students came to France at the perfect moment and a lot of them took advantage of Les Soldes. In her culture class, Catherine discussed fashion in France, and asked the students to present their new clothes/styles during our own fashion show. The students that didn't get anything new could just show their American clothes. While each student was walking down the runway, another student was acting as a commentator on what the first student was wearing.
Last meal at the Igloo
Finally, yesterday was our last lunch at the Igloo. This cafeteria will be missed :( However, since it was the last day of school at the Igloo, we gave the students the option to eat at the Igloo, or to go out in the city center to eat lunch in a restaurant with their friends from the program. We know that even though our students ate out at restaurants in Saint-Brieuc, they always did so with their host families at night or on the weekend, and they never got to eat with their friends and experience ordering with no French native speaker at the table to help them. While two small groups of students decided to go to a restaurant, most students wanted to eat at the Igloo. If you don't see your loved one on the pictures below, he or she was out in the city center.
Last entry in Saint-Brieuc
This was my last entry for Life in Saint-Brieuc. Today is July 14 and it is Bastille Day. We cancelled classes since it is a national holiday. All our students are enjoying a beautiful day off with their host families and will watch fireworks tonight. Tomorrow, the host families will drive the students to the parking lot where they met for the first time 5 1/2 weeks ago. We will leave Saint-Brieuc at 07:30AM to go to Paris. I have never stayed at the hostel we will be staying at in Paris, and I don't know if they have fast internet. I will do my best to keep you posted with pictures while in Paris on the Excursions page, but since we will have super busy days, if the hostel does not have fast internet I will not have time to go to a coffee shop to upload all the pictures I will have taken.
Thank you for following us! The students were truly amazing and made our lives in Saint-Brieuc wonderful. We cannot wait to go on a new adventure with them in Paris!!!
Farewell Show 7/9/2016
The program is coming to an end!! These are our last days in Saint-Brieuc. To thank all the host families, we hosted a farewell show on Friday night. All the students had prepared something to perform. They danced, they sang, they acted, they played the piano, and the ukulele. The students that sang in groups of 4 or 5 were actually singing something they had written themselves!! They chose a famous French song and re-wrote all the lyrics to describe their experience in Saint-Brieuc. I included the students' lyrics in the descrption under the video on YouTube. All the students were amazing. The families loved the show and had a lot of fun. After all the performances, we asked Brigitte, our on-site coordinator, to come on stage for us to present her with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. We are so thankful to have her as our coordinator, she's been doing a great job and she's an amazing person to work with. The little speech she gave was the conclusion of the show. The show lasted about an hour, and then we had an after-party until midnight. I filmed the whole show but made a little video for each performance instead of one long movie because my camera does not have the capacity to do that. I also took some pictures of the students backstage during the intermission, as well as pictures of everyone during the after-party.
Below, you will find the links to the YouTube videos as well as the pdf of the program with all the performances and the names of all the students for each one.
VIDEOS
1. Tout va mieux à Saint-Brieuc (play) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zos_V7KX3o
2. Alexandrie Alexandra (dance) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg17VEy9lQg
3. Je vole (song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IK324x4xAA
4. J'adore Saint-Brieuc (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89JWNPqEPHE
5. Bérénice by Jean Racine (monologue) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IK324x4xAA
6. Zut, alors! (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slwf3kd7574
7. La valse de la lumière des étoiles (piano) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRaF9PCSbOo
8. Dans Saint-Brieuc (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmXILWkLiZY
9. On a fait le marché avec papa (play) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4XP-pbdk84
10. Sous la lune (song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgmUhiY-LE
11. Saint-Brieuc, Bretagne (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTVq-4cXvQ
12. Gymnastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37l6a5533KM
13. Vois sur ton chemin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5YkKJAN0hQ
14. Curtain call https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjfxwMlqnDk
15. Brigitte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-4ck_K8PSE
16. After party https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWVJc9oFzS0
The program is coming to an end!! These are our last days in Saint-Brieuc. To thank all the host families, we hosted a farewell show on Friday night. All the students had prepared something to perform. They danced, they sang, they acted, they played the piano, and the ukulele. The students that sang in groups of 4 or 5 were actually singing something they had written themselves!! They chose a famous French song and re-wrote all the lyrics to describe their experience in Saint-Brieuc. I included the students' lyrics in the descrption under the video on YouTube. All the students were amazing. The families loved the show and had a lot of fun. After all the performances, we asked Brigitte, our on-site coordinator, to come on stage for us to present her with a beautiful bouquet of red roses. We are so thankful to have her as our coordinator, she's been doing a great job and she's an amazing person to work with. The little speech she gave was the conclusion of the show. The show lasted about an hour, and then we had an after-party until midnight. I filmed the whole show but made a little video for each performance instead of one long movie because my camera does not have the capacity to do that. I also took some pictures of the students backstage during the intermission, as well as pictures of everyone during the after-party.
Below, you will find the links to the YouTube videos as well as the pdf of the program with all the performances and the names of all the students for each one.
VIDEOS
1. Tout va mieux à Saint-Brieuc (play) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zos_V7KX3o
2. Alexandrie Alexandra (dance) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg17VEy9lQg
3. Je vole (song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IK324x4xAA
4. J'adore Saint-Brieuc (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89JWNPqEPHE
5. Bérénice by Jean Racine (monologue) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IK324x4xAA
6. Zut, alors! (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slwf3kd7574
7. La valse de la lumière des étoiles (piano) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRaF9PCSbOo
8. Dans Saint-Brieuc (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmXILWkLiZY
9. On a fait le marché avec papa (play) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4XP-pbdk84
10. Sous la lune (song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzgmUhiY-LE
11. Saint-Brieuc, Bretagne (song written by students) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tTVq-4cXvQ
12. Gymnastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37l6a5533KM
13. Vois sur ton chemin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5YkKJAN0hQ
14. Curtain call https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjfxwMlqnDk
15. Brigitte https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-4ck_K8PSE
16. After party https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWVJc9oFzS0
programme_fête_des_familles_2016.pdf | |
File Size: | 534 kb |
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Dessert Monday & Mayor's reception on July 4. 7/7/2016
On Monday, a group of students baked cakes with their host families to bring to class. Most of the cakes were chocolate cakes, and they were sooo good. Chocolate cakes are probably as popular in France as they are in the US. We also had a Far Breton as well as a Mille-feuilles!! Far Breton is typically from Bretagne, and Mille-feuilles is a traditional French layered cake.
On Monday night (4th of July), the city of Saint-Brieuc threw a reception at City Hall in the honor of our students and their country. Students and their host families were invited. For the occasion, we had asked the students to wear their best clothes and to sing both the French and the American national anthems. Sarah-Kay made the students rehearse both for weeks leading up to the event. They mostly practiced the Marseillaise (the French anthem) but also sang the American one in English (only exception to the language commitment) because we wanted our students to give a really good impression at the reception. And they did!! A lot of families and officials told me that hearing the students sing the Star-Spangled Banner was very moving.
First, the deputy mayor gave a speech (the man with the blue, white & red sash) in the mayor's absence - Saint-Brieuc is a large city and even though City Hall was throwing a party for us, we had been warned that the mayor himself could not attend because he was too busy. Then we asked Ellie M. and Hannah to give a speech on behalf of the students. After that, the whole group proceeded to sing the anthems. Shortly after they had sung, the mayor showed up (!!!) and so the students sang both anthems again. The mayor is the 60-something-year-old in the middle of one of the group pictures. He also gave a spontaneous speech next to the deputy mayor (see picture).
VIDEOS
I filmed most of it! Below are the YouTube links to the videos.
Deputy Mayor's talk (part of it) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnXiLozz-1M
Ellie M. & Hannah's speech - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibm_vC3RDzQ
La Marseillaise (first time) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS_zfOPenwk
The Star-Spangled Banner (first time) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVcRhQwIGXE
Normandy 7/5/2016
Today, you will find a new entry for our two-day trip to Normandy by clicking on "Excursions".
Birthday 6/29/2016
Today is Brianna's birthday! Happy birthday! We celebrated after lunch in the gym with 8 different flavors of ice cream! The flavors were pear, lemon with meringue, coffee, blackcurrant, coconut, pistachio, raspberry and crème brûlée.
Brianna's birthday was the last birthday during the program. Thank you, parents, for the June babies! We all loved the candies and ice cream.
Today is Brianna's birthday! Happy birthday! We celebrated after lunch in the gym with 8 different flavors of ice cream! The flavors were pear, lemon with meringue, coffee, blackcurrant, coconut, pistachio, raspberry and crème brûlée.
Brianna's birthday was the last birthday during the program. Thank you, parents, for the June babies! We all loved the candies and ice cream.
Birthdays 6/28/2016
On Sunday, Hannah had her birthday and today, it's Linnea's birthday. Happy birthday, girls!! We celebrated both today because we had a very busy schedule yesterday and wanted to make time for both Hannah and Linnea to enjoy their birthday party at school.
Also, I noticed that the pictures of the Breton dancing did not upload when I was publishing the last entry. I apologize. They are all viewable now if you scroll down to Breton dancing (6/25).
The Saint-Brieuc Art and History Museum + More food + Birthday + Guided tour of Saint-Brieuc + Breton dancing 6/25/2016
The end of this week was quite busy as many events took place. On Thursday afternoon, we all went to the Saint-Brieuc Art and History Museum. On Friday, we celebrated Ellie's birthday, took part in a guided tour of the city center of Saint-Brieuc, and attended a Breton dancing event at the Igloo in the evening.
The Saint-Brieuc Art and History Museum
The Art and History Museum of Saint-Brieuc has two exhibitions. The permanent exhibition let the students explore the history and folk traditions of the Côtes d'Armor area up to the 20th century. There, they could see hundreds of photographs of everyday life of the Breton people taken between 100 and 150 years ago. There were also traditional clothes, dishes, an old weaving loom, etc. The permanent exhibition also included a section about maritime culture. The temporary exhibition was contemporary art, and seemingly unrelated to Brittany.
More food
I took more pictures of lunch at the Igloo! On yesterday's menu (Friday), the students had the choice between turkey, rabbit, duck with black olives, and salmon with sorrel sauce. Sides included green beans and French fries.
Birthday (Ellie M.)
Today (Saturday) is Ellie's birthday. Happy birthday!! We celebrated it with the whole class yesterday right after lunch. We got the usual Orangina, Coca and faux Champagne for the students to drink. This time, we opted for several packages of Haribo candies.
Guided tour of Saint-Brieuc
On Friday afternoon, we took all the students on a guided tour of Saint-Brieuc. It would have seemed more logical to do that at the beginning of the program, but we chose to schedule it half-way through so that our students' French skills were better and they could get the most out of the guide's descriptions and explanations of various aspects of the history of Saint-Brieuc. Camille, our guide, was very nice and very knowledgeable. She told the students (and the instructors!) many interesting facts about the places that we are all now used to going to.
On Friday afternoon, we took all the students on a guided tour of Saint-Brieuc. It would have seemed more logical to do that at the beginning of the program, but we chose to schedule it half-way through so that our students' French skills were better and they could get the most out of the guide's descriptions and explanations of various aspects of the history of Saint-Brieuc. Camille, our guide, was very nice and very knowledgeable. She told the students (and the instructors!) many interesting facts about the places that we are all now used to going to.
Breton dancing
We booked a group of Breton dancers to introduce the students to Breton dancing. We asked all the students to come to the Igloo at 08:00PM on Friday. The event lasted until 10:30PM. The host families were welcome, too, and most of them joined us for the fun! The different dances the students learned included group dancing, dancing in pairs and in groups of three, as well as dancing with seashells! In the middle of the show/lesson, the dancers stopped and surprised Sarah Kay with a membership for the club! She is now officially a member of a Breton dance group! This is Sarah Kay's third summer with the program in Saint-Brieuc, and she is an avid dancer. Membership well-deserved.
We booked a group of Breton dancers to introduce the students to Breton dancing. We asked all the students to come to the Igloo at 08:00PM on Friday. The event lasted until 10:30PM. The host families were welcome, too, and most of them joined us for the fun! The different dances the students learned included group dancing, dancing in pairs and in groups of three, as well as dancing with seashells! In the middle of the show/lesson, the dancers stopped and surprised Sarah Kay with a membership for the club! She is now officially a member of a Breton dance group! This is Sarah Kay's third summer with the program in Saint-Brieuc, and she is an avid dancer. Membership well-deserved.
Cap Fréhel / Fort La Latte & Abbaye de Beauport / Paimpol 6/23/2016
Today, you will find a new entry for our second excursion by clicking on "Excursions".
Birthday + Desserts + Physic 2000 with Baby 6/21/2016
On Sunday, Paige had her birthday (happy birthday again!!) so we surprised her on Monday morning with a celebratory breakfast in the gym just after the daily announcements. Instead of soda, Petit Ecolier, Carambar and other candies after lunch, we decided to go with madeleines, petits pains au lait, pear juice and orange juice. It was really good! The pains au lait were gone in no time.
On Sunday, Paige had her birthday (happy birthday again!!) so we surprised her on Monday morning with a celebratory breakfast in the gym just after the daily announcements. Instead of soda, Petit Ecolier, Carambar and other candies after lunch, we decided to go with madeleines, petits pains au lait, pear juice and orange juice. It was really good! The pains au lait were gone in no time.
At the beginning of the program, we explained to our students and to their host families that we would like them to bake a traditional Breton (or more generally French) cake for the whole class to discover and share on Mondays. We thought this would be a good opportunity for the families to bond with their students and for the students to learn a French recipe. We divided up the students into three groups of 10 or so. The first group had to bake desserts for this past Monday. The second group will prepare desserts for next Monday, and the third one for the following Monday. That way, the students get to eat about 10 different desserts after lunch on Mondays!! :) Our first "Dessert Monday" was a great success. Almost everyone prepared something different. We had macaroons, a lemon cake, two chocolate cakes, a Far Breton, a Quatre Quart, etc. Before sharing the cake, each student said a few words about what was in the recipe, the history of the recipe, and what it was like to bake with their host families. Then we handed them a knife and asked them to divide up their cake into 32 pieces. It was a piece of cake for them ;)
P.S. Lauren is not in the group picture because she wasn't able to bring her dessert on Monday. We ate it today instead, and I took a picture of her today.
P.S. Lauren is not in the group picture because she wasn't able to bring her dessert on Monday. We ate it today instead, and I took a picture of her today.
Today, we participated in the first of four fitness classes at a center called Physic 2000 in the city center of Saint-Brieuc. As it was an optional activity, only 17 out of 28 students joined the class. The owner and trainer is an 80-year old man named Baby (Baby is his nickname, pronounce "baabee" – his real name is Hubert-Charles). Baby's 50-minute training session left most of us out of breath. He made us do exercises to work out every part of our body to counts of hop un, hop deux, hop trois, hop quatre, hop cinq, hop six, hop sept, hop huit, hop neuf, hop dix! Some movements we were asked to repeat 10 times, and some others up to 100 times! It was an intense class, and we're all dreading our muscles being very sore tomorrow!
Birthdays & Bowling 6/17/2016
Today we celebrated two birthdays: Ellie H. and Mary. Happy birthday!! We planned on having the celebrations right after lunch, and we had to tell the students not to rush back to the classrooms but instead hang around the lobby at the Igloo. However, we wanted it to be a surprise and didn't want to tell them we were going to celebrate birthdays. So during the morning announcements at 09:00AM, Catherine told all the students to meet at the lobby after lunch because we had something "very serious" (her words) to tell them. Little did we know that our poor students were going to think too much about the gravity of the announcement to be made. Later in the afternoon, a few students admitted that they were scared all morning that we were going to tell them that we had to go back to the US within days. Afterwards we all had a good laugh.
For the little party, we had bought a few boxes of "Petit Ecolier", lots of candy, and soda. Both birthday girls also got their own bottle of fake Champagne (non-alcoholic) to open.
In the afternoon, we planned an optional activity: bowling! The students were way better at bowling than any of the teachers. They got very excited - each they would get a spare or a strike, all of their teammates would cheer or high-five them.
Dinan, Dinard & Saint-Malo 6/16/2016
Today, you will find a new entry for our first excursion to Dinan, Dinard & Saint-Malo by clicking on the page "Excursions".
A day at the Igloo 6/13/2016
Last Wednesday, all the students spent the day with their host families. On Thursday, the students came to the Igloo for the first time and we had orientation day. They took a language test so that we could evaluate their individual language needs, we played games to memorize each other's names and to get to know everyone better. In the afternoon, the students went to the city center in groups of five or six for a treasure hunt. We had listed about fifteen places for them to find (town hall, post office, cathedral, etc.) We gave them a map of Saint-Brieuc, and we let them become familiar with the city. The city center is very small, and 60 minutes was ample time for them to find all the places on their list.
On Friday, the students had their first regular day. We begin every day at 09:10AM with morning announcements in the gymnasium at the Igloo. One day, we had some time left after the announcements, so Sarah Kay conducted a quick salsa lesson (see pictures).
Last Wednesday, all the students spent the day with their host families. On Thursday, the students came to the Igloo for the first time and we had orientation day. They took a language test so that we could evaluate their individual language needs, we played games to memorize each other's names and to get to know everyone better. In the afternoon, the students went to the city center in groups of five or six for a treasure hunt. We had listed about fifteen places for them to find (town hall, post office, cathedral, etc.) We gave them a map of Saint-Brieuc, and we let them become familiar with the city. The city center is very small, and 60 minutes was ample time for them to find all the places on their list.
On Friday, the students had their first regular day. We begin every day at 09:10AM with morning announcements in the gymnasium at the Igloo. One day, we had some time left after the announcements, so Sarah Kay conducted a quick salsa lesson (see pictures).
We then normally proceed to the classrooms upstairs. First, students are split up into four groups to attend the "support session". This first session is designed for students to talk about anything they feel like sharing about their experience in France. So far, we've mostly talked about how to adjust to a foreign environment, expectations about their experience, etc. We also use the time allotted in the support sessions to discuss upcoming trips. For example, our first excursion will be to Dinan, Dinard and Saint-Malo on Wednesday (6/15). Therefore, we will talk about the history, the things to see and important things to know beforehand so that students know what to expect. After the support session, the students take two back-to-back classes of 45 minutes each. The four classes offered this summer in Saint-Brieuc are Grammar (my class), Linguistics (Sarah Kay), Literature (Jake) and Culture (Catherine).
Then comes everybody's (or at least my) favorite moment at 12:00PM - lunch at the Igloo's cafeteria! Their lunch is amazing. The students can choose between a variety of appetizers and desserts, and always have the choice between three main courses. The main courses are always written on a menu board before entering the cafeteria. On Friday, students could choose between jambon à l'os (ham on the bone), kefta de volaille (poultry balls) and aile de raie aux câpres (skate wing with capers). On today's menu were escalope de dinde au poivron rouge (turkey breast with roasted red peppers), saucisse rôtie aux herbes (roasted sausage with herbs) and cassolette océane (a vague term to refer to a mix of things from the sea). Students have 75 minutes to enjoy lunch (this might seem like a long time but it actually isn't really. The traditional French lunch break at school and in the work place is often 2 hours).
After their lunch break, students take their last two back-to-back classes. Then they attend either the theater class, or the choir. We asked them to choose between one of the two on their first day. The theater/choir classes meet twice or three times a week. The other afternoon is for sports. We will play soccer, maybe go to the swimming pool near the Igloo depending who's in, etc. Below are pictures of the theater/choir classes.
Today we also held the first meeting for the host families to attend. Brigitte, the onsite coordinator, was also there. Most families were able to make it (only two did not come). All the students came along except one. I managed to get pictures of everyone in attendance. It wasn't mandatory for the students to attend, so do not worry if you don't see a picture of your student. During the meeting, we discussed several things including the rules that families must abide by. For example, we reminded them that the students are not allowed to drink alcohol, that they cannot go out by themselves (they must be with at least two other students or accompanied by an adult over 25). We informed them of the schedule for the upcoming weeks and other things that may be useful for them to know. The families did not have too many questions for us and the meeting ended. We then invited everyone to join us for drinks (soda and water) and snacks in the same room. All the families stayed for the little party and we got to know them a little more. It was an immense pleasure to meet all the families. They are all very nice and happy with their student. I think that Brigitte, the onsite coordinator, did an amazing job at assigning families to our students! So far, we haven't gotten a single complaint from any family.
Tomorrow (Tuesday 6/14), students will have another regular day. On Wednesday, however, we will leave Saint-Brieuc at 08:30AM to visit Dinan, Dinard and Saint-Malo. We expect to be back at around 06:30PM. My next post will be about our first excursion.
Boston airport + Arrival in Paris + Coach bus ride + Arrival in Saint-Brieuc 6/7/2016
Our flight from Indianapolis to Boston went very smoothly. After landing at approximately 08:00PM, we quickly found the gate from which our flight to Paris was going to depart. Meals on board included dinner but it was going to be served only at midnight, one hour after departure. Most of the students couldn't wait that long to eat and decided to have dinner in the terminal prior to boarding. The food court pictures you see were taken at the airport in Boston.
The flight to Paris was also very smooth. I believe that most students enjoyed a second dinner. Each seat had its own screen and dozens of movies and TV shows were available for viewing. Some students watched movies/shows for six hours, and other students tried to sleep.
We landed in Paris at approximately 11:30AM (local time). The picture you see is our Air France plane on the ground at Charles De Gaulle airport. We walked for a long time before going through immigration and then getting to the baggage claim. Everyone found their suitcase quickly. We then walked a little more, past customs, and found Sarah Kay and Jake waiting for us. Sarah Kay had booked a private coach bus to take us to Saint-Brieuc. We walked a little more to get to the bus where we were greeted by a very nice driver. As you can see on the bus pictures, no matter how tired the students must have been, they were glowing with happiness. They were all smile and excited to be in France. I heard a few dozen "I can't believe we're in Fraaaance!" (In French, of course). However, some of the smiles slightly faded after the students found out it was going to be another six hours to Saint-Brieuc.
We drove for about an hour to get to the other side of Paris. As soon as we were out of the Paris area, we stopped for lunch in a cafeteria on the side of the highway. All of the students' first French meal was the sacrosanct "Steak-Frites" (or vegetables-frites for our vegetarian students). We then got back on the road, and arrived in Saint-Brieuc around 09:30PM.
All the host families were waiting on "Place Robien", a large and central parking lot in the city. As the bus was pulling up, students rushed to the windows to try to see their host families. As they were getting off the bus, some of the students immediately recognized their host family member(s) and they united quickly. Most of the students took part in the traditional French "bise". It is a way of greeting someone by touching cheeks two, three, or four times, depending on the region of France you are in. I got a couple of pictures of those. I know it is strange to see a grown man or woman getting what seems too close to your child, but it is very normal in France to do that even when meeting for the first time. After only 15 minutes or so, all the students were gone, and the parking lot was empty.
The students are spending the entire day today (Wednesday) with their host families. I will see them again for orientation on Thursday morning at 09:00AM.
Our flight from Indianapolis to Boston went very smoothly. After landing at approximately 08:00PM, we quickly found the gate from which our flight to Paris was going to depart. Meals on board included dinner but it was going to be served only at midnight, one hour after departure. Most of the students couldn't wait that long to eat and decided to have dinner in the terminal prior to boarding. The food court pictures you see were taken at the airport in Boston.
The flight to Paris was also very smooth. I believe that most students enjoyed a second dinner. Each seat had its own screen and dozens of movies and TV shows were available for viewing. Some students watched movies/shows for six hours, and other students tried to sleep.
We landed in Paris at approximately 11:30AM (local time). The picture you see is our Air France plane on the ground at Charles De Gaulle airport. We walked for a long time before going through immigration and then getting to the baggage claim. Everyone found their suitcase quickly. We then walked a little more, past customs, and found Sarah Kay and Jake waiting for us. Sarah Kay had booked a private coach bus to take us to Saint-Brieuc. We walked a little more to get to the bus where we were greeted by a very nice driver. As you can see on the bus pictures, no matter how tired the students must have been, they were glowing with happiness. They were all smile and excited to be in France. I heard a few dozen "I can't believe we're in Fraaaance!" (In French, of course). However, some of the smiles slightly faded after the students found out it was going to be another six hours to Saint-Brieuc.
We drove for about an hour to get to the other side of Paris. As soon as we were out of the Paris area, we stopped for lunch in a cafeteria on the side of the highway. All of the students' first French meal was the sacrosanct "Steak-Frites" (or vegetables-frites for our vegetarian students). We then got back on the road, and arrived in Saint-Brieuc around 09:30PM.
All the host families were waiting on "Place Robien", a large and central parking lot in the city. As the bus was pulling up, students rushed to the windows to try to see their host families. As they were getting off the bus, some of the students immediately recognized their host family member(s) and they united quickly. Most of the students took part in the traditional French "bise". It is a way of greeting someone by touching cheeks two, three, or four times, depending on the region of France you are in. I got a couple of pictures of those. I know it is strange to see a grown man or woman getting what seems too close to your child, but it is very normal in France to do that even when meeting for the first time. After only 15 minutes or so, all the students were gone, and the parking lot was empty.
The students are spending the entire day today (Wednesday) with their host families. I will see them again for orientation on Thursday morning at 09:00AM.
Indianapolis departure 6/6/2016
Checking in and going through security went so well today! All of our students are amazing! Catherine and I are so happy and we cannot wait for Sarah Kay and Jake to meet them when we land in Paris. Catherine and I would like to thank all the parents/guardians and other family members who came to the airport for their patience and kindness. We know you will miss your loved one dearly but I'll make sure to keep you posted as often as I can. Today, you will find pictures of the students at Indianapolis airport. We are currently waiting at the gate for our first flight.
Checking in and going through security went so well today! All of our students are amazing! Catherine and I are so happy and we cannot wait for Sarah Kay and Jake to meet them when we land in Paris. Catherine and I would like to thank all the parents/guardians and other family members who came to the airport for their patience and kindness. We know you will miss your loved one dearly but I'll make sure to keep you posted as often as I can. Today, you will find pictures of the students at Indianapolis airport. We are currently waiting at the gate for our first flight.
Bloomington Orientation 4/17/16
It was such a pleasure meeting you all and getting to know the students. Saint-Brieuc, we are READY !!!!!
Meet the team
From left to right: Jake, Catherine, Sarah-Kay, Charlène
Sarah-Kay Hurst is delighted to be returning to Saint-Brieuc for a third time as an Instructor for the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages! She is extremely pleased to be the Linguistics instructor and to coordinate many aspects of the experience as Logistics Coordinator. Teaching is her true passion and she delights in the creativity, courage, and bright minds and spirits of the high school students who choose to undertake this incredible journey. She cannot wait to go back to Saint-Brieuc with this program and meet all of the new students! During the academic year, she is an Associate Instructor of French at Indiana University and is pursuing a doctorate in French Linguistics, focusing on lexicology and lexicography (words and dictionaries). Previously, she taught high school French in Colorado, her home state, although her family is British and she is a dual citizen. In her free time, she can generally be found dancing!
Charlène Gilbert is a first-time instructor in the IUHPFL Program. She is thrilled to be teaching Grammar and Communication in Saint-Brieuc. Charlène has been very passionate about all the subtle and weird intricacies of French grammar ever since she was a little girl. Growing up in France, she would regularly participate in the Dicos d'or, a nationwide spelling championship. Charlène is also very excited to be the Public Relations Coordinator. She loves photography and is hoping to take amazingly beautiful pictures of each of her students and to capture the essence of their experience. She will be beginnning her Ph.D. in French Linguistics at IU in the Fall of 2016. She is particularly interested in syntax (word order across world languages) and L2 acquisition (the processes through which one learns a second language). Her home is Montpellier, in the South of France.
Jacob Ladyga (Jake) is a first-time instructor in the IUHPFL Program. He is looking forward to discovering a new region of France with the students participating in the program, as well as taking on the role of Finance Coordinator, whereby he will keep track of program expenditures. Jake thoroughly enjoys teaching, more specifically passing on his own passion for the French language on to his students, or seeing them grow in confidence and curiosity during the course of the semester. This spring, he will be completing his Master's Degree coursework in French Literature and will be beginning his PhD work in the Fall of 2016. Besides harboring a deep personal interest in French history and culture, Jake has a specific fondness for the 16th and 17th Centuries, spanning the French Renaissance and Classicism. He is therefore thrilled to be filling the Literature teaching post this summer. Being a bookworm, Jake can usually be found with a cup of coffee and his favorite tome during his down time.
Catherine Nimtz Zhang is a first time instructor at Saint-Brieuc. She is looking forward to teaching Culture and Communication and is overjoyed for the opportunity to facilitate the students’ discovery and exploration of the many facets of French culture during their stay. As Student Coordinator she will be working closely with students and host families to address their needs and concerns. During the academic year, Catherine teaches French at LaPorte high school in LaPorte, IN. She is also pursuing her master’s degree in Francophone studies at Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. Catherine is originally from South Bend where she lives with her husband, Jian, and their dog, Hugo.
Sarah-Kay Hurst is delighted to be returning to Saint-Brieuc for a third time as an Instructor for the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages! She is extremely pleased to be the Linguistics instructor and to coordinate many aspects of the experience as Logistics Coordinator. Teaching is her true passion and she delights in the creativity, courage, and bright minds and spirits of the high school students who choose to undertake this incredible journey. She cannot wait to go back to Saint-Brieuc with this program and meet all of the new students! During the academic year, she is an Associate Instructor of French at Indiana University and is pursuing a doctorate in French Linguistics, focusing on lexicology and lexicography (words and dictionaries). Previously, she taught high school French in Colorado, her home state, although her family is British and she is a dual citizen. In her free time, she can generally be found dancing!
Charlène Gilbert is a first-time instructor in the IUHPFL Program. She is thrilled to be teaching Grammar and Communication in Saint-Brieuc. Charlène has been very passionate about all the subtle and weird intricacies of French grammar ever since she was a little girl. Growing up in France, she would regularly participate in the Dicos d'or, a nationwide spelling championship. Charlène is also very excited to be the Public Relations Coordinator. She loves photography and is hoping to take amazingly beautiful pictures of each of her students and to capture the essence of their experience. She will be beginnning her Ph.D. in French Linguistics at IU in the Fall of 2016. She is particularly interested in syntax (word order across world languages) and L2 acquisition (the processes through which one learns a second language). Her home is Montpellier, in the South of France.
Jacob Ladyga (Jake) is a first-time instructor in the IUHPFL Program. He is looking forward to discovering a new region of France with the students participating in the program, as well as taking on the role of Finance Coordinator, whereby he will keep track of program expenditures. Jake thoroughly enjoys teaching, more specifically passing on his own passion for the French language on to his students, or seeing them grow in confidence and curiosity during the course of the semester. This spring, he will be completing his Master's Degree coursework in French Literature and will be beginning his PhD work in the Fall of 2016. Besides harboring a deep personal interest in French history and culture, Jake has a specific fondness for the 16th and 17th Centuries, spanning the French Renaissance and Classicism. He is therefore thrilled to be filling the Literature teaching post this summer. Being a bookworm, Jake can usually be found with a cup of coffee and his favorite tome during his down time.
Catherine Nimtz Zhang is a first time instructor at Saint-Brieuc. She is looking forward to teaching Culture and Communication and is overjoyed for the opportunity to facilitate the students’ discovery and exploration of the many facets of French culture during their stay. As Student Coordinator she will be working closely with students and host families to address their needs and concerns. During the academic year, Catherine teaches French at LaPorte high school in LaPorte, IN. She is also pursuing her master’s degree in Francophone studies at Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT. Catherine is originally from South Bend where she lives with her husband, Jian, and their dog, Hugo.