The Black and White

by August Pittman

Where do you think you might see yellow tape, the Olympic rings, a model of the statue of liberty, and the Mona Lisa in less than two weeks?

Eleven Pilgrim students could tell you Paris. Last summer, this group of primarily French students, Mme Lawrence, and her daughter visited Paris to see the sites they learn about in class. This trip is meant to enhance the culture that Mme Lawrence has peppered throughout her classes.

“[I wanted to] make it so that part of class comes alive,” she says, and this sentiment shows in her teaching. Art, geography, and more make their way into everyday lessons. For instance, they learned about significant pieces of art in the Lourve before going there themselves.

As for the itinerary of the trip, it follows the title of the tour quite nicely, Paris and the Châteaux (castles). They started with a walking tour of Paris, visiting famous places such as the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde, the site of many famous executions, such as Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and Maximilien Robespierre. They went to local cafes and even practiced conversational French by ordering.

They had a lot of fun on this trip, with the French teacher saying “I loved every day”, though one highlight for her was Mont Saint-Michel, an almost magical island with great religious meaning for those who go on pilgrimages to pray. In fact, this was her first time seeing it. 

That’s not to say the trip did not have its obstacles. With the Olympics being in Paris that summer, “there was a lot of…sites sectioned off.” In addition, their flight back home was sadly delayed, and they ended up having to stay in a nearby hotel overnight. Fortunately, “they were very kind to us.” While they had to overcome these challenges, it was still an exciting and rewarding trip!

If you would like to be able to experience this sort of trip, you’re in luck! Mme Lawrence is planning a trip to Montreal and Quebec, Canada for next summer. While this trip is offered to French students first, she’s willing to open it up to the rest of the school after her students have the opportunity. There are flyers about this trip in the 700 wing, if you want to stop by and grab one.