"Snow" and Typical Tourists

Just as Valerie was about to serve dinner last night, I heard a shrill of excitement from Pauline and Juliette. At first I thought they were all excited about the new Cody Simpson album, but it turns out they were reacting to a "downfall" of snow. This was pretty funny because by Michigan standards, this "downfall" was more of just a dusting.

Although the snow didn't really stick to the ground, it was quite a hazard this morning as I made my way to the train station to meet my peers before catching a train to Paris. Upon arriving in Paris we made our way to the Musee d'Orsay, where we made our way through the various levels and a variety of different masterpieces. The Musee d'Orsay is a real gem because it was originally a metro station, which was scheduled for demolition. However, a handful of investors put their funds together and converted the rundown station into an art museum. There is a marvelous collection of masterpieces from the impressionist movement, which lasted from 1860 to 1900. It was shocking to see Monet's and Van Gogh's original work a mere couple feet away from my face. In addition to the beautiful artwork, there is also a splendid view from behind the exterior clock face that overlooks the city. Following an exciting morning wandering around the Musee d'Orsay, we gathered for lunch at the restaurant within the muséum, which in itself is an art gallery.

After lunch we caught a ride on the metro down to the Seine, and the Albion/Noisy-le-Roi twinning committee treated us to a river tour of the city. This was a truly amazing vantage point because I did not have to crane my neck to see everything like I did when I was on the streets, which is a real life saver! Upon completing the river tour, we passed the memorial atop the underground road where Princess Diana passed away in a tragic car accident in 1997. Once we made it to the train station and boarded the train destined for Noisy-le-Roi, I noticed all of the power lines that criss-crossed overhead all of the trains in the station and stretched for hundreds of yards beyond the edge of the station. This image led me to ponder the idea of how difficult it must have been for the locals to get around durring the second world war when the railways were under constant attack.

Lycée Corneille (Le Celle St. Cloud) & the Musee Lambinet

This morning I made my way to Lycée Corneille in Le Celle St. Cloud. In the French education system a Lycée is roughly the same as an American high school, so this was a slight adjustment from the time that I spent at Quintinye College in Noisy-le-Roi. The first class I observed was a European section of the international school and they gave their oral reports, which revolved around the various fashion styles and how they change with the seasons. Each group had a general theme, such as the different clothing that a soccer club supporter or an American flapper would wear. I had a good laugh watching the students strut their styles down the makeshift runway they constructed out of desks.

I then joined an English literature class where the teacher was helping the students stretch their minds for their exam later in the day. The review focused on the concept of free will in George Orwell's, "A Clockwork Orange". The overall level of understanding and application on behalf of the students really impressed me because they not only needed to read the novel in English, which is not their native language, but they also needed to wrestle with the ideas and present their understanding of the material in English on top of it all. This was an awesome example of critical thinking on a high level!

After a short day at the Lycée, the Albion/Noisy-le-Roi twin city committee treated my peers and I to a trip to the Musee Lambinet. The Lambinet Museum is a private mansion that was built in the late 18th century for Joseph Porchon, the architect of the King's residences. The Lambinet is of particular interest because it is the only museum in the city of Versailles.

Last Day at Collège & Paris Round 2!

The past two days have been quite busy to say the least! I kicked off Friday in an upper level history class where my peers and I explained to the class how our families came to America. This activity was particularly interesting because the majority of the class was shocked that not all of our ancestors landed on Ellis Island when they came to the United States. As one of two non-math  students, I opted to observe a geography and a history lesson instead of two hours of science lectures, but it was all Greek to me since the entirety of all the lessons that I could have attended were completely in French.

This morning I woke to find Alexis and Antoine, the twin brothers, playing a computer game in the living room while the rest of the family was fast asleep. They were quite shocked that I was already awake, but I explained that I was heading into Paris with my peers. Upon arriving in Paris, we caught a ride on the metro near the Louve and made our way to Montmartre, which is a hillside portion that is home to one of few cemeteries in the metro-Paris area and Basilica of Sacre-Coeur (the big white church). Lastly, we made our way to the world renowned Eiffel Tower and climbed all 710 steps to the second floor...I don't feel that any explanation is necessary for this one! However, we did time our arrival quite nicely since we missed the mid-day crowds, and had a chance to see the tower in full day light, as the sun sets, and lastly when it lights up at night and twinkles every hour for a few minutes.

Collège Jean Baptiste de La Quintinye (Part 2)

Today I had the pleasure of visiting two of the international sections at Quintinye College. I found these sections rather intriguing because the students in these classes are fluent in both French and English. This allows for a more in-depth conversation with the students since there is not as much of a language barrier as there is with a student who is only partially fluent in English. As far as I can tell, there is a pretty even split in terms of preference between the students and teachers who have experience in both American and French schools. Students and teachers alike both like how they only have class until noon on Wednesday, but dislike how the school day goes until 5 in the afternoon the other four days. One trait of the system that the teachers love is that they officially spend 20 hours in-school each week, but I'm confident in saying that they spend an additional 20 hours out of school.

I also spent a bit of time looking for various forms of technology around the building, but I did not come across anything out of the ordinary...it was actually quite the contrary. Unlike most U.S. schools, there is no wireless internet network (not even a secure network for teachers to use). This really shocked me because of the vast amount of time that I have spent using internet based resources in the classroom over the years. In all honesty, the most advanced piece of technology that I came across was a single basic Epsom projector in one classroom that was not even capable of usage yet. This "lack" of technology leads me to ask myself if technology is more of a educational tool or a distraction...

Versailles!

After two intense days in the local classrooms of Bailly and Noisy-le-Roi, the twin city committee set up a day trip to Versailles for us. Now I’m not one to use expletives on a regular basis, but the chateau de Versailles is truly amazing. The overall expansiveness of the structure and grounds is simply breath taking, and the architectural genius is quite evident since the entire structure is symmetrical. Every square inch exhibits craftsmanship that is practically extinct in today’s day and age.  The gardens are a whole other project that requires a minimum of three days to truly appreciate and enjoy, which sadly I do not have the luxury of doing this time around. 

Collège Jean Baptiste de La Quintinye & Noisy-le-Roi Community

Today we visited Collège Jean Baptiste de La Quintinye, which is the French equivalent to an American middle school.  The overall appearance of the school could easily pass as a double for the school used in “The Breakfast Club”, but I did not come across Emilio Estevez charging down the halls or lounging in the library.  My peers and I immediately caught sight of an Albion banner in the main lobby, and we soon learned that there was also an Albion pennant and teddy bear in the dean’s office.

After meeting the dean, we broke into two groups and entered into two classrooms. The students in the class that I joined quickly engaged in a furious question and answer session, which was more than entertaining due to the language barrier and the overall enthusiasm had by all. Following this interaction, the dean of students then took us on a tour of the school, which was nothing short of impressive because everything was so streamlined and succinct.

Lunch time here is very different than American schools because students have 1-2 hours off to eat and converse with their friends. This is a stark contrast to American schools, where most  districts schedule 25-45 minutes for students to eat their lunch. Students can either go to the canteen, the French version of our cafeterias, or they can go home to eat. I found it rather odd that students are not allowed to bring their own lunches to school like American students, but I feel that it may prevent any sort of class differentiation in the lunch room because there is no chance for a debate over who's lunchable is better! Overall the quality of the food at Quintinye was surprisingly tasty, fresh, and healthy in comparison to American school lunches. Later that afternoon we went on a tour of the Noisy-le-Roi community and had a meet and greet with the Mayor!

Bailly Schools

For the second day in a row, I woke up the sweet scent of freshly made croissants wafting up the stairs…I think it’s safe to say that my own mother has some competition now!!  Our first appointment was at 9:00 this morning with Susan Koechlin, the deputy mayor or family, school, and seniors in Baily. Ms. Koechlin gave us a brief overview of the French education system, and the fiscal responsibilities that the mayors office, which the village historian followed up with a history of the Bailly region. From there we went on a brief tour of the Bailly community, which is more than rich in history. Everything here is pretty even in the dead of winter, from the beautiful local church to the historical prisoner tie-up across the street from one of the local watering holes.

Following our tour of the Bailly community, Ms. Koechlin led us over to the local elementary school, Ecole élémentaire la Pépinière, which was built in the 1970’s. la Pépinière is a rather small school, but it was quite clear that the teaches and administrators are all very passionate about what they do for the children.