A Letter from Ella in Deauville

 

I arrived in Deauville on November 2nd, just in time for la rentrée after the October vacation. The first month in Deauville has been a whirlwind, settling into life in France, getting to know my students and colleagues, and seeing some old friends from my high school exchange back in 2018.

The first weekend in town Kira, our roommate from Nashville, and I went to Rouen for some shopping. We stopped into the church, checked out the gold clock that has been ticking since 1389, and of course stopped into some stores. Rouen is one of my favorite "cities" to visit near Deauville—it not only has the same selection of stores as your average mall in France, but in the beautiful setting of charming medieval Rouen, complete with cobblestone streets and a beautiful Gothic cathedral.                    

The following Monday was my first day on the job, and the first day back after vacation. I followed Ivan and Kira to observe their classes, older and younger kids, respectfully.I soon began working with the younger kids—the U.S. equivalent of preschool through 1st grade. It’s amazing how much even the youngest kids knew already, and how easily they retained English. My favorite group to work with so far have been the first graders. I love their enthusiasm and the extent of activities and content that I can do with them.

 

I’ve also enjoyed getting to know the older kids during extracurricular time like recess and lunch. I’ve been really impressed with not only their level of English, but also their comfortability around us Americans. Having worked elsewhere in France in a similar capacity, I’ve seen how kids can view foreigners as some kind of extra-terrestrial. I love that the Deauville kids are super used to having Americans around, so they understand that sometimes we say things wrong or misunderstand. I’m curious how this changes the kids’ openness and patience towards non-French speakers as they grow up.

On the social side of things, Kelly, Kira, and I have enjoyed getting closer to our fellow animateurs, many of whom live in Deauville. Towards the end of the month, we were invited to one of our colleagues’ birthday parties. We enjoyed a nice dinner in Deauville with our colleagues and some of their friends. We’ve all felt very accepted and welcomed into their group which not only makes work more fun, but also makes Deauville feel more like home.

 

My time in Deauville is off to a great start, and I can't wait to get back after the Christmas vacation.

Kira in Deauville: 2022 Blog Post

Re-bonjour!  Kira here… January and February flew by, as daffodils, blossoming trees, and sunshine now mark the advent of spring. 

In January, Covid cases were rather high, but there was a sense of solidarity working at the school through it all, with everyone doing their best to keep things running as normally as possible.  I sometimes worry about the impact the pandemic has had and will continue to have on kids.  They have many moments of saying goofy stuff and being silly, of course, but my time as an animatrice during recess and lunch has given me the opportunity to get to know the kids here outside of class and, in doing so, to see just how much some of them are carrying on their shoulders already.  Some of them have dealt with significant loss in their lives that they’re struggling to make sense of; some of them are feeling torn apart by family problems and are struggling to stay strong through it all.  Then, to add a pandemic and its ever-changing restrictions and social distancing to the mix?  It makes me realize how little I had to worry about when I was their age.  I remember one afternoon, a girl was crying during recess because her grandpa had passed away suddenly, and she was still processing being unable to say goodbye.  Her class gathered around her in support, as they shared stories of how each of them had been impacted by grief in their lives, reassuring that she wasn’t alone, that they were there for her.  Of course, there are times that some of the kids don’t listen, times that their recess romance dramas rival those of soap operas… But in moments like these, you can see the quiet strength, pure kindness, and growing maturity that gives me hope that we’re going to be okay after all, despite all the pain and uncertainty in the world.  They’re good kids.  

It’s a joy to see them gaining confidence in a foreign language so early in life and that they look forward to our English lessons.  It makes me incredibly happy.  The past several months, we’ve read many stories together including The Gingerbread Man, practiced our counting, played lots of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes,” and worked on “I have” in conjunction with family members.  My colleagues are amazing to work with (I couldn’t ask for better ones) and have taught me a lot about teaching and supported me all along the way.  And the notes and pictures my students have made for me are precious gifts… 

Louvre-worthy artwork

 

Breezy beach walk in Deauville        From the top of Mont Canisy 

I’ve branched out from beach walks to include hiking around Deauville and in la Suisse Normande.  Clécy is one of my favorite places here in Normandy (lots of good outdoor activities!), and my favorite place to hike locally is Mont Canisy… Besides being historically interesting, it has some beautiful views of the sea and the surrounding towns!  

We enjoyed a two-week vacation in February.  Kelly and I spent a sunny day in Honfleur, and she also kindly invited me to go climbing and helped me face my fear of heights!  Later on, I went to Spain for a couple days and had a lovely visit with some dear friends from Transy.   

Toledo

Happy Spring 🌸  

À bientôt,  

Kira

Holiday Blog from Kelly in Deauville

Happy New Year from Deauville! It’s hard to believe that it’s been three months since Kira and I arrived. Time is truly flying by! A lot has happened since my first blog post. We’ve settled into our routines here and got to experience Christmas and the festive season in France, as well as share American holiday traditions with our students. 

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, I was tasked with teaching my students the classic American Christmas song, Jingle Bell Rock. The older students performed it on the main square, the Place Morny, in front of the mayor as part of the celebrations to mark the start of the holiday season in Deauville. Two of the students were even picked to “flip the switch” to light the Christmas tree at the center of town. It was gratifying to hear the kids singing the song at recess and listening to it outside of English class! 

In addition to jingle bell rockin our way through December, we also wrote letters to Santa and Christmas cards in English. The students had fun writing out their lists in English and were happy to learn that the English word for Playstation is indeed Playstation! The last week of school, I somewhat took on the role of a Grinch, by giving my older students an assessment (at the request of their teachers). Though by no means perfect, it was a good way to wrap up before vacation, and I was happy to see how much students had mastered during our unit on family. 

Outside of the classroom, I joined the local football (soccer) club, AS Trouville-Deauville, and play for the senior women’s team. We won the first two matches in which I played, and I’m looking forward to starting up again after the winter break. It’s great to meet people outside of school and to feel like I’m part of the broader community. 

The last week before winter break, a friend from the University of Kentucky came to visit. We spent Christmas together in Deauville and traveled to Croatia the week between Christmas and New Year’s. We visited Split and Dubrovnik, and both were beautiful. It was fun to be in tourist mode and a different experience to visit a country where I don't know a single word of the language!

Deauville is certainly quieter now after the holidays. There are far fewer tourists on the weekend and most of the vacation homes in town are closed. Though I enjoyed the energy during the holidays, there’s something peaceful about the quiet streets and empty boardwalk of January. Unfortunately, I started the second week of the new year with a positive Covid diagnosis so have had to quarantine at home this past week. Fortunately, I don’t have any symptoms, and I’m looking forward to going back to school next week! 

À bientôt,

Kelly