On Thursday 13 June, Years 4, 5 and 6 Miss Lovejoy, the Class teachers and French teachers took a day-trip to Boulogne sur Mer, a French fishing port not far from Calais, by coach and shuttle. This involved a very early start and there was much excitement for the day ahead.
First the pupils were shown around a castle of several historical layers where they learned about the marauding English and visited the tunnels below.
“The castle was very big and was beautifully designed, the walls were so thick. My favourite room in the castle was very big and it was a dinner hall where people used to eat ages ago” Elara
Then lunch was collected from a local pâtisserie as we all relaxed on a boat and took in the scenery of the coastline around the harbour, even spotting some sun-bathing seals. Luckily it was a calm day and the desserts were delicious!
“When we were turning around to get back to the coach, we saw some seals, a French man pointed them out to my friends and me.” Elara
We all then made our way to Nausicaá sea life centre, which is outstanding in its field and is a key participant in many conservation projects throughout the world. The pupils saw fish and other creatures from oceans all over the world, including penguins. There was even enough time for a little shopping.
“Next was my favourite part, the aquarium. We looked at all the different sea creatures and there were: sharks, stingrays, fish, crabs, lobsters, starfish, jellyfish, and sea horses. We also walked through a tunnel with the sea creatures around us. That was awesome.” Nia
Our final visit of the day was a surprise and the joie de vivre reached a new level as we made our way to the sweet factory.
“Then finally it was time for the surprise. Everyone got onto the coach, and when we arrived we were all excited because it was a sweet factory!” Nia
The sweet-maker addressed us in French with his wife translating. The pupils learned the process of making mixtures for hard and soft sweets and he involved some of the pupils in filling moulds under his watchful eye. After seeing the sweet machine in action, it was time to leave with some souvenirs. It was a satisfying end to a day replete with new experiences. – Madame Soosai and Madame Bashorun (French Teachers)
“We all had an enjoyable time in France it was great fun.” Year 6D