The Fifth Grade 2010 Voyage Scolaire to Normandy, France was a memorable and enriching linguistic, cultural, and interdisciplinary experience. The activities were diverse and stimulating, with opportunities for authentic use of the French language, joint activities with French children, and experiences of local village life. Students also learnt self-management and organizational skills, with a focus on cooperation and team building.

A fun and memorable day was spent at the local primary school in Criel, where we felt privileged to be able to spend the entire day engaging in a variety of activities and experiences with our French pen pals, both at the local school and back at the Château. Chantereine.

QUOTE FROM GEORGIA'S Quote: L’Ecole

“The visit to the local French school in Criel to finally meet our French pen pals was a great bonding experience for me. We had been writing letters and emails back and forth so I was nervous about meeting Selena in person, but I ended up having good fun and taking away good memories. I really enjoyed it when she took me on a tour of her school, and I liked playing the game “Chasse de Trésor”, which helped to break the ice. I felt I could trust Selena and her friends as they took us around the school to find bilingual vocabulary clues and it was a good way to improve my French language skills. I think they liked the songs we sang and I liked theirs. I thought it was cool that the Principal of the school stayed with us all day, and I appreciated when I learned that he said our song (thanking the French students and staff for their hospitality,) “touched his heart” and that “it was special to have this bond between our two countries”. Eating together, back at the Chateau Chantereine with all the French students was also good fun. I really enjoyed the team building games on the castle grounds after dinner, and it was actually sad to say good-bye to my French pen pal and her friends.

Our visit to the beautiful city of ROUEN, capital of Upper Normandy, set over the banks of the Seine River, and filled with history and treasured architecture, was an eventful and informative day in spite of the rather chilly weather! We enjoyed ordering and eating delicious crêpes and ice cream and were fascinated by the facts of history and architecture that our enthusiastic guides imparted, in ways that appealed to each student.

JACOB's Quote:

“I am interested in the structure of buildings and history. I learned a lot about Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance architecture when viewing so many great structures, in Rouen- le Cathédrale de Notre Dame, l’Office du Tourisme, l’Eglise de Jeanne d’Arc. Our Kingswood guide presented the facts in such an interesting way, that I still remember them all. I learned about the life and unjust execution of Joan of Arc at the age of 19, even after she restored the French king to the French throne during the Hundred Years War. I liked the half-timbered buildings with corbelling, built in order to create more space and avoid taxes! I also saw where the heart of Richard the Lionheart was buried…. interesting that he was King of England and Duke of Normandy at the same time! It’s great that the stained glass windows in the cathedral survived the bombings during WW11. History and architecture came alive for me on this trip!’

We visited Nausicaa, the famous sea world aquarium in Boulogne, where we were all impressed by the wonders and remarkable diversity of our oceans as we explored the aquariums and interactive exhibits, making us even more aware of the need for the long-term careful management of our ocean resources. QUOTE FROM SAVANNAH Savannah “ This trip to France was an amazing experience! It was the first time I visited an aquarium and Nausicaa was even more special because it was in France. I loved the sea lions and learning all about them! One came right up to my face! I have always wanted to see a real live shark and I was fascinated as I watched them swimming both on the water’s surface and especially under-water….lucky there was a glass barrier! I learned they have super sharp senses, and the most powerful jaws on the planet. I thought it was good that there was an emphasis on the need to preserve our ocean environment and these great sea animals for future generations”.

JACUB'S Quote:

“I was in awe of the marine life at Nausicaa, especially the various types of jellyfish of all sizes, some with far-reaching tentacles. I was fascinated by the varied exotic, colourful, tropical fish, the sharks, the chameleons and especially the Thornback rays, which I actually got to pet! I liked the interactive exhibits in the sustainability section, which showed the impact of man on our planet, and the need to take care of our ocean resources and environment.“

France relishes its cuisine and gastronomy and we interacted with local producers to discover the history of well-known local products. We also visited a typical working Cheese Farm at Neufchatel, where the delicious soft cheese, with its velvety white rind was hand-made.

BARBORA’S Quote:

“I learned a lot about how Neufchatel cheese is made from cow’s milk from start to finish during our visit to the cheese farm! I learned that cheese can also be made from the milk of ewes and goats as well. It almost looked like a science experiment, because the farmer’s wife, ….She was quite strict and insisted we learn the whole process in French and repeat it back to her!... Well, anyway… it was interesting to see how she added an enzyme to the milk, which separated the milk into curds and whey. It was cool to see the curds pressed through the cheese gauze, and then watch her kneading the cheese and then forming it into heart shaped moulds, and finally see the cheese coated with a felt-like layer of white mould containing penicillin. I thought it was also cool to learn that the cheese continues to be formed in the shape of a heart because during the Hundred Years War, the young French women saw it as a way to attract the affections of the British soldiers as they passed through the farm villages!” “By the way, did you notice that the French kids were shorter than the ACS students?”

The visit to the Chocolate Factory involved all the senses, as we discovered how the different types of chocolate were made, from the cocoa bean to the finished product, with chocolate to taste!

WALTER’S Quote: L’Usine de Chocolat

“The visit to the chocolate factory was a great learning experience. The chocolate maker was really interesting and I discovered that the making of chocolate began with the raw cocoa bean taken from the pods of the cocoa trees in the tropical rain forests of Central and South America. I liked learning the different processes used to make dark, milk, and white chocolate and also enjoyed tasting the finished products!” We enjoyed visiting the local market in Mers-les-Bains where students interacted politely with the local vendors en français making purchases in euros to take home as gifts for family members

HEATHER’S Quote: Le Marché

“I was impressed with the variety of produce at the French market… fruits, vegetables, fish, meat, ready to eat products, jewellery, clothing, toys, hand-made crafts, souvenirs, shoes… lots of choices to buy gifts. I noticed that the market vendors took up the city centre of this small village. I think French people must shop at the markets more often than people in England.”

During the activities at our 17th century Chateau de Chantereine our fifth graders developed initiative and new skills. They were responsible risk-takers in every way, independent, respectful, and open-minded, a credit to their school and their families.