Bringing Some Brentwood Magic to École Cobble Hill

20 February 2023Lucy M, Mackenzie ‘23

Throughout the year, French 12 students have the opportunity to visit École Cobble Hill Elementary School for our “buddy activities”, as Mme Hall calls them. These visits put our French skills to the test, and more often than not, we’ve found that our third-grade friends outshine us.

On February 2 we took on our most exciting challenge yet. After weeks of rehearsing, perfecting, and studying fairy tales (aka contes de fée), we had the chance to perform plays for the class. We split into three groups and performed Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, and Snow White.

"Even though my group stumbled on a few lines, seeing the joy on the kids’ faces made it all worthwhile," said Ginger W, Allard ’22, who played the Evil Queen in Snow White.

We went all out, dressing up in costumes and adding music to make the plays as entertaining as possible for the kids. Their smiles, laughs, and the standing ovation at the end proved that we succeeded.

Our visits to École Cobble Hill have given us a unique opportunity to form bonds with the children. From decorating gingerbread cookies during the holiday season to playing cards and doing arts and crafts together, the French 12 class has experienced something truly special.

I think that this is a great experience for boarding students to have as it serves as a reminder that there is a world outside of Brentwood gates, connecting us with the greater community, but also providing a family feeling that we don’t get with peers our own age. Especially when the young ones shamelessly and annoyingly correct us on our French, keeping us on our toes, much like siblings do.

"I’ll definitely miss our little buddies after I graduate," stated ChiChi O Allard ’23.

We owe a huge thanks to Madame Hall for allowing us to escape the classroom while still learning and having fun. And of course, we are grateful to the kids and teachers at École Cobble Hill for keeping our French in check! We’re already looking forward to our next visit.

Lucy M, Mackenzie ‘23

Where Students Choose To Be