French Exchange Viala-Lacoste 2023

In Term 2, we were delighted to welcome a group of five students from the college-lycée Viala Lacoste in Salon de Provence. This was our first exchange since 2019 and the pandemic, so everyone was really excited to be able to travel again and to start a new connection between our two schools.

The five students (Thais, Clémence, Colombe, Maxime and Amaury) along with Mme Caroline Ricard (the English teacher in charge of the group and the program) landed in Melbourne on Saturday 22 April and were welcomed by the host family and Mme Tonkin.

During the whole of Term 2, the five French students were fully immersed in the Girton life, attending lessons, co-curricular activities, excursions, the formal and everything that makes our school such a busy and vibrant place.

The students felt very welcomed and included during their time with us and embraced all aspects of School life. The French Faculty is very thankful for the kindness and care that the School community has shown to our guests and equally grateful to our host families for looking after the students during the whole of Term 2.

Three of our students – Andreas Ginis (10 Riley), Charlotte McIntosh (9 Jenkin) and Anna De Vries (10 Jenkin) – will leave for Provence on 8 September to spend about nine weeks with their French host families and attend classes at Viala-Lacoste. Both Amelie Woodward (11 Jones) and Greta Burns (11 Aherne) will also go to southern France in mid- November to complete their exchange.

We strongly encourage all students studying French in Year 10 in 2024 to consider this unique opportunity to spend a whole term in the South of France to improve their speaking skills in French and experience school and family life in France.

There will be an expression of interest offered in Term 4, but in the meantime, you may contact Mme Tonkin at frederiquetonkin@girton.vic.edu.au if you have any queries.

The French Faculty