Several weeks ago we were all invited to a celebration at the École Française Bilingue (also know as the Michelin School.) Another family in the neighborhood with a little girl a year older than Isabelle had invited us out to it. I must admit I was a little apprehensive about crashing a school party where I wouldn't know hardly anyone but I was glad we followed our friend's advice and attended. It was a beautiful day weather wise and we met some people we will likely get to know better next year when Isabelle attends the school.
The celebration was like what we would call an old fashioned church picnic. There were performances by the students to start, followed by a pot-luck lunch. Then for the rest of the afternoon there were loads of games for the children.
The skits and songs by the students were very good although I couldn't follow most of the skits. They were often not loud enough and the kids spoke softly or too fast. The songs were also good with interpretations of Sweet Home Alabama and at least 6 or 8 versions of Frère Jacques each in a different language by the Grande Section students. Grande Section is the class Isabelle will be in when she starts next year, its like kindergarden. The French have a different system than we do in North America.
For lunch Jane and I decided on quiche because it was simple and could be served cold. We weren't the only ones. There must have twenty different kinds on the table. On the other hand there were lots of other things to chose from. There were lovely meats, cheeses, a very good potato salad, some African dishes, and of course a few traditional American dishes.
We ate well but it turns out the best was yet to come. You see the lunch was free but the dessert was a fund raiser for the school. Some people had brought some very impressive desserts, almost exclusively home made. This is a far cry from the school Isabelle is at now where everything is usually from one of two of the local big box grocery stores.
I had a peach tart and a crème brûlée to start while Jane opted for a Japanese jelly (I think) with strawberries suspended in it. Whatever it was it looked very pretty and was all very good. In the end I tracked down the tin we brought the quiche in and went back for more to take home. I can't remember all tat I got but the chocolate cake and the fudge brownies were particularly good. I think there was a raspberry tart as well which was particularly noteworthy (and I don't usually like raspberries).
After the food came the games. There were eight or more booths or stations set up in the playground and each child was given a card to keep track of their scores and participation. Once they were through all the activities they got to collect a prize. Of course Isabelle wanted a book. All in all a good day.
One of the best parts was that Isabelle got to spend some time at the school, if mainly in the playground, and she met both her teachers for next year. She'll have a French teacher and an English teacher since the program will be bilingual. She also got to meet the other five kids who will be in her class since most of them have siblings at the school and were there for the celebration.
I have to say that only having seven or eight students in the class could be a good and a bad thing at the same time. It will certainly be interesting to see how she adapts. I don't think she takes her French seriously yet as Jane and I are essentially the only ones speaking it to her on a regular basis. The principal at the school told us when we first met him in the fall that he believes she'll be fine. He's seen it before with both English and French students. He suspected she'll come home one day about October or November and her French will be just as strong as her English and I won't have to force it out of her. She'll likely be helping the French kids along in English as they bolster her French, at least that's what I hope will happen.
We are also a little worried about her other skills but hope she won't be too bored in English classes (she can already read basic books) while not getting too frustrated in French classes. I understand here math skills may be a little advanced too. I guess the Montessori program was very good for her despite the ups and downs we've had along the way.
Part II The Flights Home 28-May-09
7:00 CET-Clermont Airport-Aulnat France Up at 5:00 and the first flight is delayed 20 minutes for a "minor" technical issue. Plane is 3/4 empty so I get a good seat. Pilot claims we will get in on time. I follow a little old lady who practically gets lost on the bridge to the plane. She makes a big fuss over the delay with the airline representative and claims she's in a hurry to make Paris because she has a "rendez-vous." In the end she payed no attention to the gate agent when he calls for her boarding pass and I had to remind her we were boarding. The gate agent and I can't help but have a little chuckle over it.
The flight is fine, pain au chocolat and orange juice for breakfast. Of course they look at you funny in France if you don't have coffee.
9:05 CET-Paris Charles de Gaule Airport-Roissy France Ran between airport terminals as the shuttle service didn't seem to be running. Made my gate in time to hear my name called. Was not upgraded but needed to clear extra security. I guess being a Canadian living in the USA having gone through Northern Ireland and leaving France made me suspicious. The gate at CDG was a bus gate which means a 10 to 15 minute bus ride to the plane out on the tarmac. Hopefully we will leave on time.
10:06 EDT-Flying over PEI, Canada So far a good flight with little turbulence. I've been fed twice but will likely need another meal. I know what time it is but it's hard to tell what time it feels. If you consider I got up just as some of you were going to bed so that I could arrive in Greenville for supper it makes for a long day. Twelve hours in three planes and six time zones (seven if you count Newfoundland but I guess its really only half a time zone).
No head winds for a change so it looks like we'll be in right on time. Thankfully there are no medical issues either (see earlier blog entry from last year called The Longest flight Ever). I also appreciate how a good seatmate helps on the flight. The petite musician sitting next to me (she came in carrying a violin) doesn't fight for the arm rest and smells much better than the Irish rugby player I sat next to on the way over. He was a very large man. The only thing he didn't do was snore. Now there is the couple in front of me who have their seats back all the way down and have been to the washroom ten times between the two of them. There is a reason I take it easy on the Coke and water when I fly.
12:21 EDT-Newark Liberty Airport-Newark NJ, USA Well the landing was a little rough. It almost sounded like we blew a tire. It was certainly hard so I hope Continental flies (and rides) on Michelins. The landing even knocked open a few of the overhead compartments. I don't think I've ever seen that happen and I've had a few hairy landings coming into St. John's and Halifax in wintertime.
4:31 EDT-Newark Liberty Airport-Newark NJ, USA Finally boarding in Newark. The plane which was coming from Rochester NY was over an hour late getting into the air. There were other flights late from the Great Lakes so there may have been something going on. I don't think it was weather but who knows. Used the Internet to get my email and do some work (if anyone at work is reading this) and met a nice older couple from the UK going to Toronto. Their flight was also delayed. Didn't get anything to eat since I'm not sure what my body thinks. Maybe I'll be hungry when I finally get home. Well, not the worst travel day but not the best one either.
No comments:
Post a Comment