French Celebration Week at Blossom Village [11-15 December 2011]
Our aim for French week was to give the children a simple yet fun overview of what French culture is about: good food, aromas and flavours, clothing and doing what we enjoy best at school, practising and singing in French. Various activities were planned throughout the week and here is a glance at what we did: French Breakfast. It was a great hit. Throughout the week, each class got the chance to taste a typical French breakfast with fresh “baguette”, topped with “beurre” (butter) and “confiture” (jam) and also to prepare it themselves, buttering the bread and spreading the jam. They practised the words “Baguette”, “beurre”, “confiture”. This was carried out as a picnic outside in the garden and was nicely finished off with a drink of “Chocolat chaud” (Hot chocolat).
During the breakfast, all children got the opportunity to practise their good manners with “S’il te plait” (please), “merci” (thank you), “non merci” (no thank you), commenting on the food with “C’est bon!” (It tastes good!), J’aime! (I like it!), “J’ai fini, merci” (I’ve finished, thank you). Day 1: Presentation of French Flag and French Names. In each class, children were named with typical French names, picked out randomly from a basket, to the likes of “Clochette” (TinkerBelle), “Blanche Neige” (Snow White) and “Cendrillon” (Cinderella) for the girls and “Gaston La Gaffe”, “Jean-Jacques” and “Francois” for the boys. They were labeled with these names for the week and pre-schoolers (Red Robins and Blue Birds) got to practise the writing of them for their smart books. Also on Day 1, all classes got to paint the colours of the French Flag and practise their knowledge of “bleu” (blue), “blanc” (white) and “rouge” (red). They also did face painting.
On Day 1, Pre-schoolers enjoyed a more in-depth presentation of France:1. Looking at a map: where is France? Has anybody been there before? How do we get to France? By foot, by car, by boat, by plane? How long does it take to get there? 2. Dubai has Burj Khalifa. What tower does France have? La Tour Eiffel. What is France’s capital: Paris. 3. We listened to the French National Anthem and explained that each country has its national song. 4. What characterizes France? Its food, “gastronomy”, agriculture and natural produce (vegetables such as courgettes, aubergines, peppers are what make up the dish “la Ratatouille”), its cheeses are made from fresh cows’ milk and breads such as “baguette” we pick up everyday from the local “Boulangerie” (fresh bakery). Day 2 and Day 3: Craft Days All classes produced a French craft which was a “Tree” made out of natural produce grown in France, i.e. “liege” (cork) and “herbes de provence (French herbs originated from the south of France, used in cooking such as thyme, rosemary and bay leaves).
Babies and toddlers, as a group activity, they decorated their class “Tree” and were intricately involved in sticking “liege” (cork) on the trunk, like a puzzle and sprinkling “les herbes de provence” on the top to make the leaves. They added “Pot Pourri” and “laurier” (bay leaves) to give further colour and character to the “Tree”. It gave children the opportunity to experience new textures, by smelling the herbs and touching, feeling and gluing new surfaces and grains. Pre-Schooler classes made individual fridge-magnets to take home, either in the form of a heart or miniature tree and decorated them with bay leaves, herbs and pot pourri. They enjoyed producing an intricate decoration and seeing beauty in natural products.
Day 4 : Dress-up Day and Concert Day Children came dressed in the colours of France in a stylish and fashionable way. For the opening of the Red Robins’ and Blue Birds’ concert, boys had a moustache as a “Monsieur” (Gentleman) and girls had rosy cheeks for a “Madame” (Lady). The children greeted each other in pairs in front of the audience, by saying “Bonjour Monsieur! Bonjour Madame! Comment ca va? Ca va bien, Merci! ...”. They then went on to sing. Pre-Schoolers (Blue Birds and Red Robins) sang Frere Jacques; Petit Papa Noel and Jean Petit qui Danse. Pre-Schoolers (Gold Crest and Scarlett Finch) sang Frere Jacques; Alouette and Jean Petit qui Danse. Both concerts finished off in a lot of excitement and much joy for the children.
We hope the children will keep very fond memories of this experience and share what they enjoyed best with their families at home.
To a prosperous year ahead… “Bonne Annee 2012…” Madame Sarah French Teacher-Blossom Village