Donald M.Austin - Newark Academy

France by Mary Lysinger, Languages
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Fontainebleau C’est Fantastique!
In the winter of 1977, I spent a month living with a French family, two blocks from the English
Channel. Every morning, my French sister Christine opened (out, not up!) our bedroom window
to let in the fresh air of a new day and its discoveries, be they learning “le lendemain” from comic
books or eating boudin for the first (and last) time.
Three decades later, I am on a plane headed for France, this time accompanied by seven young
students and Debbie Ronan, part-time French teacher and co-chaperone. We embarked upon what
we hoped would be a trip that would not only allow our students to practice their French and see
some sights, but also give them the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone.
Global education has been a key element of Newark Academy curriculum discussions for several
years now, and the current strategic plan reflects new global initiatives. Creating signature
experiences that involve international travel and relationships with
international schools and their students is a component of the strategic
plan and was the jumping off point for our Fontainebleau adventure.
Many Newark Academy students and families are already seasoned globetrotters. In fact, in the
space of 20 minutes on a Friday night in Montmartre, our group ran into the Colizza family while
buying postcards, and collided with recent graduates Gillian Javetski ’07 and Deb Anderson ’07
in the metro!
For all of our travel in Paris, we used public transportation, with each student taking a turn as
Uticket-buyer, and everyone working together to determine the best route. We felt that experiences
such as these were excellent opportunities for using French, as well as learning a few lessons in
self-sufficiency. We observed a distinct increase in the entire group’s confidence by the end of the
trip, even with a relatively short immersion experience.