Year 9 Paris Trip
This year the school arranged an overseas trip to Paris for 52 Year 9 students from 11th to 14th March. The students experienced a river cruise along the Seine; the heights of the Tour Montparnasse giving fantastic views of the city; the quaint and beautiful streets of Montmartre, around the Sacré-Coeur and on to the delights of Disneyland! The students engaged in local culture, sampling many different cuisines and practicing their French language skills (even some of those who don’t study French at school!) – students returned home with a greater appreciation of other cultures and perspectives, and a broadening of their world view.
The students were positive ambassadors for St Mary’s, and showed great resilience and excellent behaviour throughout the trip. There were opportunities where their enthusiasm could have waned (not least being stuck in a broken down coach at the side of the motorway outside Paris for three hours on Wednesday morning!) but the students remained upbeat and showed perseverance, and the staff on the trip were proud of how they conducted themselves and represented the school.
Students themselves had this to say regarding the trip:
Rose-Mary: “The great part was being with everyone in a different way and being given freedom. The Disney fireworks were amazing!”
Chanita: “Being on the coach was fun. Being all together with people we don’t normally socialise with was nice and allowed us to get close to other people.”
Lara: “It was good. Disneyland was my favourite; it was my first time there and so much fun.”
Maxwell: “(after the fireworks) This has been amazing; the experience of a lifetime!”
Hopefully next year’s Year 9s will enjoy Paris and represent the school as brilliantly as this year’s group.
