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Posted: Thursday 11 February 2010

"C'était fantastique!" S6 Pupils at Paris Conference

S6 in Paris 2010 2Fourteen pupils in S6 - all studying AH French, Spanish or German - attended ‘Your Future in Europe', a Sixth-Form conference held at the Palais des Congres at Porte Maillot in Paris. In its 20th year, the conference attracts speakers ranging from leading politicians to experts in European business, economics and culture.

"No sooner had we arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport", says pupil Jeff Morrison, "did Miss Thomson have us marching, 'D of E' style, towards the métro. We soon came to realise that this would be the norm for the rest of the trip ...

After checking in at our hotel, we made our way to the Musée d'Orsay where we witnessed some truly inspiring pieces, as well as a few classic examples of impressionism. As we walked alongside the Seine in the early evening, the Eiffel Tower looked magnificent, and I'm sure it is a sight we will never forget."

S6 in Paris 2010The highlight of the conference, according to Jane Thomson, was the Question Time session hosted by Dermot Murnaghan with Dr Vince Cable MP and Shami Chakrabarti on the panel facing questions from the students. Sixth-year pupil Gregor Hogan was selected to ask a question: "If the Conservative Party wants to tackles the problems of integration, why has the party moved into a grouping with parties accused of racism and homophobia in the European Parliament"?

"It's a fantastic opportunity," says Miss Thomson, "both as a focus for their language learning and as a cross-curricular event for S6."

S6 in Paris 2010"On the second day," says Jeff, "we went to a French cinema to further experience the culture. By the final day of the trip, we had already seen so much of the city, but Miss Thomson assured us there was no time for a rest. We were up bright and early to begin our walking tour of le Marais, before enjoying a coffee in true French style in the Place des Vosges. To top off the trip we went on a boat cruise on the Seine to get a final taste of the stunning city."

 

Tags: Languages, S6, School Tours

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