From March 11-20, 17 CHS students visited France through a French exchange program. They spent time with students from Lycée Célonie (Célonie High School) in Aix-en-Provence, France.

CHS students were hosted by the same French students who stayed with them November 2015.

“My favorite part of the experience was being able to connect with my correspondent and her family despite the language and cultural barriers,” sophomore Emily Leo said. “I also enjoyed learning about the different mannerisms/cultural aspects of typical French families.”

The students arrived at Aiz-en-Provence March 12 and spent the next eight days bonding with their French counterparts while attending Célonie High School.

While Célonie High School is a normal high school, it shares both similarities and differences with CHS.

According to sophomore Malcolm McGhee, one of the main differences between CHS and Célonie is that the relationships between students and teachers were very informal. Célonie High School is also located in an old church, creating a unique atmosphere in the school.

However, all high schools can find something in common with one another, and Célonie is no exception.

“[Célonie High School] had the same type of classes as CHS,” Leo said. “The school also had the same structure of multiple classes in a day.”

After spending time at Célonie High School, the students took day trips to exploring Cannes, gazing at Europe’s largest Gothically designed palace in Avignon, and visiting a castle upon a hilltop in Baux de Provence.

“The most memorable part of the trip was visiting the castles [in Baux de Provence],” McGhee said. “The view was quite amazing from the cliffs.”

The students bid “adieu” to their French families and spent the last two days of the trip sightseeing in Paris. According to their itinerary for the trip, the 17 students spent time at the Musée Marmottan Monet, or the Marmottan Monet museum, which has the largest collection of famed French painter Claude Monet’s work. The group also visited the iconic Arc de Triomphe, and ate dinner near the Eiffel Tower.

Finally, the 17 students travelled home on March 20.
“It was a really nice experience to be totally immersed in French culture,” sophomore Emily Leo said. “It was a great opportunity to apply the skills that I learned in French class to the real world.”