The students were accompanied by their two French teachers, Mesdames MacDonald and Poulin, and a parent, Heather Gordon. Students and teachers lived with host families and experienced French in an authentic setting after spending the first three days in Paris. Among the highlights were a guided tour of the medieval city of Confolens and a visit to the historic city of Poitiers, known as the "city of 100 bell towers”. In addition, host parents provided many opportunities to visit points of interest in the Charente region of France.
Completing the full circle, from March 22-April 2, nineteen French students from Confolens, France were hosted by Greely High School students and their families. During these two weeks, our community welcomed the Confolentais students into their homes, classes and lives. In addition to attending classes with our Greely students, the students from Confolens visited local sites, such as the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Bowdoin College, and the Freedom Trail in Boston. Since one of the connections with Lycée Émile Roux has been with our forensics’ teacher Carrie Gianattasio, we also visited the Maine Crime Lab and Medical Examiners Office in addition to the State House in Augusta.
We will continue building partnerships with our friends in Confolens. It’s an amazing, life-changing experience for all involved. We truly appreciate the students, their families and our community for welcoming and supporting this learning opportunity.
Mesdames Kim MacDonald and Taylor Poulin