EDUCATION
Shared histories project unites schools from France and Christchurch

Shared histories project unites schools from France and Christchurch

Credit: Dr. Stefanie Hossbach

St Margaret's College

19 May 2016, 11:31AM

St Margaret's College

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On 3rd April 19 girls from year 11 and 12 at St Margaret’s College traveled France with their French teacher Dr. Hossbach, and Mrs Gilbert for almost four weeks. Like always on these biannual trips, it was an amazing cultural and linguistic learning opportunity for the girls - however it was much more so this time as Amiens, Arras and Evreux were included to accommodate the Shared Histories Project.

St Margaret's College is one of the first schools to join the project that was founded in 2014 by the French Embassy and the NZ Ministry of Education. It aims to create lasting relationships between France and New Zealand through understanding the significance of World War.

As their contribution to the project, St Margaret’s College has started a collaboration with two schools in France, co-ordinated by Dr. Hossbach. Both projects have been successfully integrated in the NCEA level 1 French course programme:

Together with the Collège Étouvie in Amiens, students produced the bilingual recipe book "Bittersweet memories" with family recipes from the times of war. The book will go to print in a few weeks, with the first draft print to be proudly presented to the History teacher in Amiens, Stéphane Brendle.

The Lycée Senghor in Evreux has become St Margaret's partner school for a virtual letter exchange. Using the bilingual wiki ‘Poppelicot’ as their virtual platform, year 11 students have been writing letters from the perspective of adolescents during the time of war to students from France. It was certainly a highlight of the trip when the girls finally got to meet these students face to face and stayed in their homes for a couple of days.

Thankfully, Katrina de Mecquenem, English teacher in Evreux, had organised a whole project week around Word War I at the time of our visit. As part of the "journée anglophone" (English day), the St Margaret's girls were invited by representatives of the world wide operating association "Deep Respect" to lay roses on the graves of Commonwealth soldiers, including a number of New Zealanders, who were laid to rest on the cemetery of Evreux.

The girls left the North for Paris just before ANZAC day with lots of new memories a much deeper understanding of their own and the world history. They proudly wore their poppies on the 25th in Paris.

ENDS

For more information, contact:

Dr. Stefanie Hossbach

Head of Faculty – Languages.

Phone: 03 3532560 Ext 8448

Email: Stefanie.h@stmargarets.school.nz

Note: Stefanie is happy to be contacted for more information, quotes or photos from the trip, and is also happy to provide quotes from or contact details for the girls who went on the trip. 

Photo caption:
Students from St Margaret's College and College Etouvie in France at the cemetery of Evreux, laying roses on the graves of Commonwealth soldiers.

About St Margaret's College

St Margaret’s College is an independent day and boarding school for Year 1- 13 girls and comprises Junior, Middle and Senior Schools, as well as a Pre School. St Margaret’s was founded on Anglican Christian values and has a proud history of academic, sporting and cultural success. Students are offered a world class learning and leadership experience.  

St Margaret’s is the only school in Christchurch to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (Years 12-13). Our girls are offered an opportunity to complete an internationally recognised and highly regarded qualification with a philosophy that fits closely with the holistic philosophy and vision of the school. As our girls leave the school gates at the end of their time at St Margaret’s they will be fully equipped to be global citizens and the providers for and of the next generation of New Zealanders. 

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