Notre Dame de l'Assomption

The day dawned bleak this morning with expected rain. I was collected by one of the English teachers at Notre Dame de l"Assomption at 11am for school. The school is the one that Danielle was the Principal of until the end of last year. Chantel is also very friendly and did many 'projects' with Danielle over the years. They took kids on cultural trips all over Europe and Northern Africa, so they are both well aware of the benefits of learning about other countries and languages.

Main entrance to the school



The school is very old and the 'playground' empty of anything to amuse the kids. As is usual in french schools, the kids are let in gates just before the bell rings, then the gates are locked and not opened until school is finished. There is no grassed area for them, just a concrete area that they congregate on, talking and chasing etc until it's time to line up ready for classes.

Each part of the school only has 120 odd pupils so it is a small private school.  During each class I was in today, the kids all had to introduce themselves and say a little about themselves to me in English. The 12-13yr olds didn't understand much English so I had to do the same to them but in French.  They were very interested and asked lots of questions about my class back home and what music etc they liked. They all wanted to know how old I was! Obviously not regarded as impolite here!

The classroom I was in this afternoon was just as we see in New Caledonia. There were five A4 sheets of paper on the back wall with instructions e.g "please repeat", "I don't know" etc in English, and absolutely nothing else except a wedding picture of William and Kate!!  It's amazing that they don't see a print rich classroom as one that would aid learning.  Chantel is strict and said that not all teachers are like her, but the kids in her class were very polite and didn't speak out of turn so the classroom was very quiet. As sometimes happens in NZ, she said that they are very  much at the mercy of parents because they are a private school. Often if a child is kept behind for detention on Wednesday afternoon ( the half day french schools are closed ), parents will complain and stipulate that their child could not have done that therefore they do not allow them to be punished!


I arrived home at 5pm and then headed off with Danielle to help shift some cattle from one paddock to another which entailed the cattle crossing the road. So.... I was a teacher and a farmer today! Bernard has Charolais cattle. They are a beef breed of cattle which originated in Charolais around Charolles, in France. They are raised for their meat and are known for their composite qualities when crossed with other breeds, especially Angus and Hereford cattle. They are known to be large muscled so Bernard says, and I kept a very wary eye on the bull as I shooed them down the road, because he is huge! Bernard was impressed with my lack of fear with the cows and I told him that in my very young days I lived on a farm and could work the dogs as good as my Dad could!

Charolais cattle

 

We visited Bernard's mother at 6.30pm when we would be eating or preparing dinner in NZ, but she was entertaining an elderly friend and they were having coffee and cake! She lives in the old farm house of the family which is just off the village square, and backs onto their farm. Bernard is a twin so I met his twin sister there as well.

 

The farmbuildings adjoining the house.

 

Bernard's Mum's house

Well the day has ended with a visit to the doctor - a story on it's own. I got home at 9.15pm!  I was the last patient for the day and that is quite usual apparently!  What fun navigating language difficulties with the earnest young village doctor! I understood his french if he spoke slowly and he understood my English if I spoke slowly and he threw in a bit of google translate on his laptop for the medical words! It worked well!  Hopefully a better night's sleep tonight.