Vendredi - un jour de l'histoire

Friday was another exciting and educational day. We started with a journey to Bayeux to see the Bayeux tapestry. This work of art is actually a work of embroidery and not a tapestry at all. It tells the story of the events of 1064 through 1066 of the death of the English king Edward the Confessor and the struggle for power that resulted between Harold Godwinson and William, the Duke of Normandy. The tapestry concludes with showing the Battle of Hastings at which William kills Harold and assumes the English throne. The tapestry stretches an incredible 68 meters long. The museum visit was quite interesting. We walked along the length of the tapestry with an accompanying audio guide to point out each part of this important story.

For the afternoon we were off to the D-day museum in Normandy and to see the D-Day beaches. We were fascinated to learn about the marvels of engineering that led to Allies' critical success at this battle. We watched a film that explained the design and strategy behind the Allies' plan and saw models of the floating causeways that were towed across the English Channel to create the makeshift wharf that allowed the Allies to gain a foothold in France. We looked out over the beaches and saw the remnants that remained from this momentous battle.

Finally, we finished the day with a visit to the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial that commemorates the lives of those who fought and lost their lives in the effort to liberate Europe from Hitler's control.

We really enjoyed our day. We learned a lot about the history of our country and the world.

jeudi - un jour au lycée

Today we spent the day at school. We started with a brief lesson on Arabic calligraphy. Next we were off to a class of SVT (biology), where we looked at the cells of our check cells under a microscope and then learned all the vocabulary in French for the parts of the cell. C'etait tres util et interessant! After that we went off to other classes with our exchange students and finished off the day with a sports tournament.

Etretat

Today we took a morning hike along the cliffs of Etretat. It was an invigorating hike that allowed us to experience the beauty of the cliffs up close. We explored little caves along the top and gazed down at the city beneath. After a fortifying stop at a neighborhood patisserie for pain au chocolate we toured a goat farm that produces goat cheese (chèvre) and various products using goat's milk such as ice cream and chocolates. It was a wonderful morning.

Mardi - un voyage a Rouen

We had a lovely, but rather chilly day, touring Rouen today. We took a guided tour of the city and learned all about its history. We saw many medieval wooden houses made of oak, which we learned when properly cured will never rot. We also saw the Notre Dame cathedral, an example of gothic architecture and which has the tallest spire in all of France. We walked through the Aitre Sainte-Maclou, a plague cemetery which dates back to the Great Plague of 1348. We saw the site where Joan of Arc was tried, and later where she was martyred. Finally we toured the house where the author Gustave Flaubert was born, which in addition to housing some historical information on the author, also contains a museum of 18th and19th century surgical and pharmaceutical instruments.

Monday's Trip to Musée Malraux in Le Havre

Our students reflected on the composition of various pieces in the gallery and presented their thoughts to the group.

Les crepes!

Ce weekend

Ce weekend, je suis allée à Paris avec ma corres. On est allée en
train. J ai fait la connaissance de sa tante et son oncle et leurs
petits enfants. La famille est très gentille. J ai vu le bâtiment de
l'Opera, et le magasin Repetto. J'ai mangé un macaron chez Ladurée.
J'ai vu le grand magasin Printemps. Dimanche on est allé à Disneyland.
J ai fait beaucoup d attractions. Cétait fantastique.
Anna

This weekend I went to a high ropes course near Etretat. We went with
my correspondant's little sister, her friend, and her friend's little
brother. It was very similar to the one at Holiday Valley. Later that
night we went to a restaraunt in Etretat and visited the cliffs when they were lit up and very beautiful. When we came home we watched Harry Potter in French.
Shawni

Ce week end, je suis allee au cinema et j'ai regarde Spring Breakers. J'ai
marche dans le centre commercial avec Marie et ses amis. Nous avons fait
du shopping. J'ai mange lasagne, pizza, et eclaires. Ce sont tres bon.
Olivia

Ce weekend, j ai eu un bon diner! J ai mangé la nurriture d Indie qui
était authentique. Cétait fantastique. Aussi, j ai vu un match de
rugby avec ma corres et son père. Dimanche, j ai vu le film Wadjda
avec ma corres et sa soeur et sa mère. Après le film, nous sommes sorties
pour le pizza. Cétait un bon weekend.
Tory

Ce weekend, nous avons fait beacoup des choses. Vendredi, nous avons
fait une pizza. C'etait très bonne. Aprés, nous avons regardé un bon
film. Dimanche, nous sommes allées à Versailles. C'etait très grand et
c'etait très beau.
Julia

Le Havre - the first week

We arrived in Le Havre excited to reunite with our exchange students whom we hadn't seen in a few weeks.  After the commotion of finding our friends in a group of anxiously awaiting French hosts we were off to settle in with our new host families.

After a relaxing evening of adjusting to family life in France we were back at school bright and early the next day for an informative presentation about the history and sights of Le Havre and Normandy. This presentation intrigued us and evoked our curiosity for the days and weeks to come.

Next up was a trip down into the city of Le Havre for a guided tour about the history of the city and its architecture.  To travel down from the school to the city one can descend via stairs or the funicular.  As it was rather rainy and grey and we had done quite a bit of walking already, we opted for the latter.  The funicular was certainly an exciting way to travel down to the city.  Our guide told us lots about the city that helped us to better understand and appreciate its architecture.  During the Second World War the city of Le Havre was bombed extensively and nearly completely demolished.  After the war the architect Auguste Perret was selected to rebuild the city as quickly and economically efficiently as possible.  The cheapest material to do this was concrete.  Our guide explained that the style of the buildings was designed to emulate the classical French style.  The buildings all had a large ground floor with offices and shops, the first level above ground level where the nicest apartments would be, and then two additional floors above for additional apartments.  This style is typical of France, and although the building materials were different, the design was the same.  He also explained that the size of the apartments was uniform throughout the city by design.  Blocks of concrete any larger would not be structurally sound, and blocks of concrete any smaller would be less cost effective.  Our guide also explained that the rebuilt city was 1 meter higher than the old city because it was built atop the layer of rubble from the demolished city.  Next we saw the the Eglise Saint Joseph, a church designed by Perret and also made of concrete.  We marvelled at the enormous tower (107 meters high) made of stained glass and concrete.  The tour certainly helped us to look at Le Havre with more careful eyes and we were now able to appreciate the design and innovation that went into rebuilding the city into what we see today.

A busy first week!

What a busy first week we've had!

Day 1:  We arrived in Paris early Monday morning and got right off to an exciting morning of sight seeing.  We started off with a typical french breakfast and then set off on a walk through the Jardins du Luxembourg and a trip to Tour Montparnasse to see the city from up above.  Next we explored the Arc de Triumph and took a pleasant stroll along the Champs Élysées.  After that we walked along the Seine back to the hotel and had dinner in the Latin Quarter.

Day 2:  We got started bright and early with a French breakfast of cafe au lait or chocolat chaud and a croissant or baguette, fruit and yogurt.  Then we were off to the Catacombs.  The catacombs of Paris is an underground ossuary started in 1786 and used to house the bones of Parisians as the use of cemeteries were phased out due to health concerns.  The bones are displayed in artistic tableaux in this maze located 20 meters beneath the city.  Next we split into groups.  Some enjoyed a trip to Versailles while others enjoyed a visit to the Musee d'Orsay and a stroll along the shops on St. Germaine and a tour of "Roman Paris".  We capped off the evening with a group dinner with fondue and a nighttime visit to the top of the sparkling Tour Eiffel.

Day 3:  Sadly, our last day in Paris.  We saw Notre Dame Cathedral then broke into groups.  One group visited the Louvre to see classical artwork while the other visited Centre Pompidou to see modern artwork.  After a delicious lunch of crepes and sandwich de jambon et fromage we were off on a bus to Le Havre to meet up with our host families.

We will follow up later with more specifics of our experiences so far and pictures!  Overall it was an exciting three days of culture, art, exploration, gastronomy, and lots of exercise walking around the streets of Paris.

As the big day for our Sem travelers approaches, the French Welcoming Committee has created a short Power Point to help the travelers find differences in the American and French cultures.  The Power Point goes through the "Day in a Life" of an American teen.  Hopefully this will help our Sem girls notice cultural differences more easily!

Having gone on the trip my sophomore year, I can say that it is very beneficial to keep a journal! Although I did not keep a detailed day-to-day journal, I kept a list of the cultural differences between our two cultures.  It's nice to have something to look back on to help you remember your once in a lifetime trip!

I hope this Power Point helps you travelers to point out some differences.

Have an awesome time on your trip and don't forget to post on the blog!

Sincerely,
The FWC

Peanut Butter

Bon voyage!

We wish our French guests an excellent trip back home. Thank you for joining us, these past three weeks were filled with amazing moments for all of us here at Sem. Bonne continuation et a bientot!

A message from the girls: SEM, J-1 ♥ Ca va nous manquer tout ca - SEM, We'll miss you

A song from Mme. Renard

Morning Meeting February 27th.

Basketball clinic with our Hall of Famer Eva Cunningham

Thank you to Coach Eva for offering a basketball clinic to our French girls! They had the greatest time mastering the basics of the game. The whole school could hear their cheer and laughter!! 

US History with Mrs. Greene!

Our French group had a fantastic time with Mrs. Greene yesterday, who prepared for them a discussion on American politics. The group was asked to fill out a questionnaire to discuss conservative and liberal issues so as to compare and contrast the American and French systems. Our guests left the room impressed with their conversation and felt definitely more comfortable with the topic thanks to Mrs. Greene's workshop.

Visiting Toronto!

Our French group at the Falls! On a very cold day...View from the plant

Zumba, anyone?

Thanks for an awesome first week at Sem!

Our French girls and chaperon are very busy making memories in our community. We are looking forward to the next two weeks with you guys! Thanks for being with us!

Dance workshop on Lady Gaga with Mrs. Hopkins!