A group of French high school students heard a resounding “Bienvenue a l’ecole secondaire Walnut Grove” on Tuesday.
It was part of a ‘Welcome Tea’ event to celebrate their arrival at Walnut Grove Secondary, as part of the school’s long-standing exchange program.
School and district staff, RCMP school liaison officers, and local politicians were present to share their well wishes and encourage the students from France to enjoy their time in Langley.
It was a special occasion for the school to mark, as the program was put on hold for a few years due to the pandemic, said Erin Anderson, teacher of the exchange program.
“We’re celebrating the revival of the France exchange opportunity, which we’ve been able to provide at Walnut Grove Secondary School for decades,” Anderson added.
“We have been working with this particular school Le Collège Louez-Dieu in Arras, France probably since 2010.”
Anderson said the learning opportunity is a “reciprocal program” that benefits both schools.
“We gather a group of 30 students from our school. They gather a group of 30 students from their school. We match them together with their families because it is actually a family affair,” she explained.
The Canadian students were hosted by French families in March.
Now, the students from their “twin” school in France are here to become a “gator” as well as learn what it’s like to live in Langley.
“They’re learning to become world citizens. They learn to travel independently, filling out their own customs declaration forms at the airport, dealing with new currency on their own, doing some shopping, and eating at restaurants, staying with families, and learning about the lifestyle in another community that, is in some ways so similar to ours, and in some ways so distinct from ours,” Anderson said, elaborating on the benefits for students.
As an educator, Anderson said her favourite part of this experience is watching students grow.
“They have all learned something about themselves in this exchange that they didn’t know existed before the exchange took place. Their own pathway is unique to them, and I just love watching the ‘wow’ moments that the students experience,” said Anderson.
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