Writes Rishi K., Sebastian S., Jas S. (4ths)
In the last week we welcomed some new pupils in to the fourths. The French exchange programme took place, with the pupils coming over from France and each being paired up with a boy in the fourths. Creating lasting memories and friendships that last a lot longer than just the exchange, the boys will be flying out to France over the half-term to continue the journey. Below, some of the boys involved have written about their experiences with their French exchange partners!
Rishi K. (4ths)
I really enjoyed my experience with the French Exchange, and I look forward to visiting Paris in the half term.
On Monday, after I met my exchange partner, Colombe, we spent The Hour walking around the school. She was impressed by the school’s size, and loved seeing the lake, DT, and Art. That evening, she met my family, and we started to get to know one another over Mario Kart. I was impressed by Colombe’s English! She enjoyed spending the Tuesday at Taylors’. She especially loved the practical work that we did in DT. On Friday evening, we and others on the exchange went bowling and then to Wagamama. It was nice to get to know the other French pupils. Sunday was undoubtedly the highlight, when we went to the St. George’s day celebrations in Pinner, spending time with others on the exchange. On Monday, we said our goodbyes after a very enjoyable week.
Sebastian S. (4ths)
When I first agreed to the exchange, I had mixed feelings: excitement, curiosity, and anxiety. I was worried that my French wouldn’t be good enough, or that I’d struggle with my host family’s expectations.
Those worries have been forgotten now, despite having only done the first leg!
When I first met Kelly, we chatted so much that I was nearly late for lessons! Her faith in my French was incredible – at home, she gave me some French books (Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo and Voyage au Centre de la Terre by Jules Verne). She finds them difficult but thought I could do it. This was a real vote of confidence.
The next day, we had lessons together. In PE, we played tennis, though neither of us could hit the ball over the net! Over dinner, we discussed everything from complicated words to multilingual tongue twisters and our origins (China and Greece). On the weekend, we visited the Royal Academy of Arts and had afternoon tea at Cliveden. Although she’d never played Monopoly before, she managed to crush my brother and me. It was an unforgettable experience.
Kelly is now emailing me in French, and I can’t wait to visit my new friend in Paris.
Jas S. (4ths)
The French Exchange Programme is one of the best experiences I have had at this school so far. The first leg was very enlightening. I loved learning from my exchange partner about French culture and living with a person from another country.
The exchange has allowed me to meet new people and get outside of my comfort zone. I would recommend it to everyone, not only those taking French.
I cannot wait for the second half. The first half was a lot of fun!
