Friday 21st March 2014

YEAR 9 TRIP TO PARIS
On Tuesday 4 th March, 40 excited Rushey Mead students set off on a 5 day trip to Paris to put
their French skills to the test. Students stayed in pairs with French host families and got a real
taste of French culture. They enjoyed a sightseeing tour of all the famous sights in Paris including
the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Sacré Coeur, the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées.
Students also visited a French school for the afternoon and made lots of new friends! Miss
Grenham would like to say a big thank you to all of the students on the trip for being so positive
and embracing this experience wholeheartedly.
Article by Simran Sahota 9CHR
Miss Grenham organised a once in a life time trip for the Year 9 students. It took her a couple
of months to make it perfect for us but she did it! We were not only accompanied by her, there
were three other teachers, Miss Petty, Miss McAusland and Mr Wildsmith who also made the
experience even more unforgettable. As a whole group we had fun!
Even though waking up at 4am so we could travel to Dover was tiring, we all made the most of
it. Travelling 12 hours was hard but once we were in Paris we had an amazing time. It was a fun
trip and we did learn a lot. At first we were all nervous about meeting our host families but we
realised there was nothing to worry about as they were super nice and welcomed us as
if we were their own children. If there was something wrong we didn't have to worry as
the families understood and we didn't have to feel uncomfortable.
Going to see the Notre Dame was fantastic because it was a beautiful cathedral. The
stained glass windows were nice as well as the other things inside. After this we went to
see the Louvre Museum where the Mona Lisa is kept. The museum was incredibly big
and very modern from the inside. Seeing the Mona Lisa was good but it wasn't what a
lot of us were expecting it to be. The painting was surprisingly very small and the
Louvre was very crowded with tourists wanting to take pictures. The Mona Lisa wasn't
the only art work to go and admire. There were many other marvellous pieces to see
and it was amazing how good the art work was.
We went on an amazing boat cruise on the river where you could see lots of famous
monuments e.g. The Eiffel Tower. When we got to the Eiffel Tower it was quite shocking
as it wasn't what it looked like in movies but it was a nice thing to go and see.
However, when going up the tallest building in Paris the "Montparnasse Tower" it was
very magical as you could see all the sky scrapers and see a wonderful view of the
Eiffel Tower which you couldn't get from any other building in Paris! We also visited a
school to go and practise our French. They were all very welcoming and very easy to
talk to. The school is very different from here but it was interesting to go and look at.
We all made some lovely friends! Most exciting of all, we went to Disneyland and we
all had a blast! There were many rides to go on and a lot of shops to buy souvenirs
from. Some of us were very lucky to actually meet some Disney characters and get their
autographs! (you’re never too old for Disney). At the end of the day we watched the
Disney Parade where they have all the Disney characters on their own floats. We had a
great time and will never forget the fun we all had together! The purpose of the trip
was to practise our French and we all achieved that and improved.
We had a fantastic time and will cherish it forever. We got to know the teachers more
and had a laugh with them as they always put a smile on our faces and looked after us
with care. I would like to say a big thank you to Miss Grenham for organising a trip that
was unforgettable. We all appreciate the hard work she put into the trip and if it
wasn't for her we wouldn't have been able to have the time of our lives in Paris. Not
forgetting Miss Petty, Miss McAusland and Mr Wildsmith who also helped Miss Grenham
to make it the best they possibly could.
Thank you to all 4 of you!