By Olivia Prather and Chloe Schwalbe

From navigating unfamiliar streets to communicating in a second language and making lifelong friendships, students on this year’s French exchange trip encountered both challenges and rewards as they immersed themselves in life in Aix-en-Provence, France. The group of students left New York on March 5th, the Thursday before Spring Break, on an overnight flight from JFK Airport to the small Charles de Gaulle Airport in Marseille, France. They were then transported to La Nativité by bus, and were greeted at the school by the host students who had made signs to welcome their American counterparts. Students had already connected with their exchange students prior to leaving, through WhatsApp and other social media apps. Modern Languages Department Chair and Upper School French teacher Mr. Baitalle along with Upper School French teacher Dr. Parker were the two faculty chaperones for the trip this year. Dr. Parker claimed that when the students first met, they “sat around tables and chatted, and there was a real sense of excitement in the room, as they were getting to know each other in person.” The first weekend for the students was spent with their host families complete with a variety of activities planned for them, such as going to perfume factories, a local boulangerie, nearby villages, horseback riding, and more. The week consisted of some full day excursions, while other days involved the first half of the day at school and the second half of the half day on an outing. On the last day of the trip, all French host students and RCDS students went on a hike and cruise, stopping at villages and beaches on the way. At the end of the trip, the students were forced to say goodbye to their host families before they traveled back to New York, and French Instructor Dr. Parker said that “all the kids were crying when they left. There were real connections that would last a lifetime.”

Mr. Baitalle and Dr. Parker stayed in an Airbnb in Aix-en-Provence, so they were close to the students staying with their host families. Dr. Parker said that going to the market, museums, hikes, and wandering around Aix (she would sometimes run into students!) were critical events of her own experience. When asked of any challenges encountered over the trip, Dr. Parker claimed that there were not many challenges for her and Mr. Bataille, as it was a “great group of students with positive attitudes, even when we were traveling in hard conditions.” However, she did speak of the challenges the students personally faced, such as being immersed in an environment with fast French speakers that said “slang” they had never heard before, along with settling into another family’s house, and dealing with homesickness. To help with some of these challenges for next year, Dr. Parker discussed some changes needed in the French curriculum at RCDS, like adding more natural vocabulary, “slang” words, and food and eating culture. Some other improvements would be thinking of some backup plans due to weather conditions, and keeping more of the activities indoors in general. However, overall, Dr. Parker claimed that she “loved being a chaperone, even if it is not something you usually love, it was such a pleasure to share the love of this place with students. I am so excited and proud that fifteen students fully embraced the program. We need global connections more than ever now.”

Lila Al-Omoush ‘28 attended the trip over the break and mentioned that she had an amazing experience. She described the Christian, K-12 school as “very similar to ours in terms of the students.” It was different in the fact that high schools in France have only three grades, rather than four. In addition, Al-Omoush said that La Nativité had an international section of the school in which the RCDS students were working with, and that many students in that section were fluent in English. Despite this, the students’ correspondents were less fluent, making it more difficult to communicate. As the week went on it became easier, as they assimilated more to the use of “franglish,” a mix of French and English. Al-Omoush added that she had a very close relationship with her corresponding family, and that “interacting with the family was like with my own family. The parents were amazing and Elsa [her correspondent] is like a sister to me.” The kindness and friendliness from her family allowed for Al-Omoush to adjust well to the new culture and home for the week. Her favorite part from the trip was taking a hike around a town called Cassis in La Calanques National Park, as also mentioned in the students’ travel blogs. The park had gorgeous views overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and after the hike the students enjoyed exploring the town’s shops, restaurants, and niches. Despite experiencing rain for most of the week, this final day they spent on the trip in Cassis was incredibly clear and a beautiful way to end the trip. 

Ultimately, the trip was a major success. Many students recounted their experiences as “unforgettable,” “an amazing time,” and according to Dr. Parker, many cried upon leaving, showing just how memorable, fun, and impactful the trip was. As mentioned by Dr. Parker in the travel blog, “We want to thank you all [parents] for entrusting us with this wonderful group of students. It is such an amazing opportunity to provide them with an immersion experience in both the language and culture that is so important to us both.”