Fiona shares her reflections after spending a week with the Te Arawhata Team in Le Quesnoy.
I was very fortunate to win the Rosaria Campbell Excellence in French Teaching Award, which included spending time in Le Quesnoy at Te Arawhata, the Musée Neo-Zéandais de la Liberation in September and October.
Le Quesnoy was somewhere that I had been wanting to visit since the opening of the museum.
One of my students had attended the opening, and I was fascinated with the history and the connection between New Zealand and France.
I was warmly welcomed by the team at Te Arawhata and I was able to spend time becoming acquainted with the museum at my own pace.
I felt overwhelmed reading the soldiers’ stories and understanding the incredible bravery shown by these young men, liberating a small French town.
The tour of the ramparts provided another dimension, seeing where the soldiers climbed the ladder and imagining the conditions they had to deal with.
During my stay I visited some local schools and spoke to students about New Zealand, our school system, politics and New Zealand emergency services.
It was really interesting to talk to the students and compare our two countries. I was able to observe a few French lessons and an English lesson as well.
Experiences like this are truly valuable as an opportunity to bring ideas and resources back to use with my own students.
I also had some time with the Te Arawhata team, discussing possible resources that could be made relating to the museum and Le Quesnoy for schools in New Zealand.
This was my first time visiting Le Nord, and I was excited to walk around the town of Le Quesnoy and sample lunch from its friterie.
I also visited a nearby town, Maroilles, where I tasted a tarte aux maroilles. Having watched Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis many times, I was delighted to experience some of the things I had seen in the film.
On my last day in the region I spent the afternoon in Lille with Lindsay, Te Arawhata’s Learning and Engagement Officer, where we had a traditional lunch at an estaminet.
I was so impressed by this city, and I have returned to New Zealand with a focus on educating our students about the not so well known areas of France and our shared history.
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Lizzie, Jacob and Lindsay and the rest of the team for making me feel welcome and sharing your knowledge, experience and Le Nord with me.
I will definitely return with a group of students in the future, so I can help them learn about this special connection and what it means for us as kiwis.
