French Tour - Au Revoir

Au Revoir to Lycée Félix le Dantec

On Tuesday 12 March, we waved a sad farewell to the 20 French students and two staff from our sister school in France. The previous 10 days had been packed full of exciting travel experiences, sharing of cultural practices as well as language learning for both our students and the exchange students. 

Each student from Lycée le Dantec was hosted by a Nossal student and their family. As the week progressed the intercultural bonds that were being formed between students from opposite sides of the world, quickly became evident. French students attended some classes with their host student as well as participating in an AFL footy clinic, a food technology class where they learned to make ANZAC cookies, an Australian Trivia quiz and a class on painting indigenous art. 

These experiences were quite unique to them and therefore all the more enjoyable. Another unique experience was that of a mini school assembly, led by our French Cultural Liaison Leader Lovidu Fernando, which included a musical performance by Adrian Sugirth and a cultural presentation by Year 12 French students on iconic Australian customs, sports and colloquial language. Whole school assemblies are not common place in France, particularly as Lycée le Dantec consists of approximately 2,000 students. 

Highlights of the exchange included a day in the city of Melbourne identifying various places of interest and a trip to Healesville Sanctuary. Prior to leaving France, students from Lycée le Dantec prepared materials and resources which we will be able to use in our French classes across the year levels.

This exchange would not have been successful without the support of the Nossal host students and families who opened up their homes and their hearts to our French guests. On behalf of Nossal High school, I thank these families sincerely for their commitment and generosity to the program.

I also thank those Nossal staff, who provided fun class activities for our French guests and Ms Leslie Cilia for hosting one of the French staff in her home.

We now look forward to a continued relationship with our French sister school, Lycée Félix le Dantec , as plans begin later this year for a return trip to France in September 2025.  

Madame Yvonne Sly

Languages Domain Leader / Sister School Coordinator