Notre Dame et
Radford: cinq échanges
7 March 2018
The cake celebrating the fifth reciprocal visit
from Lycée Notre Dame
By Michele Sharp, Head of Languages
On Thursday we farewelled our
French friends from our sister school in Le Mans, France. Radford families
welcomed 12 students into their homes for this fifth reciprocal visit from
Lycée Notre Dame.
We were thrilled to see their
accompanying teachers Brigitte Charpentier and Véronique Giordano, and to
welcome their principal, Monsieur Xavier Leroy, on his first visit to
Australia. My thanks go to the Language Department for their support of this
exchange, in particular Mesdames Bateman and Lefebvre for their superb program,
which allowed our French visitors to experience Australian culture and the
Radford learning experience.
A highlight for me came at the
farewell party on 28 February. The French students wrote and performed a song
for us about their experience at Radford. It displays the excellent connections
that are formed through language learning and exchange programs.
Voilà les paroles de la chanson, attention il y a probablement des fautes
d’anglais
(Couplet 1)
A big trip in Australia,
A little group in Canberra,
We were just some strangers in a new world,
But despite our lack of knowledge, thanks to the Radford College,
We have spent a nice week in your company!
A little group in Canberra,
We were just some strangers in a new world,
But despite our lack of knowledge, thanks to the Radford College,
We have spent a nice week in your company!
(Refrain)
Thank you very much (2 times)
To our friends of this country,
Now we’re like a family,
Your welcome will let us good memories!
To our friends of this country,
Now we’re like a family,
Your welcome will let us good memories!
(Couplet 2)
We thank a lot Fiona Godfrey,
And of course Jen Batemen as well,
And all the families very kind who welcomed us,
Truth Compassion and Wisdom,
Now we don’t want go back home,
We will miss the kangaroos and the platypus!
And of course Jen Batemen as well,
And all the families very kind who welcomed us,
Truth Compassion and Wisdom,
Now we don’t want go back home,
We will miss the kangaroos and the platypus!
(Refrain)
We look forward to our next exchange with Lycée
Notre Dame, and wish our friends a good time in Sydney before they head home to
France. (By Radford’s French Language
Captain, Joshua Daffern)
This year, Radford College and
Lycée Notre-Dame in Le Mans, France, celebrated the fifth exchange trip between
the two schools. During Weeks 3 and 4, Radford students in Years 10–12 hosted
twelve students from Le Mans. The students from Le Mans were immersed in
Australian culture, experiencing all the little quirks that make Canberra and
Radford so special.
When our French guests weren’t
joining the host students in the classes, they were visiting some of the
Canberra region’s most interesting places. The students from Le Mans learned
about Australia’s past at the National Museum, experienced farm life at the Pelican
Sheep Shearing Farm, were taught about Australian politics at the Old and New
Parliament Houses, and explored the Australian bush at Tidbinbilla. Students
studying French in the Secondary School at Radford also had the opportunity to
learn about French culture from our French guests.
We are sure that our guests
from Le Mans have had an enjoyable stay. Radford College looks forward to
welcoming our friends from France back to Australia in the years to come. This
exchange would not have been possible without all the help and enthusiasm from
Mrs Godfrey, Madame Bateman, Madame Lefebvre, Ms Sharp, and all of the
languages staff at Radford.
