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Our grand finale week for WVU-Vendée includes what promises to be a fascinating series of oral reports on our individual culture projects. We start off this fine show with a report from Dea Perrine. In addition to her studies in French, Dea is an elementary education major. Her report comes from the school she has visited. My report will not be nearly as rich, but I do hope to share some essentials with you over the next few days. Dea has interviewed two pre-school teachers as well as some of their students and some parents. Children often start school in France at the age of two, and this school is for pupils from two to six years old. There are three primary learning objectives in this curriculum: 1) learn to live together ; 2) learn basic subject matter that includes culture, writing, counting, and speaking ; 3) and finally to learn the "rhythm of work" -- that is the daily schedule that keeps this school on track. That rhythm includes routines that balance work, rest, and recreation. An interesting note on the rhythm is that the reading lessons are always preceded by a session of song. Since we're in a town partly founded by the world's first troubadour (William IX of Aquitaine), it doesn't surprise us that music and poetry still work their magic together in this 21rst century. As for the lessons themselves, one of the pupils reports to Dea that her favorite subjects are "computers and recess". That sounds like some one after my own. (Special thanks to "Oiseau" for her assistance today -- do excuse us if you're one of the Byrd family back home; this is the most affectionate of nicknames for us in France).
