By Lily Wheadon
This fall, eighteen juniors and seniors will welcome French students into their homes as part of an exchange program.
The exchange will begin in October, when a group of students from France will come to the Tri Town and live with their Masco host families for about a week and a half. In April of 2024, Masco students will travel to France to live with the students they hosted in October. In addition to spending a week with their host families in Rennes, Masco students will also spend a few days in Paris.
The activities around the school that will be set up for the French students are mainly organized by the French Club. On one of the first days after the students arrive, the French Club will organize a scavenger hunt for them to help them get comfortable with the school and building.
Additionally, the French Club usually organizes a Halloween-themed activity for the exchange students, as they are in the United States for the second half of October.
“They don’t really have Halloween in France, so we do a lot of things to celebrate,” said French Club advisor Deidra Boucher.
Before COVID, some of these Halloween themed activities included bobbing for apples and other lighthearted games.
The French Club will be in charge of planning these activities, but even students who are not participating in the exchange or the club can still join in on the fun. In past years, the French Club has formed a committee of students to help plan activities for the exchange students. This planning starts early on, and the committee will begin planning for the exchange as soon as possible.
“Even though there are only eighteen kids doing the exchange, we want all students to benefit from it,” said Boucher.
Outside of the French Club, students who are participating in the exchange have begun preparations. Masco students were asked to fill out an application in April, and heard back in the beginning of May about their acceptance.
“I am excited for the French exchange because I want to go to France with my friends and experience French culture, food, and sightseeing,” said senior Jocelyn Dumouchel.
For Dumouchel, the decision about participating in the exchange was always an automatic yes. However, some students felt more conflicted when making the decision about whether or not to go.
“Initially, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to participate in the French exchange or not, and I had convinced myself that I was fine with not going,” said senior Gwendolyn Moon. “The turning point for me was when we went over the itinerary for the trip in French class…hearing about the different events we would host here for the French students and seeing other people’s experiences completely changed my mind.”
Between the rich cultural experiences that the exchange offers and an opportunity to travel that is once in a lifetime for many students, the first French exchange since 2019 is shaping up to be both educational and exciting.
