From Oct. 23 to Nov. 3, 12 French exchange students from Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris will stay with nine different Sidwell families. During their stay, the French students will shadow their Sidwell host students, tour Washington and learn about American culture. 

The planning for the French students’ visit started in June 2022. While at a conference at the Library of Congress, a teacher from Lycée International de Saint-Germain-en-Laye researched schools in Washington. After identifying Sidwell as a contender for the program, the teacher contacted the school and asked to meet with the Sidwell French teachers at the end of the 2021-2022 school year to propose the idea.

“[The teacher] wanted [her students to have] the American experience,” Upper School French teacher Ramata Eller said.

On their first full day in Washington, the French students will shadow their host students in their classes. The following Monday, they will teach French lessons in groups so Sidwell students who are not hosting will also be able to have some “cultural experience,” Upper School French teacher Claire Monserand explained. 

During the rest of their visit, the French students will have a full schedule. Some of the activities on the schedule include visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Gallery of Art, the Air and Space Museum, the Library of Congress, the National Museum of Natural History, Georgetown University and  the monuments. They also hope to visit the White House and the Capitol. 

One reason why the French students are visiting at the end of October is so they can experience Halloween. “It’s a special time in the U.S.,” Monserand remarked, pointing out that Halloween is not celebrated in France. 

Over the weekend the French students visit, host families are encouraged to show their French students American Halloween and fall traditions. In addition, on Halloween, host families are also encouraged to take their French students trick-or-treating. Several of the French students are bringing costumes from home. 

Sidwell parent Mara Bralove, has organized a Halloween and fall party on Oct. 27 for the French students and their hosts, consisting of fall and Halloween-themed food, basketball, ping pong and pumpkin carving. Other parents organized trips after school including Sidwell sporting events and the Taylor Swift movie. 

Monserand and Eller are excited about the cultural exchange. They look forward to both the Sidwell and the French students alike learning about each others’ experiences. 

“We talk about France a lot during class, so I’m excited for when [the French students] visit the classes,” said Eller. 

In addition to learning about French culture through the exchange students, Monserand and Eller are excited about the visit of Éric Vincent, a French singer, who is hosting a concert at the Sidwell campus on Oct. 26 during the school day. They have proclaimed this “French week” and are looking forward to the French immersion experience for the students. 

Furthermore, Monserand and Eller hope that the visit will lead to future programs and lasting relationships between the French students and their hosts.

The host families are equally excited about this opportunity. One host student, junior Haohan SiMa, looks forward to familiarizing themselves with “new people from different backgrounds.” SiMa also thinks the visit is a “fun way to start the school year.”

Similarly, the visiting French students are thrilled about their trip to the U.S.

“I haven’t lived in the U.S., so I was looking forward to experiencing the daily life of an American student and American culture,” Louise Detourbet, a visiting French student, wrote. 

Detourbet is most excited about Halloween, learning about the school system, seeing Washington and meeting new people with different backgrounds. In addition, Detourbet is a field hockey player and wants to know how the sport is integrated into school life and how it differs from France.

“We’re both excited to get there!” Detourbet and Sixtine Fleury, another visiting French student, wrote.