Page 74 - The Gonzaga Record 1994
P. 74
began complaining of a varied assortment T o u lo u se E x ch a n g e, M a y 19 9 4
of illnesses ranging from the dreaded ‘flu
to mysterious back pains and stomach In May of this year, a group of five
complaints. A small group did, however students from Gonzaga Transition Year
face the challenge of the sessions with set off to spend three weeks in Toulouse,
certain enthusiasm but m otivating on an exchange organised by Ms Nevin
Francis, Declan, Queenie, Christie and the with le Caousou, a Jesuit school in the
rest of the trainees to participate proved a city. We were the third group from our
very laborious but fulfilling task. year, and as we travelled to Toulouse via
At the start of the year no-one knew London Heathrow, our minds were
what to expect. As one week progressed occupied with the stories we had heard
to the next, we gradually got to know our and information we had got from veterans
new acquaintances and by the end of the of the trip. There was little to distract us
year we were best of friends. Aerobics from this reverie, as the journey was
would not be the same without an end-of- uneventful, with Heathrow in particular
year party. As well as eating their fill and smaller and quieter than any of us had
playing a few games, the trainees enjoyed expected. We were met at Toulouse
a sing-song while displaying their talents airport by our exchanges, their families,
for next year's Eurovision Song Contest! and Monsieur Guillon, the teacher from
A very sincere thanks to Ms the Caousou with responsibility for
M acConville for her help and effort exchanges. He welcomed us (in English),
throughout the year and I wish her and warned us that the people of the South of
next year’s innocents well. France are very openly affectionate, and
invited us to sample the French wines
Joseph Newell (Senior 4S) with our host families.
School began for us two days after our
arrival, on Monday at 8 am. I was brought
to school in the car (a journey of about 2
km) by my exchange’s mother, with his
thirteen-year-old sister. The Caousou has
over 2,000 pupils, both boys and girls,
ranging in age from six-year-olds in
kindergarten to 22-year-olds in the third-
level languages facility, and everything
about the school - the sports hall, the
cafeteria, the school building itself -
seemed vast compared to Gonzaga. As I
waited for M. Guillon that first morning at
the teachers' entrance, it seemed as if all
2,000 students passed me on their way in.
My exchange had actually left the
Caousou almost two years previously, for
another, smaller school (only 700 pupils!),
but he continued to participate in the
exchange programme, with the result that
I was now on my own in a class of 30
French students who had no real reason to
talk to me. W hile this situation was
intimidating at first, my class turned out
Aerobics with Gheel to be very friendly, and being forced to
66
of illnesses ranging from the dreaded ‘flu
to mysterious back pains and stomach In May of this year, a group of five
complaints. A small group did, however students from Gonzaga Transition Year
face the challenge of the sessions with set off to spend three weeks in Toulouse,
certain enthusiasm but m otivating on an exchange organised by Ms Nevin
Francis, Declan, Queenie, Christie and the with le Caousou, a Jesuit school in the
rest of the trainees to participate proved a city. We were the third group from our
very laborious but fulfilling task. year, and as we travelled to Toulouse via
At the start of the year no-one knew London Heathrow, our minds were
what to expect. As one week progressed occupied with the stories we had heard
to the next, we gradually got to know our and information we had got from veterans
new acquaintances and by the end of the of the trip. There was little to distract us
year we were best of friends. Aerobics from this reverie, as the journey was
would not be the same without an end-of- uneventful, with Heathrow in particular
year party. As well as eating their fill and smaller and quieter than any of us had
playing a few games, the trainees enjoyed expected. We were met at Toulouse
a sing-song while displaying their talents airport by our exchanges, their families,
for next year's Eurovision Song Contest! and Monsieur Guillon, the teacher from
A very sincere thanks to Ms the Caousou with responsibility for
M acConville for her help and effort exchanges. He welcomed us (in English),
throughout the year and I wish her and warned us that the people of the South of
next year’s innocents well. France are very openly affectionate, and
invited us to sample the French wines
Joseph Newell (Senior 4S) with our host families.
School began for us two days after our
arrival, on Monday at 8 am. I was brought
to school in the car (a journey of about 2
km) by my exchange’s mother, with his
thirteen-year-old sister. The Caousou has
over 2,000 pupils, both boys and girls,
ranging in age from six-year-olds in
kindergarten to 22-year-olds in the third-
level languages facility, and everything
about the school - the sports hall, the
cafeteria, the school building itself -
seemed vast compared to Gonzaga. As I
waited for M. Guillon that first morning at
the teachers' entrance, it seemed as if all
2,000 students passed me on their way in.
My exchange had actually left the
Caousou almost two years previously, for
another, smaller school (only 700 pupils!),
but he continued to participate in the
exchange programme, with the result that
I was now on my own in a class of 30
French students who had no real reason to
talk to me. W hile this situation was
intimidating at first, my class turned out
Aerobics with Gheel to be very friendly, and being forced to
66
