WUHS Language Students Welcome French Students to VT October 2024
Nineteen French students and their two teachers traveled to Boston and Woodstock from Ecole Sophie Barat, our new partner of the Woodstock French Exchange Program. The students and teachers began their adventure by spending three days touring Boston, exploring the history and culture of this beautiful city. The group walked the Freedom Trail, visited the State House and enjoyed the city’s cuisine. The students and teachers arrived in Woodstock on Thursday, October 17th, and quickly acclimated to both their host families and “siblings” as well as the school. The French students began their school experience with a full-day of orientation, meeting with Aaron Cinquemani and Tom Emery, both of whom warmly welcomed them to the high school. Cinquemani and Emery expressed their enthusiasm and appreciation for this rich experience. After the orientation, the French students and teachers spent the afternoon at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Park, learning about the importance of this site to both our school and our community from Kat Robbins. For the next few days, students participated in immersive language lessons, attended daily classes as well as after school sports and activities. In the evenings and on weekends the French students were kept very busy by their host families. All of these experiences allowed the students to fully understand what it is like to be a young adult in an American school.
The French students and teachers were enthralled with the quintessential fall activities that make up life in Vermont. The host families were more than generous with their time and effort to make sure the French students partook of such things as pumpkin carving, hiking, star gazing, apple picking, and exploring corn mazes. Many of the students enjoyed a typical Thanksgiving dinner which delighted them, particularly because the meal is such a unique American cultural phenomenon. They even took a short tour of Vermont, visiting Montpelier, eating ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, then seeing Lake Champlain in Burlington. Many of the students attended sports events, another typical part of many American students’ lives. There’s no doubt that the French students and teachers experienced much of what American culture is like.
On the last day of their stay, the French students and their “siblings” traveled to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science for a tour of the aviary habitats as well as a presentation on raptors. After the morning together, Woodstock bid adieu to the group as they headed to Logan to fly home.
In all, the French students and teachers participated in classes, experienced life in a rural community, explored the culture of New England, and made friends in Vermont. Teacher Marie Anderson and Exchange Coordinator Colleen O’Connell reflected on the success of the exchange, happy to have seen the group fully engaged, squeezing every ounce of experience and fun from each and every activity. Anderson and O’Connell are grateful to our French friends and to our school community for having had such a wonderful time together.
On the last day of their stay, the French students and their “siblings” traveled to the Vermont Institute of Natural Science for a tour of the aviary habitats as well as a presentation on raptors. After the morning together, Woodstock bid adieu to the group as they headed to Logan to fly home.
In all, the French students and teachers participated in classes, experienced life in a rural community, explored the culture of New England, and made friends in Vermont. Teacher Marie Anderson and Exchange Coordinator Colleen O’Connell reflected on the success of the exchange, happy to have seen the group fully engaged, squeezing every ounce of experience and fun from each and every activity.
Anderson and O’Connell are grateful to our French friends and to our school community for having had such a wonderful time together.