Harkins students visit Quebec, Ontario on exchange
A group of 20 Grade 8 French Immersion students and two teachers from Harkins Middle School recently participated in a YMCA youth exchange with École Sécondaire Louis-Joseph Papineau, in Papineauville, Québec.
The students left on Thursday, April 17, and returned on Wednesday, April 23. They stayed with the families of their exchange partners and visited the region.
"I didn't really like speaking French at first because I didn't think that I could speak it well enough but after a while it was like talking normally to a friend." said Julianna Haché, who went on the exchange.
"I think that now I have more confidence to speak in French," added Olivia Barry.
Some of the highlights of the trip were a visit to Montreal to see the Biodome and the Olympic stadium, with a stop at the Notre Dame Basilica and a walk in old Montreal, as well as a visit to Ottawa, where the group toured the Parliament buildings and went up the Peace Tower.
They also toured their local area, visiting Manoir Papineau, Chateau Montebello, the waterfalls at Plaisance and a "cabane à sucre" (maple sugar camp).
Organizer and teacher Jayme Campbell said they were blown away by the hospitality of their exchange partners. "We were given an incredibly warm, kind and welcoming reception by the entire community," she said. "This was not just a school project, the entire community was involved. We really got the royal treatment while we were in Québec and we are looking forward to returning that hospitality when they come to visit us from May 7-13."
Participating in the exchange trip were Tiffany Baisley, Lindsay Bell, Olivia Barry, Emma Boulay, Kennedy Chadwick, Michael Dubée, Megan Dunnett, Julianna Haché, Micaela Hachey, Kathryn Lynch, Jessica MacLean, Hailey Malley, Billy Matchett, Susan McEachern, Robyn O'Reilley, Riley Patles, Kelsey Rambaran, Rebecca Ritchie, Whitney Shannon and Sarah Turcotte. They were accompanied by Campbell and fellow teacher Astrid Miousse.
"Kathryn will remember this for the rest of her life — she already can't wait for them to come here. Experiences like this can't be taught in a classroom," said Janet Lynch, whose daughter Kathryn participated in the exchange.
YMCA Youth Exchanges Canada is a program designed to promote cross-cultural awareness and a sense of belonging among Canadian youth aged 12 to 17. Travel costs are funded by the Government of Canada through Exchanges Canada.
The program sponsors exchanges between two groups of same age and equal size in different communities. Each group hosts the other.
"This was a fantastic opportunity for our immersion students to use their second language in an authentic environment," said Campbell. "I organized the exchange because I wanted the students to see how much fun it is when you can use your second language to communicate with new friends. I was an immersion student myself, and there is nothing more motivating and exciting as discovering that you can communicate effectively with native speakers. Not only were our students able to see some of our nation's historical and cultural landmarks, they were able to use their French to develop friendships, communicate with host families and create memories that will last a lifetime."
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