French exchange students visited Morgan or Haddam-Killingworth High School, from Monday, April 22 to Friday, April 26. Exchange students and some Morgan students also visited Boston. After the exchange and before returning to France, they visited New York City’s Times Square. Students, teachers, and the French exchange students shared their experience and perspectives.
French Exchange Student’s Perspectives on U.S. Schools
The French exchange students explained that school in the U.S. is very different compared to France. Their school is stricter and has to follow a specific dress code, including no sweatpants. They must be well-dressed. They aren’t allowed to wear crocs, slippers, or sandals to school. French exchange student Leonie Riette said that school in France starts at 8 A.M and ends between 4:00 and
5:00 P.M depending on the person. She also described that their school in France prohibits the use of phones during class, and they can only use it during their 15-minute break, which occurs every 2 hours. French exchange student Emmy Marchau shared the biggest differences between schools in the U.S. and France, which is lunch in school. Martine Tessier explained that in France, they only have meals and not snacks during school. Leonie also shared that students at Morgan tend to eat whenever they want, whether it’s lunch or not, which is not typical in French schools. Morgan is a much newer school compared to theirs. Alan Mercandini believes that there is a closer teacher-student relationship in the United States. He thought that the students were friendlier to the teachers, and that the teachers were less strict.
The exchange students also have a school newspaper which is different from the Morgan PawPrint. They don’t have a class for it, but a club. It was started this year, and students come together once a week. The newspaper is online, and it is a large PDF document. It can be found online, and it is 30-40 pages long. It consists of local news, events in the school, and opinion pieces. It is a one-time edition, as it can be compared to a big project. Last year there were two editions, but they decided that one addition would be better, as it is becoming more popular now.
Morgan French teacher Lisa Finnegan planned the exchange. She said, “It went really, really well. The feedback on the teachers and families was positive. Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves..” She explained that the purpose of the whole experience was for the French students to see and experience American culture: “I think it was good for them.” Mme Finnegan shared that the French teachers stayed with her throught the week. She talked a lot with them, and enjoyed their company throughout the exchange.
Morgan Students Share Their Experience With The French Exchange
Sophomore Camryn Mazzarella said, “I feel the exchange widened my knowledge of French culture.” Camryn added,, “This was a great opportunity to experience another language first hand and show a student what school in the U.S. is like.”
Junior Olivia Ruotolo described her experience with her French exchange student. She said, “It motivates me to want to learn the language even more. They are really good people, and they’re all really kind.” She said she is still in touch with her French student after the exchange.
Morgan students and Mme Finnegan had an amazing and memorable experience through the week learning about French culture, school and more. Many Morgan students continue to communicate with their French students. The Morgan community enjoyed meeting them and learning about their lifestyle in France.
