Farmington hosts French exchange students

Bonjour -- French exchange student Simon Gleises (left) and senior Javiera Klenner (right) eat breakfast in the library as a welcome to the French students arrival from Caen. Farmington French students will be able to host French students again in 2019.

MJ Martinez

Bonjour — French exchange student Simon Gleises (left) and senior Javiera Klenner (right) eat breakfast in the library as a welcome to the French students arrival from Caen. Farmington French students will be able to host French students again in 2019.

Cathryn Tuttle, Features Editor

French students were recently given the opportunity to host French exchange students March 30 through April 8 in their very own homes. About 20 families were assigned at least one French exchange student to host from a school in Caen, France, introducing them to American culture and life in Farmington.

e exchange program was launched by former Farmington French teacher Linda Zabor who worked with a Caen teacher. Every other year, students from Caen come to Farmington to live with a Farmington student and their family. The following year Farmington students are invited to take a trip to France.

French teachers Robin Keller and Sybille Stadtmueller invited all French IV students and above to host an exchange student.

“There is always a lot of enthusiasm from both our students and the students in Caen. Most of our students keep in touch with their French counterparts long after the exchange takes place, and some have even gone back to France after graduation and revisited Caen and their French host families,” Keller said.

Sophomore Isabelle Mendes hosted a French student and was excited to have the opportunity to get to know a French native.

“I thought it would be so cool to have a French native around me who is my age and to potentially have that friendship across seas,” Mendes said.

Even before the French students arrived, Mendes was eager to introduce her student to American food such as peanut butter and hibachi and Connecticut landmarks.

In addition to introducing her student to America, Mendes seized the opportunity to teach her French student about her Portuguese culture.

“She will get to know my culture, my family, and I will take her to the Portuguese Club and eat good Portuguese food, and she’ll most likely come to one of my rancho folclórico dance practices,” Mendes said.

French students arrived in Farmington on March 30. The French National Honor Society organized a welcome breakfast in the library the following morning where Caen teachers and students celebrated their arrival alongside Farmington host students, Principal Bill Silva and Superintendent Kathy Greider.

“The French Honor Society is very excited about the exchange students from Caen. We hosted a welcome breakfast with traditional American foods to give them a truly American experience. These days, cultural diversity and awareness is more important than ever so I’m glad we were given the opportunity to be involved in the exchange program,” French National Honor Society President senior Noor Taweh said.

Students will have the opportunity to host French students again in 2019. Mendes says she will consider hosting again.

“It was a great experience to have, to learn about other cultures and to get a glimpse of what a French student our age is doing on the other side of the world,” Mendes said.

Similarly, Stadtmueller is extremely fond of the program and thinks hosting is a great experience for Farmington students.

“It’s a great opportunity to create lifelong friendships and connections, and with social media it’s very easy to stay in contact beyond the initial exchange. The human connections are what make the program so meaningful for our students,” Stadtmueller said.