Let it snow!  Let it snow!  Let it snow!  I guess we brought some Cincinnati winter weather to Nancy!  The early morning snowflakes were not what we wanted to wake up to, but they stopped during the afternoon.  Today was the coldest day thus far.

After an exciting weekend with their host families, the students were very excited to see each other today at school.  The morning started at 8 with a group meeting. The students shared with everyone what they did during the weekend with their host families.  Some activities included bowling, laser tag, going to an aquarium, making crepes, strolling around town shopping, going over to a grandmother’s house, and meeting cousins of a family while enjoying food with them!  After two days away from the kids, it was exciting to see everyone together sharing their weekend plans and what they were feeling/learning/experiencing.  This is such a unique learning experience!

At 9, the kids “shadowed” their host students for the whole school day. They went to every class, even if it was spoken in French, and got to truly experience a day in the life of a French student.  Even though the school day lasted from 8:00 – 6:00, some students only had to attend classes in the morning!

Eating lunch in the cafeteria with some of the kids and the host students was fun!  Just like most meals, we were able to choose an appetizer (salad, yogurt, hard boiled eggs with Thousand Island dressing), main course (chicken cordon bleu with couscous, beef, bread, cheese), and dessert (fruit, pudding).

Mrs. Sieve and I were able to sit in on a couple of interesting English classes.  After introducing myself and talking about St. Ignatius, the students asked many questions about Cincinnati and our way of life.  I then enjoyed listening to the students analyze a black and white picture of a man holding a child in one hand and a gun in the other.  The students have been discussing gun control in the United States, so it was quite interesting hearing their perspectives about this issue.  One student even asked Mrs. Sieve her opinion about the 2nd Amendment: the right to bear arms!

After school, the students went back with their host families for the evening.  We will see them tomorrow at school, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we can Skype with St. Ignatius students.  We are all going on a tour of the city in the afternoon before attending a reception with the mayor!  We’re celebrities!

Mr. Donoghue