a_bientot

Well, Congratulations to all of the darling students who have graduated. It is a shame to see them go since all of my senior students are my senior students because they have put a lot of hard work and effort into learning what I have to teach. There were little tears at the ceremony, oui?

But now it's time for vacation! Ten or so days back home so I can still live in America and yet call myself a Frenchman! Monsieur Wright is coming with me. Earlier in the year he came to me begging me to show him a country with some real history and culture to broaden his meager horizons and while I really wanted to say no since the last thing anyone wants on vacation is haul an American around Europe he spent so much time pleading I felt obligated.

After that it is back down to business though, especially for all of you students taking summer classes. Gavriel, I mean you, of course. There is a lot of hard work ahead of us and I hope you're ready for it.

Bonjour!

This samedi is Saint Valentine's day! This is my favorite holiday!

In France, there used to be a Valentine's tradition called "drawing for", in English, were single men and women would go into houses across from one another and call out to each other until they made a match! If the young man failed to be particularly enthralled with his valentine, he would desert her. A bonfire would be lit later where ladies would burn images of their ungrateful lovers and hurl abuses at them. That doesn't happen anymore, though. The government outlawed it. There's a lot of potential there, though, oui?

Two of my favorite french poets, Rimbaud and Verlaine, both wrote some amazing love poetry. It just so happens that they were in love with each other! It didn't end so well for them, but tragic love stories are the best love stories.

Here is one of Verlaine's poems ( il pleure dans mon coeur )

Salut!

I am continuing to make plans for the spring break trip to Quebec. There are many attractions to visit in Quebec City and the surrounding areas so if any students have ideas of where they would like to go I encourage your feedback. My current itinerary is as follows:

Day One
Leave the School at 9:00 am (after breakfast)
Arrive in Granby 1:00 (one stop) Lunch at The Granby Zoo
Granby to Montreal (1 hour). Evening of free time to settle in, dinner at Marché Jean-Talon. (giant food market)

Day Two Montreal
Breakfast on your own
Morning at The Botanical Gardens
Lunch at the Gardens After:
Group A:Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Group B:Museum of Archaeology and History
Dinner on your own
Evening: Free time or come to The Underground City

Day 3
Free Time in Montreal.
Leave for Quebec City 3pm.
Arrive in Quebec City 6:30 (one stop)
Dinner and Evening on your own

Day 4
Breakfast On your Own
Group A: Museum of Civilization, The Citadel (Lunch)
Group B: The Promenade des Gouverneurs (sight seeing), Wax Museum. (Lunch)
Dinner and evening on your own

Day 5
Breakfast on your own
Morning and Afternoon at the Quartier Petit Champlain and
Old Quebec. Lunch.
Dinner and Evening on your own

Day 6
Free Time in Quebec City
Leave for home 3pm
Arrive in North Conway 9pm (two stops)

And the last day of your spring break can be at the school recovering and bragging to your friends about all the fun you had.

Remember, students, if you are planning on going you will need a passport card.

Bonjour! Salut! Allo!

First of all, I would like to welcome all of the new students. I hope your first week of school at Zener was a good one!

I've spoken to M Saunders and Mme Carter and they have approved some Spring Break plans I've concocted. I will be offering a field trip to all the students of the school, not just the ones who take my class (shame on you if you do not), to our friendly neighbor to the north, Canada. We'll be going to Quebec specifically (kay-beck if you want to say it the French way). Unfortunately you will have to pay your own way but I am already calling ahead to obtain discounts since all of you are still dependent little children. I've put a sign up sheet outside my classroom door and my office. Please feel free to write your name there even if you are just curious about going. I won't ask for a final definite head count until cost has been determined but if you sign I will keep you in the loop. Of course this will also be a chaperoned trip.

It looks like fun, oui?

Salut, enfants!

Over all, everyone of my classes did very well on their exams. The verbal aspect was a little frightening in some cases, mostly on account of nerves I am going to assume, so I will grade that portion of your exam on a curve! Do not fear, mignons, this is only ten pour cent of your over all grade.

I am looking forward to the start of a new term, aren't you? I have a few things planned that I will need to talk to the Headmasters about but could also be a great deal of fun. I'm sure you are all looking forward to it very much. I am especially excited about French 3, we are going to try something new this year since many of our students are advanced for their age. We are going to read a book entirely in French. Do not be intimidated, it is a children's book...kind of. Can you guess what it is?

Here is a French recipe for all of you "culinarily" inclined individuals. In France, food is very important. We usually look down on people who cannot cook or settle on sub par cuisine.

( Chocolate and Pear Crumble )

Salut Enfants!

First, I would like to thank everyone who wished me a happy birthday on the sixth, et especially Monsieur Wright who saw fit to bake me a birthday cake mais that is what friends are for, non? The one inappropriate gift I received aside (you know who you are) I had a very good day!

Since I am such a good teacher I am going to give all of mes étudiants a sneak peak into the format of your mid term examinations! Of course there will be my infamous 100 word vocabulary quiz chosen at random from the words you have all learned this year. First year and second year students will also have 10 regular and 20 irregular verbs to conjugate in the tenses you learned this year, third year students will have an essay question (French dictionaries only), and all grade levels will have an verbal examination in my office.

Ready for some fun French Trivia?

There are 128 million native French speaking people in the world.
French is the second most common language taught in the world (English is the first)
There are 33 countries where French is the official language
French is spoken on 5 different continents
French and English are the only languages taught in every country in the world

Colin -

I think I am dying. You should bring me a bottle of aspirin. Or a mallet. Of course you could not get into my room because the door is locked and I cannot move.

Bonjour, enfants!

How are you back there in the United States? It was a long flight home, to Marseilles, but being here again makes me very home sick. It is quite possible you will have to find a new French teacher because I won't be coming back! There is no snow here, not like the weather in New Hampshire. All of my family is here and I have to sleep on the bottom bunk in my nephew's room along with three other children. I am not sure why I get stuck in the kids' room, I will probably be at the kids' table too. I think my grand mère hasn't ever forgiven me for leaving the country and has decided to punish me. Already she has refused to let me have any holiday cookies (she slapped my hand with a spoon) and won't stop making references to how I am the only single Renaud in the house.

Ah, c'est la vie!

I took some photographs to share.

The Port
Street corner building (very French)
Our tree
Buche du Noel

I hope all of you have a wonderful holiday!

Bon matin, enfants!

Since things did not work out so well for the last party I planned on the eleventh of last month, today during French II and on Friday during French I and III, we will be having a holiday party. There will be lots of French foods and games comme Les Boules, and French pop music. We will have La Galette des Rois and one queen or king will be named from each class. I know you are excited.

Of course, guests are welcomed from elsewhere in the school if you are free during these time periods. I would never turn anyone away who wanted a chance to experience a little French culture. You would certainly be better for it, I promise.

Aussi, I must inform those students who turned in the gifts that were sent to them by Edward, I will not be able to return them as promised. I should have foreseen, the police will want to keep them until this case has been closed. They are evidence now.

Et finalement, your bit of learning. Have you ever heard the song Ne Me Quitte Pas par Jacques Brel? It is considered by many to be the most beautiful song ever written. It is the plea of a desperate man for the heart of the woman he loves. You can listen to the song by clicking here or read the lyrics I have done my best, and with a great amount of liberty, to translate for you while keeping the proper sentiments intact ( here )

Students -

If you received a gift from Eddie, I would like you to bring them down to my office today. You can pick them up later.

Salut.

Pop Quiz scores from my first and third year French classes were dismal. We will go over the exams on Wednesday and then you will take another one. French I students, you would also do well to study all of the vocabulary you have learned since the beginning of term. I will pick 100 of them at random for you to translate from French or English.

French III étudiants: étudiez les conjugaisons des verbes dans le présent, le passé composé, l'imparfait, le futur, le subjonctif, l'impératif, le passé simple, et le conditionnel. Je choisirai vingt-cinq pour la conjugaison.

French II students, to help avoid this catastrophe for you I'm going to give you a heads up. Tomorrow you'll have a quiz on which verbs are aller verbs and which are être verbs along with 50 vocabulary words at random.

Bounjour, enfants. Quoi de neuf?

It has been decided. I am returning home to Marseilles for the holiday! All of my family will be gathering there which means I now have an awful lot of holiday shopping to attend. Many of you do not know this about me but I have a very large family. I have three grand parents that are still alive et of course, my mother and father. I have four uncles and five aunts, my two sisters and seven nieces and nephews, eleven cousins. Mon Dieu, I believe it is time to inquire about a raise.

In France, Christmas is kind of a big deal. It all starts on December 6 with la fête de Saint Nicolas. December 8 la fête de lumièr. In France, children leave their shoes by the fire place for Saint Nicholas to leave toys and candy in but things are not all fun and games, non non non. There is also Père Fouettard who hands out spankings to naughty children!

After Midnight Mass there is my favorite part to the holiday, Le Réveillon, which is basically a very large (very very large) holiday dinner. Goose, capon, boudin blanc, et la bûche de Noël are all included. And then, on the Epiphany, le petit roi is chosen and hides under the table to hand out La Galette des Rois, round pieces of cake. In one piece there is hidden la fève (a charm) and whoever finds it is the King or Queen for the day. They then choose a partner and are free from having to do the dishes (alors, the dishes part is only a tradition in my house).

I am never the King and I always have to wash.

Did you know, in France it is a law that all letters to Santa must be replied to with a post card?

Salut, mes amis!

I suppose I am a little late in welcoming all the new members to our staff but Bienvenue anyway!

Usually I would introduce myself in person but alors, I am stretched a little thin these days, please forgive me. My name is Dimitri Renaud and I teach French here at the school. There are four of you if I am not mistaken, yes? Alexis, Vic, Bristol et...uhm... Maverick or Mirabella? Which do you prefer? Anyway, it is nice to have all of you here, please work hard to protect the adorable little students and if anyone needs a tour of the town be sure to come and ask me. Also, I was running this morning and there is a young man living in our woods? Perhaps you could check that out.

French I students, please eat heartily during lunch today. Although we will be learning all about food in class later, my demonstration props are made entirely out of plastic and will not taste good if you cannot control yourself.

Enfin, did you know when traveling in France most shops will not allow you to use their toilets for free, you must first make a purchase or pay for their use. That is why if you are ever stuck far from your hotel and really need to go you should visit American fast food chains such as McDonald's or Burger King since they do not follow this trend.

Salut, enfants!

Tomorrow, the 11th of Novembre is a national holiday in France. Armistice Day celebrates the end of the first world war. In France, the two top national pastimes are: faire la grève (to go on strike), and to take vacations! Three months during the year is not enough, we also need to take long weekends to celebrate holidays like Armistice Day. No work from Saturday to Tuesday and maybe sometimes from Friday to Tuesday if we've worked especially hard.

To celebrate we will have a France appreciation day in all of my classes demain et mercredi as well! Delicious food, vocabulary games, music, and Les Boules! No need to bring your books to class, mes étudiants!

( Private to Andrew and Lisa )

Bonne nuit, enfants!

Here is some fun trivia about France for all of you.

The Languedoc-Rousillon city of Nîmes is the birthplace of jeans. The distinctive fabric was imported to California by Levi Strauss in order to make tough work trousers for gold diggers. Denim is short for “de Nîmes”

The bikini was invented at the same time in 1946 by two French designers working independently of each other. Jacques Heim got his out first, calling his two-piece bathing suit l’Atome. However, rival Louis Reard trumped him by hiring a skywriter to advertise his Bikini over the Riviera, and his name stuck.

George’s Perec’s 1969 novel, La Disparition, does not contain the letter E.

Under laws that no-one has ever got round to removing from the statute book, it is illegal to call a pig Napoleon.

Also, whoever posted the announcement about a study group for French, I am the one scribbled all over it. I am very sorry and have put up a new one.

Le français peut être amusant

I heard there was some luncheon in the teacher's lounge the other day that I missed out on. It's truly a shame, I'm a sucker for those adorable finger sandwiches.

Some of my French students have been asking for extra credit. Even though 'extra credit' is usually against my policy, failing students are even more disappointing so extra points may be earned by writing a report on French 'ghosts'. Three page minimum, typed and double-spaced papers only, s'il vous-plait!

Did you know, the Versailles Palace was first constructed to be used as a hunting lodge? A little extravagant, non? It has also been used as a secret rendez-vous location for illicit romantic trysts, and a home for the royal family. Did you know The Sun King would invite other influential upper class individuals he thought may be a threat to him to stay at Versailles? The palace has many secret passageways within its walls the king would use to spy on others so they could be properly taken care of to insure his seat on the throne. It was definitely the place to be back in the day.

Bonjour, Ça va?

En France, Halloween is still quite a new holiday, not at all like the day here in America. C'est possible découvrir un bar ou café avec les toile d'araignée ou les bon bons pour l'holiday particulier mais généralement, les français sont confusé par les traditions d'Aux États-Unis.

In fact, there are no official French holidays in the entire month of Octobre. En Novembre, however, we have Le Toussaint where we celebrate All Saints Day et All Souls Day. Because the French do not like to work very hard for very long it is a national holiday and all the school childrens are on vacation for two weeks!

C'est bon, non?

Et now, the funniest words in the whole French language as determined by French I: pupitre (poo-pee-truh). It means desk and poupée (poo-pay) which means doll. Americans!

Salut!

Bonjour!

The first day of class is always a little interesting, n'est pas? Lots of sleepy eyes and longing glances out the windows.

Here is a joke for all of you:

Once upon a time a farmer's cat had three kittens. The farmer wasn't sure what he should name the kittens so he decided on calling them Un, Deux, and Trois. One day, the curious kittens were exploring the farm and came across a lake. Unfortunately, all three fell into the water and drown. The next day, the headlines of the local newspapers read "Un, Deux, Trois Cat Sank".

All of my mignon French I students will be able to laugh at this joke by the end of the week.

I have posted open office hours on my door should anyone need help with any of their classes, feel free to come by any time or set up an appointment par e-mail.

And finally, here are some French words for you to try out, even those of you who have decided not to attend my classes:

Ma puce (my flea) is a term of endearment as well as ma bichette (my doe) et mon chou (my cabbage).

( plus en plus )