Ella in Deauville - Spring 2023

 Bonjour! We've just finished up our fourth période of school, the seven weeks between our February vacation and Easter. Our fourth roommate and second assistant from Nashville, Madison, arrived right at the beginning of the February vacation. She is now working with the little kids (preschool to 2nd grade) and I'm with the big kids (3rd through 5th). 

I'm happy to now have had the chance to work with all our students in Deauville, from preschool to 5th grade. I'm still able to see the kindergarten through 2nd graders during lunch and after-school activities. For the preschoolers, Madison and I rotate working Wednesday afternoons at what's called mercredi loisirs, where the kids only have school in the morning and we take care of those who stay for the rest of the day. I love being able to see all of our kids regularly—it really makes me feel a part of the Deauville community. We also run into kids around town pretty often. In that way, Deauville can have a very small town feel!

During the February vacation, Kira (our other assistant from Nashville) and I went to Scotland for nine days. We stayed in Edinburgh and saw all the sights, and took a bus tour of the Highlands. We were even able to see Sarah, a former assistant who is now living in Edinburgh working on her law degree. It was really cool to be in an anglophone country again, and I really enjoyed getting to talk to Sarah about her experience being in France during lockdown in 2020. 

I'm now on my first week of our Easter vacation and enjoying some much-needed rest in Deauville. The other day I went on a hike in the Suisse Normande, a "mountainous" area of Normandy a little south of Caen. The panoramic views of the countryside were beautiful and reminded me a lot of Kentucky! Next week I'll be working at Espace Jeune, the vacation camp for middle- and high-schoolers. When we're back to school we'll have about 12 weeks straight without vacation through the end of the year. 

Courage!

Ella

Kelly in Deauville: 2023 Blog Post

 Hello from Deauville! I can’t believe it’s 2023, the first part of the school year flew by! After the fall vacation, I am now working two days a week teaching English at the elementary school in Villers-sur-Mer, a 15 minute drive down the coast from Deauville. It’s the first time an American has come to the school to teach English, so I’ve enjoyed being a bit of a novelty for students. At the holidays, we sang “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and I’ve been working on animal vocabulary, how to talk about family, and how to describe yourself and others with my students of various levels. I still get to see students at the elementary school in Deauville for lunch and after-school activities, so it’s been fun to be a part of two different school communities.

 

Outside of school, Kira, Ella, and I have enjoyed getting to know our colleagues. Last weekend, we hosted an “American Night” to celebrate Ella’s birthday. We enjoyed introducing our French colleagues to the wonders of homemade chili, cornbread, hot cheetos, chips and salsa, and various other American treats that Ella and I brought back from the States after the winter break. We even played a little American-themed trivia, with “how many states are in the United States” proving to be a bit of a stumper. 

I’ve also gotten involved in the local community by playing for the women’s soccer team, at the local club, AS Trouville Deauville. We won our league in the fall and got promoted to the next division in the spring. As the weather outside is the typical Normandie winter mix of rain, wind, and cold temperatures, the team has taken refuge inside to play a few futsal tournaments in the region, winning our first. Ella and Kira came to cheer me on, chanting U-S-A whenever I scored!

As the days start to get a little longer, I’m looking forward to warmer weather and the sunshine of spring. Though Deauville is a bit quiet in January, it’s fun to feel like a local and start to feel like a part of the community here in town. 

À bientôt, 

Kelly