Le Lycée St. Martin and Rennes

We were treated to a nice tour of the Lycée St. Martin- this is the school that host brothers and sisters attend in Rennes. The students were unable to attend classes as anticipated, but the tour gave us all great insight as to what happens in a typical French high school.

We started on the outside and learned about the history and architecture of the building. We passed by the courtyard and P.E. area, and walked down a typical corridor while classes were in session. There are some similarities of course, but quite a few differences as well. In the hallways, there are huge windows in each room so directors can look in and see that students are attentive and on-task. The teachers move from room to room rather than students, and there isn't open time for students to find teachers before or after school for additional help.

After the tour of school, we were treated to a reception with the director of the school. We snacked on croissants, chocolat chaud, coffee, or juice while chatting and discussing school life.

It's quite common for students to eat lunch at the school, but it's not cheap at 5+ euros per day. Imagine having 3 children in school and having to pay for this by term..... phew!

The director and our tour guide were very informative, and they complemented our group on their good behavior, attentiveness, and comprehension of the French language. Compliments like this don't come lightly, so we are VERY proud of our scholars :)

From here, we toured through Rennes, stopping by Parlement and the Eglise St. Germain on our way to the Musée des Beaux-Arts. This museum was newly renovated and offered a great selection of art for us to appreciate (my personal favorite was the "Nouveau-Né," see below).

This completed our morning together in Rennes- we hiked back to the lycee so our students could meet up with their host siblings before enjoying an afternoon at their leisure.

Vocabulaire du Jour:

le lycée: high school

le tableau: chalkboard

la bibliothèque: library

la cantine: cafeteria

l'église: church

le nouveau-né: newborn

faire les magasins/du shopping: to go shopping

les cadeaux: gifts

les souvenirs: souvenirs :) the verb means "to remember"

Le Nouveau-Né (the Newborn)

Picasso

I liked the colors of the walls just as much as the art itself :)