VIVE LA FRANCE!
French students visit Ballston Spa
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. » Twenty French students from Blanchede-Castille High School in Le Chesnay, France, arrived at Ballston Spa High School in October and spent 12 days with American host students and families.
The French students are in “seconde” which is equivalent to 10th grade in American high schools. Students participated in a cultural and educational program during their stay at BSHS, which included visits to Albany (the New York State Museum, the Capitol Building, & the USS SLATER), Lake George (Fort William Henry), the Norman Rockwell Museum in Massachusetts, and the Ndakinna Educational Center in Greenfield Center.
The Ballston Spa Rotary Club organized a luncheon and a tour of Ballston Spa, including the Saratoga County Offices. The students learned how to carve pumpkins at the Brookside Museum and then donated them to the residents at the Saratoga Center Rehab & Skilled Nursing Care facility. The French chaperones and students were extremely appreciative of the day they spent with the Rotarians. They were also very impressed with Ballston Spa High School and the warm welcome they received here. The French students attended several classes with their American hosts while in the school. The American students and families said “au revoir” to their French students after spending a final day together in Boston.
In March 2018 the American students will travel to Le Chesnay, France to spend 10 days with their French host students and families. Le Chesnay is located near Paris, very close to the city of Versailles. While in France, the American students will experience “la vie française” by attending school and experiencing everyday life with their host families. Visits to Versailles, Paris, the Normandy beaches and the castles of the Loire Valley are planned.
BSHS student participants included Kaia Andersen, Lily
Armer, Maddie Barnum, Lucas Busold, Grace Foti, James Frantz, Jacqueline Frederick, Greta Gottmann, Sarah Helly, Laurie Horsch, Mackenzie Lyman, Harrison Martinez, Colin McDonough, Ethan Phillips, Sarah Rule, Nathan Schin, Ali Sgambati, Alyssa Swett, Shasha Wallis and Mackenzie Zoller. The visitors as well as the school express a tremendous thank you to all the BSHS host families and BSHS teachers Tricia Dillon, Lisa Judd, Dawn Petry and Kori Quinn.