FRANCE It was destination Valbonne in Provence, France, when Year 12 students Jack Caunter, Blake McGuigan and George Murray jetted off for a six-week exchange in December 2016. Billeted with French families, the boys attended school at the Centre International de Valbonne, as well as visiting many of the region’s attractions, including a perfume factory in Grasse, the Musée Picasso at Antibes, the Oceanographic Museum and Old Town of Monaco, and Thales Alenia Space – an aerospace manufacturer and satellite launching facility – in Cannes.
While they had a fantastic time on many different trips, they also enjoyed simply spending time with their host families, embracing the French way of life and practising their language skills. “We all had different experiences with our host families, but everyone was friendly and welcoming. We got on really well,” says George. At school, they attended a mix of special language lessons and regular classes. School hours varied from day to day and the focus was solely on academic subjects. Sport, music and other co-curricular activities were independently organised. With around 3,000 students, the Centre International de Valbonne is like a small city within itself.
Jack, Blake and George all agree their French exchange was “unforgettable”. “New Zealand is quite an isolated country and the trip gave us a much more international perspective,” says George. “I’ve a much better understanding of French language and culture. Having been there, French feels a whole lot easier now,” says Blake. “It was an amazing experience … learning the language, embracing the culture, living the life, just being there and hanging out with friends. I loved it. I know I’ll go back one day,” says Jack.
… AND HUNGARY Year 13 student Balint Tomozi was invited to come to New Zealand by the Head Coach at Canterbury Water Polo, Zoltan Boros, and College has reaped the benefit of his prowess in the pool. As Hungary is a land-locked country, Balint enjoys living near the sea in Christchurch and, when not in the pool, enjoys ocean swimming. He has found College different, but in a good way. Back in his home city of Eger, students wear mufti to the co-ed secondary school and there is no concept of BYOD, just good old- fashioned books. Balint is staying with Max and Louis Clark, and is looking forward to making the most of his time in Christchurch. He will be here for six months.
College Issue 32 2017
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