2016/2017 school year

EXCHANGE WITH THE TULLE -7-14.06.2017r.

2015/2016 school year

International exchange VI High School in Krakow and Sainte-Marie des Champs Secondary School in Toulouse 9.02 – 16.02.2016.

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A great adventure with undeniable educational and cognitive value, which was a visit to Toulouse, has ended. Students returned to Poland full of new impressions and convinced that this is not the definitive end of this adventure, and the friendships made will survive the test of time and distance.

The purpose of each exchange is to get to know people, culture and place, as well as to exchange experiences and information, and meet the linguistic, representative and organizational requirements. And this time we managed to implement all the assumptions, at the same time opening the way to the full discovery of the beauty of French regions, their monuments, art, and places not related to traditional tourist routes – favorite cafes, small and peaceful shops, full of violet cosmetics and sweets, or places French youth rest.

When a group of Polish youth landed at the Toulouse-Blagnac airport, the stress of meeting new people, seemingly completely different and distant from them, was mixed with the desire to experience a different culture and customs. The fears turned out to be unfounded, because the French group, with its openness and smile, tried to facilitate acclimatization, at the same time bringing the realities of everyday life closer and showing the beauty of its charming town, called “la ville rose” – a pink city (due to the large number of buildings built of red brick) . Situated in southwestern France, the city is a cluster of cathedrals and churches, as well as an important cultural and scientific center, as the students were soon to discover.

The main points of the program of Polish youth stay in France:

February 9 – On Tuesday, an excited group of young people from the VI Liceum im. Adama Mickiewicza in Krakow gathered at the Krakow-Balice airport to begin her week-long journey. On board a Brussels Airlines plane, it flew to Brussels, then went to its proper place of stay – Toulouse. After a long and tiring journey, high school students could finally meet with French families and, despite the late hour and driving rain, lively tell about their impressions.

February 10 – After a warm welcome from the school’s management, it’s time for a Polish-French sightseeing tour of the city. Polish students with their accompanying teachers and correspondents had the opportunity to see and visit the monastery of St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Pont Neuf bridge and the town hall located on the square du Capitole – the undisputed symbols of the city. The students of the French school told about each of the aforementioned monuments, as well as other visited places, reading previously prepared notes in French and Russian, which met with the warm approval of Polish youth. After completing the route scheduled for Wednesday, students from Poland had free time, which they spent with their correspondents.

February 11 – In the morning, the Polish group waited a specially prepared lesson entitled “Conquering of space by the Russians” carried out by a specialist from AIRBUS. Thanks to the Polish translation, the lecture was also clear to students who did not learn French. After an hour’s introduction to the secrets of the subject, it’s time to explore the high school, a small private school with a truly French, peaceful character. Then the Polish group went to the famous Cosmic Town, a place where you can learn everything about space flights and outer space. The 55-meter rocket “Ariane V”, the opportunity to “learn” the moon walk and the unusual planetarium were not the only attractions of this place full of tourists. After the Polish students returned to school, they were picked up by French correspondents who had finished their lessons.

February 12 – On Friday, Polish students had the opportunity to learn about the mode of study in France, because they participated in the first two lessons of their correspondents. It was not without surprises about the method of assessing and the length of classes as well as the distribution of breaks between lessons – or rather the lack of them, replaced by an hour-long interval in which the French eat a meal comparable in size to a Polish dinner. After the lessons, the Polish part of the exchange went on a tour of the city again, getting to know other corners of Toulouse – with the Basilica of St. Saturnin (entered on the UNESCO list) inclusive. The group, exhausted by a few hours’ escapade, returned to high school to watch a specially prepared performance in French and Russian “Chekhov-Moliere”, with a paper translation into Polish at their disposal. A storm of applause and friendly smiles was caused by the speech of one of the French, who announced the performance also in Polish. The short, but funny and well-prepared speech was concluded with a snack prepared by French peers. Among the usual snacks you could also find specialties of Russian cuisine – incl. dryers and kvass. After an eventful day, Polish students returned with their correspondents to their homes, where French families were already waiting to sit down together for a traditional dinner, which was written on each day, considered here as the proper lunch.

13/14 February – Days spent in French families.

February 15 – The Polish-French group met in the morning at the secondary school in Toulouse, and then went by coach to Carcassonne – one of the greatest attractions in this area, and the whole of France. This mysterious and legendary city is crossed by the Aude River, which separates the historic part of the castle from the newer one. The medieval part of Carcassonne consists of two parts – la cité, meaning the upper fortified castle, and the lower town (la ville basse). The whole is surrounded by a double belt of ramparts and two rings of walls with gates and barbican, which are topped with 53 towers. Picturesque streets, gothic architecture and huge walls combine here with restaurants and shops full of tourists. It is a place of unique history and exceptional contrasts that enchants with its vastness and austerity. After an exciting sightseeing tour and completing a short quiz prepared by Polish-French teachers, students had free time, which they spent with their correspondents. It was the last day of their stay in France, so everyone tried to celebrate it in a special way – some by participating in the Polish evening (after registration), and others intimately, in the homes of French families, exchanging last, affectionate opinions with some members.

February 16 – Early in the morning, French families drove Polish correspondents to the airport, where the groups said goodbye, not hiding tears, but also smiling at the memories of the past week and the memories, being aware of their reunion in Poland. A hopeful group of Polish students and their carers boarded the plane. After changing trains in Brussels, they finally flew safely to Krakow.

Exchange results:

• Getting to know the wealth of history, culture, tradition and monuments of France;
• Promoting respect for other cultures;
• Getting to know the customs and customs of French students;
• Developing language skills through communication in English, Russian and French;
• Intercultural cognition, exchange of information and mutual experiences.