Laois students absorb culture on fantastic French exchange

Heywood Community School re-kindled its week-long French exchange with Junior high school Collège George Brassens, in Lattes a seaside suburb of Montpellier in the south of France.

Heywood has participated in a French exchange since the year 2000 when Ms Mary Fitzgerald and Ms. Mary Kelly initiated it with a school in the center of France. 

After a break since 2020 due to Covid, 33 students from third year and 3 teachers, Ms. Olive Guest, Ms. Eileen O’Shea and Ms. Claire Bourdais travelled to Carcassonne.

Following a morning visit of the impressive walled mediaeval city, the students travelled on to Lattes where they met with their French pen pals with whom they stayed for the week. 

The days that followed saw the students attending school, eating in the French school canteen, and participating in the cross-country annual school race.

There were also visits to Nîmes to see the Roman Amphitheatre, Montpellier city, Ice skating rink, and the beach at Carnon Plage as well as activities organised by individual families. 

It was an enriching experience for all involved and Heywood hopes to welcome back the French on the return leg of the exchange at the end of March 2025. 

"We are delighted that we could recommence our French Exchange this year to Montpellier after a break of a few years," said Mr Eamon Jackman, Principal at Heywood Community School.

"We are very grateful to our French Department who arranged the trip over the past 9 months. Trips such as this are a fantastic learning experience for students," he said.

"The total immersion in a language for a week can have such a transformational impact on their understanding and confidence with the language.

“This one week can have a very lasting relationship with the language. Along with this is the benefits from seeing and experiencing a different culture," Mr Jackman explained.

"We hope our students have not only enjoyed the experience but that they have learned the skills of independence and personal growth.

"To go abroad possibly for the first time without parents and stay with a family from a different culture takes courage. It develops resilience and therefore confidence in students which we acknowledge is a challenge in young people in recent times," he said.

"Our German and History department also visited Munich before Halloween, our senior Art students are going to Venice in the spring and our TY students are going to Lake Garda in Italy in the final term so many of our students will have the opportunity to gain these valuable life experiences over the year.

"We look forward to welcoming our French Exchange partners to Heywood next spring and giving them a very warm welcome to our school," Mr Jackman finished.

Heywood Community School are currently practising for their upcoming November musical, ‘Thank you for the Music’, an ABBA based performance.