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HLG

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  1. Hi Mistral, Sorry to come up in the forum but I remember how we'd discussed the very different ways the DP6 classes had been interpreted in our respective areas. It seems our case is not unique - here's the article I go - it's in French but if parents are interested I can translate. les dérapages du dispositif Découverte professionnelle DP6    " La diversité des situations existantes sur le terrain tient principalement aux profils des élèves admis dans les classes de troisième à module de découverte professionnelle ; à la mobilisation des équipes autour d’une pédagogie de projet permettant aux élèves de construire de nouveaux apprentissages à partir de situations concrètes en relation avec le monde du travail ; à l’existence et à la nature des partenariats établis par les établissements avec leur environnement économique et social afin de mettre les élèves en contact avec des métiers relevant de plusieurs champs professionnels et de les aider à affiner progressivement leurs projets d’orientation… Force est de constater que, dans de nombreux établissements, la situation existante vis-à-vis de ces paramètres est significativement éloignée des orientations pédagogiques préconisées par l’arrêté du 14 février 2005". Plus d'un an après leur généralisation, le rapport des inspecteurs généraux René Cahuzac, Raymond Riquier et Jacques Thierry, montre que les classes à module de découverte professionnelle (appelées couramment DP6 pour les distinguer des classes à option découverte professionnelle) s'éloignent des objectifs annoncés initialement.   Présentées comme un remède à l'échec scolaire par une orientation anticipée vers le lycée professionnel, les classes DP6 accueillent en fait, parmi leurs 32 000 élèves, à coté d'élèves scolairement fragiles et envisageant la voie professionnelle ou ayant un projet professionnel précis, une majorité de jeunes relevant de dispositifs spécifiques, des décrocheurs qui devraient bénéficier des dispositifs relais et des élèves perturbateurs exclus de leur collège. "Il faut bien admettre qu’une certaine confusion, quant au profil des élèves auxquels s’adressent les classes de troisième à module de découverte professionnelle, a pu exister sur le terrain lors de la préparation de rentrée 2005. L’arrêté du 2 juillet 2004, en effet, ne fait état pour ces classes que d’élèves en grande difficulté. C’est l’arrêté du 14 février 2005 qui positionne ces classes pour des élèves volontaires prêts à se remobiliser autour d’un projet de formation dans les voies professionnelle, générale ou technologique" rappelle le rapport   La filière sert également souvent de variable d'ajustement du service des enseignants ce qui conduit parfois à des organisations des enseignements aberrantes. Dans ces circonstances, le rapport souligne les difficultés de mise en place de projets pédagogiques spécifiques. " Le plus souvent, les projets pédagogiques des classes de troisième à module de découverte professionnelle se réduisent à un descriptif de la distribution des enseignements et des activités prévues ou à une collection de comptes rendus de réunions de l’équipe éducative".   Les relations avec le monde professionnel semblent souvent superficielles alors qu'elles justifiaient au démarrage le projet. "L’implication des milieux professionnels dans le projet de formation peut être qualifiée d’extrêmement variable selon les établissements… Leur apport s’inscrit plus en juxtaposition des autres activités de découverte professionnelle qu’en véritable accompagnement de la construction du projet d’orientation des jeunes". Enfin le rapport signale que l'intégration de ces classes dans les politiques territoriales n'a pas été pensée. "Une clarification urgente s’impose pour que ces classes implantées en lycée professionnel cessent d’être en « exterritorialité »". Il s'agit en effet de classes de collège, relevant des conseils généraux, mais implantées en lycée professionnel, ceux-ci dépendant des conseils régionaux… Quelque soit l'implication forte des équipes éducatives, toutes ces contraintes structurelles jouent contre le dispositif.   Finalement le rapport ne souligne que deux faits positifs : un relatif succès de la prise de conscience de la problématique professionnelle dans l'orientation, les attentes des familles envers le système éducatif. Que reste-il de l'idée de départ ? Sans doute uniquement la question de la réussite de tous les élèves. En principe la solution apportée devait être trouvée dans le socle commun. Mais très vite on a vu F. Fillon, puis G. de Robien, abandonner l'idée du socle et même la scolarité obligatoire jusqu'à 16 ans. De fait les classes DP6 risquent fort de se transformer en espaces de relégation. Ce premier rapport doit alerter sur le maintien de ce dispositif. ---- Summary found on the Café Pédagogique's website, with full report here http://www.education.gouv.fr/cid4692/le-module-de-decouverte-professionnelle.html
  2. AB, B, and TB are "mentions" or honours the child received. AB is "with honours", B is "with high honours" and TB is "with highest honours". The brevet is graded but (as Mistral explained) the final grade is a summary of all marks received over two years plus the examination. Pupils who obtain a "B" or "TB" receive special advantages  although I'm not sure what. :) (Mistral?) Note that marks change value as you change classes. The lower the class, the higher the "normal" mark. Right now, fewer than 1% of bac-takers get a general score of 16. The median mark in the Humanities is around 8 and is around 9-10 in the sciences.  In primary school, a 16 merely indicates good work (18s and 20s are given to indicate excellence/superb work for the level.) 8-10 is BAD NEWS.  In collège,  a 16 is not exceptional but excellent nevertheless. The bac represents what a "man of letters" is supposed to know; "culture générale" and "esprit critique". Well, what a teenager with normal intelligence, diligence, and curiosity; should know, especially in ways of thinking. Since you can't cut "thinking" into little pieces, it's all or nothing. But each student can choose a "major", their "filière", depending on their academic or professional interests.
  3. I second Thibault's suggestion above. It's a terrific museum - I wouldn't have thought so but it's worth the visit. They have age-appropriate material for children and teens, too.
  4. The 1940-1945 period is considered an essential part of French history to the point of obsession and "devoir de memoire" is very, very, very strong for that period. At school, it's covered in Troisieme, Premiere, and Terminale (part of philosophy class.) It's fairly recent though. I had a historiography class about it, so if you want to follow me... :-) It went in three phases: first, roughly 1945-1970, the "myth" that everyone really was a resister was set up. Mostly it was created because France was in the midst of a civil war and there had to be SOMETHING to recreate national unity. The focus was on the military aspects. not much if anything taught in schools. In 1970 the "myth" was shattered both by Paxton and by Ophuls. The focus turned to collaborators and deportation of the Jews. Subject integrated to the national curriculum and kept as part of "exam years" to ensure it will be taught in detail. In the late 1980s the concept of "duty to remember" was coined and there wasn't a year without a film about the period. In 1985, on prime time TV, Lanzman's documentary SHOAH was shown over several weeks and the term "Shoah" adopted.  In the past few years January 27 (date of Auschwitz' liberation) has been dedicated to crimes against humanity and genocides (Shoah, Rwanda, Cambodia, it depends.) Glorification, mortification, obsession: the book "A past that won't pass" discusses how "duty to remember" came to be. Now the obsession seems to turn since the Algerian War has become the focus of the "repressed past". 1940-1945 history in French schools is... French-centric . And it really only exists as 1939-1945, never as 1939-1940. :) The British only appear on cue, to rescue the derelict French army in Dunkirk (one thing that sticks out in my memory: French soldiers in the Maginot Line refused to give their weapons to the Germans *after their officers had surrendered*, stayed there several days until their own officers promised to courtmarshall and shoot them for unsubordination, "escaped" their officers and ran to Dunkirk with their weapons.They drop them to get into small boats that will take them to safety.) So the 1940 campaign is seen as a major leadership disaster, from the Maginot line concept proper to the general June 1940 situation.  Churchill hardly appears and the Blitz isn't very big in their texts although both are mentioned and discussed ("London alone did not fall"). London is mostly known as the place whence Charles de Gaulle did his "appel du 18 juin": "Ici Londres, les Francais parlent aux Francais". On the other hand, if the Blitz isn't big, they don't really focus on the bombings in France either and not really on the campaign (except to disparage officers - there's even a saying "etre en retard d'une guerre", meaning "to be very, very, very slow on the uptake", coming from that time.) I also remember seeing an image depicting the French equipment - they had 1/100th the number of German planes, something ridiculous like this, because the officers didn't believe planes were important except for observation.... and everything along those lines (ie., willing soldiers but incompetent officers, poor choice of material, no strategy + the Army still aristocratic, antisemitic, antirepublican... There's much background given about the fascist leagues of France, one famous guy said the defeat was a "diving surprise" apparently and he was popular with Army officers!) The main focus is on l'Occupation - those in government who chose to collaborate, those who in their private lives chose to collaborate, the resisters (armed or not - I think they're slowly taking into account women's roles), and those who didn't know what to think and did nothing, plus the increasing mistreatment and deportation of Jews. Also the difference between nazi-occupied France and the new "French State" known as "Vichy" (as opposed to the French Republic). At the end, D-Day is presented (as a British, Canadian, and American endeavor, and not like saving Private Ryan would have us think, a purely American initiative. :->) + the fighting& the dead,  the "Das Reich" column and Oradour are also discussed (perhaps more than in other parts, since Oradour isn't that far away from here, I think???) The "devoir de memoire" duty is to make kids realize that these people could be us and what they did could be our own choices, to discuss how propaganda functions. I'd say that few points are left out, except perhaps the "cleansing" in 1945 (although I believe they do show pictures of nakes, shaved women dragged in the street.) And I don't think they present that period as a quasi-civil-war. Otherwise, the "duty to remember" aspect makes it almost blasphemous not to treat that period thoroughly. If you feel like a fun recap of this through film: start with Jeux Interdits, then La Grande vadrouille, then Lacombe Lucien and Les guichets du Louvre, then Au revoir les enfants, Les enfants de Chavagnes, La bicyclette bleue, and Monsieur Batignole. This last film shows really, really well the more recent "consciousness": French responsibilities, absence of heroism, day-to-day difficulties, degrees of antisemitism*, propaganda mechanisms, etc. Batignole is essentially a guy who could have become a B*** and came to realize what was happening purely out of -what he considers bad- luck; and even when he knows what's going on, he doesn't really want to act, even though his inner good guy kicks in, pulling him apart from his family and his interests (financial, social...) NO heroism, no grandeur, no "myth" in there. *(There's a foul French guy who's a nazi mouthpiece, who writes hateful propaganda really wants to kill Jews, but Batignole himself, the "regular guy", isn't blameless either with his greed, callous disregard, and ignorance.) It is also very interesting in relation to the  civil disobedience movement taking place against "children roundups" or "chasse a l'enfant" as it's been called. It's been pointed out many times that, once again, as long as 'random strangers' were being picked up by the police, no one moved, but now that kids are being taken (even if it's not to be killed, it's still "deportation"), random people are reacting and thwarting the governement efforts. While the children's situation surely is different, the basic reaction comes from the same place, I think.  
  5. Mistral: Apologies for going from factual to derogatory. Yes I was speaking of the DP6. It's not so much 'getting rid of' as... trying something else, hoping it'll work, because it seems everything else has been tried already and the pupils are spiraling down, taking everyone down along with them. I won't name the LP then, but the criteria there are essentially: kids who are 15 and have been in an atelier-relais or a classe-relais already but can'treturn to their regular collège. Are also admitted kids who were already in their "4e" -- and the pupils in that "quatrième" (there was only one for the collège-catchment area) I am sorry to say, WERE children who were noxious to their classmates (and themselves), so had been sent there in the hope the new setting would help them. What I take from your post is that the situation depends on the particular school and its policies. It probably also depends on how "bad" the situation is overall. The classe-relais I know is probably worse than average but my notion of "dumping ground" stemmed from the "special quatrième" recruitment plus the fact that LP's DP6 was seen as the class for the "classe-relais" kids who had *not* been admitted into a CAP/BEP program or had not been accepted back into their original school but were not 16 yet. (The class in question was comprised of 7 teens, including two boys who were notorious drug dealers and enjoyed showing off how they paid their "pain au chocolat" - 50 centimes- with large currency bills, one girl who, it turned out, was forced to prostitute herself by her boyfriend, and another girl who could be charming or violent depending on the day and would have needed counseling as she was probably bipolar but it wasn't available because she wasn't a bad-enough case. Other than that they were all pleasant enough teens and while I can see how they would have driven their teachers mad in a large group, they weren't "savages" as some media would have it. Their families were alsoutterly overwhelmed plus two which were, in my opinion, in and by themselves "toxic". The young dealers' families were also, alas, dependent on their money, which would limit parental legitimacy...)  
  6. Hi Pixie, Depending on how eager your son is, it could be a nightmare or merely challenging. French children take a test called "brevet" which, in my humble opinion, is pretty stupid, in that anyone with passing marks is certain to have it whereas teenagers with all-around low-marks have no chance. It doesn't affect your getting to the lycee, since passing it is too low to predict success at an academic lycee while failing it means the pupil is pretty much failing everything, which all knew. This may change with the "new Brevet" but here I'll refer to those out there who teach in "collège". It's taken around age 14-15 (16 in case of repeated years.) The Brevet, as of now, includes marks from Quatrieme and Troisieme (last two years of lower secondary), plus a test including: French (short dictation; reading comprehension of a page-long moderately literary text; composition: writing a few paragraphs on a given topic which may be based on the reading comprehension such as 'write what happens next'; grammatical analysis - recognize the subject, why is the present tense used there, etc ); math (geometry, basic trig, algebra); history/geography/civics (mostly 20th century history-WWI, Soviet Revolution, Krach of 1929, Front Populaire, New Deal,  WWII, decolonization, September 11...-  and European geography.) After Troisieme, pupils can start a professional course (BEP, Bac Pro) but they've got to choose their track carefully: some are much sought-after, such as cooking, watch-making, musical-instrument-making, etc..., some virtually garantee a job offer after diploma - such as bakery, plumbing, etc- and some are dead-end tracks where all the most 'unteachable' youth are lumped. Some pupils can start a "Professional discovery" Troisieme or even Quatrieme but, to be brutally honest, kids sent to these classes tend to be the ones teachers can't handle and are "desperate cases". I hope I won't shock parents out there by saying this. :-0 A nice option open to 16 year olds is l'apprentissage - apprenticeship. You can go all the way to a professional university degree with this, as long as you choose your path wisely. The pupils have about 13-15 weeks of class and only 5 weeks of (paid) holidays, the rest of the time being on-the-job training. They receive a modest stipend for it and take exams every other year on "general knowledge" (French, English, math, history/geography/civics, health...) and "professional knowledge". From what you're saying, your son would be very keen on attending a French school. Perhaps, as someone suggested, you may enroll him for a term in a "quatrieme" near your holiday home and see how it goes. (Quatrieme is when more abstract concepts are introduced but has no exams - unlike Troisieme, which has the brevet.) Problem: there are only 2 weeks of classes left (barely).. don't know if you could arrange it... If you can wait for next year (Winter term perhaps?) it may be easier but then he may be too old for Quatrieme (most children will be 14, some 15, some even 13.)  If he's still enthusiastic, he could enter Troisieme in the following term and decide on whether he's interested in an apprenticeship, a professional school, or an academic career path after that. The end of Troisieme is the first time pupils can choose whether to leave the academic track for apprenticeships or professional tracks (such as BEP.) The year that follows Troisieme, Seconde, is still fairly general, but at the end it's a guillotine-like decision: whatever you qualify for (or don't) is pretty much irreversible. It's unheard-of to go from a BEP to a Premiere S to become a doctor, for example.    
  7. Hi SaligoBay, Depending on how your son feels, you may want to investigate the "college de la maronne" in Saint Martin de Valmeyroux, Cantal. Downside: it's a boarding school, so your son would be at school 5 days a week (and I have no idea how easy the train ride is from Cantal to your area.) Upside: it's a public boarding school designed for children with a curious mind and whom the traditional system can't handle (or whose parents feel the traditional system is stiffling them). Children have individualized study plans and lots of interdisciplinary workshops - especially well-suited for children who learn differently, whether they are gifted or not. (The gifted kids are not in a special section but mixed in with everybody else.) There are no "classes" in that pupils are grouped depending on interests or according to their level. They do prepare the Brevet like all other French pupils. The school only has about 60 students, 30 of whom are "internes". I don't know what children have to do to apply, probably a motivation letter explaining why they're unhappy with their current school and why they'd learn better in the environment provided by the "college de la maronne".  
  8. Thanks to all who helped! Donna and I are in touch again. :-)
  9. Been trying to reach you ! But emails are sent back. Can you email/PM again so I can send my message again? Thanks  
  10. HLG

    shcool

    I've been trying to think of shows that are popular with teens. Pop music is always a good topic  when you don't know the person (except that they're 10-14.) You can see what's popular in France right now - there should be a lot of overlap with what's playing in the UK. Plus you can become a much-sought-after classmate for being able to actually write down the words to popular songs - and even tell them what they're about!!!! Popular programs: "A la recherche de la nouvelle star" on M6 and "Star Academy" (called "la star ac", subject of many teen conversations about favorite would-be pop singers.) http://nouvellestar.m6.fr/html/emissions/nouvelle_star/index.shtml http://www.m6music.com/html/musique/hitmachine/index.shtml TV: Shows on TV that teens may be able to watch (ie., in the 4-7pm range, afterschool programs) include: Law and Order; JAG; Lost; Rubi (a telenovella with lots of love triangles); Un, dos, tres (a kind of Spanish "Fame" - teens in a dance/singing school). Summerland, "les freres Scott' (aka One tree hill) They may also watch a French soap called "plus belle la vie" which is on F3 and takes place in Marseille - it's developed quite a following, including a website, chats, etc, etc! http://plus-belle-la-vie.france3.fr/index.php3 http://www.m6.fr/html/series/rubi/index.shtml http://www.m6kid.fr/ The most popular cartoon among 10-14 year olds is "Totally Spies". Also popular: "les zinzins de l'espace", "foot 2 rue", "recess".... Some parents may be able to give you more info on whether 13-year olds actually watch those... and how cool it is to admit you do. :-)    
  11. HLG

    shcool

    Did I mention the "MJC" and bibliotheque municipale? Those have activities for teens. Some French that you may use with peers * "trop" is used like "totally". Like, "trop bien" is "totally cool". "It sucks" = "c'est trop nul". C'est de la balle = it's da bomb. (ie., still used but a bit dated). * To emphasize something, the subject is repeated twice "La prof de maths, elle est trop nulle". * You can also shorten it to "trop nulle, la prof de maths". "trop mignon ce mec" would be in proper English "this boy looks good". :-) And in proper French: Ce garçon est assez beau. * a guy, a bloke = un mec, un keum, un type, un gars, un bouffon (a "bouffon" is generally a nerd, although is literally means "bufoon".) A bully is "un ca-id", pronounced kah-yeed. These don't usually pick on girls though and they are few and far between in the area you're going to. * to get someone away from you: Dégage crétin/ bouffon/ patate ("buzz off" + pick your insult based on the one you can pronounce with a straight face.) Slutty girls (or who are implied to be) are insulted with "taspé" or "pétasse", not that I'd recommend the practice as it can easily backfire. "Pauvre tache", pronounced povtash, means literally "you dirty stain" and indicates lots of contempt. ;-) * This said, French schools tend to be much more pacified, overall and especially in Vienne, than English schools. :-) ;-) :-) Added bonuses: * NO UNIFORM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! * NO ASSEMBLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! * NO RELIGIOUS EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! * WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON ENTIRELY FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!        
  12. HLG

    shcool

    PS: I've been told the schools in the Civray township are the envy of the entire region because there's some kind of company that generates millions and thus  they have to pay taxes on the money they make, most of which goes into the schools. There's also a superb pool complex if you like swimming, with a deep-diving tank. To practice your French, you can try and see if you can watch French TV - look for your favorite shows but watch them in French. Friends in French is funny-weird! They also have "Even Stevens" and other Nick shows.
  13. HLG

    shcool

    Hi Devon, What is the town/city closest to your village? Like: Poitiers (big city with a university), Chauvigny (small town)...? Since you are 13 you'd probably be put in the class called "Cinquième". Depending on the school you'd attend, they may have a "CLA" (or class for students who come from non-French-speaking countries) or you may get some tutoring - your parents can ask anyway. If they don't offer it, see if you can get "cours particuliers" (you stick a paper at the boulanger's, but you've got to use the same boulanger consistently!) or through a private company like Keepschool or Acadomia. School will probably end at 4.30 or 5pm, then time for "gouter" (Nutella and French bread or if you're 'raisonable', apples and yoghurt) and homework. :) You'll have all of Wednesday afternoon and Saturday for your favorites activities though. Good luck and don't hesitate to PM me if you need help.
  14. For stylo-plume, I recommend the PILOT "calligraphie" ones, with the plume fine or plume moyenne. Even if your child's handwriting isn't the greatest, the pen makes it superb! Practice a bit with you child before school starts. For maternelle, if your child stays the full day, you might want to put knickers (underpants) in a small plastic bag rolled at the bottom of your child school satchel. The satchel/rucksack/backpack is usually small and cute.There are no books to carry and the school will give your child the notebook needed.  To make the child feel important (carrying an empty school bag is kind of undignified for a 4-year-old going to school :->), you may want to place a cahier and a little trousse with a pen, a couple pencils,  'craies grasses' or sort of... plastic coloured pencils, not with wood and lead... You may also add une ardoise (slate with pen, or white erasable board ~ 8X10 with an erasable marker...) Nothing's mandatory though. A little gouter (juice box, a few cookies, apple slices..) may be expected at some schools. Some schools serve the morning gouter, others expect kids to bring something for the whole class once a month, other schools just let kids bring whatever they want for themselves. Best of luck to you and your children! Enjoy! :-)
  15. HI, As explained above, the Fables de La Fontaine represent Classicism in its easier form. Pupils could have Racine or Corneille but they'd be scratching their heads wondering what in the world it means (I only figured out Racine when I was 18 and Corneille disgusted me - what, kill your best friend just because the king asks??). At least they can make sense of the meaning in La Fontaine. They are likely to encounter the Fables again in Seconde or Premiere, where they'll have to use them as examples of how Classicism differs from other literary styles (since fables have been written... 'since the dawn of time'...); what values were important in the times of Louis XIV; use Rousseau's criticism of the Fables to discuss changing ways of seeing children/education. Psychology tests have even been drawn to evaluate children's maturity based on what characters from La Fontaine they agreed with (for example, children who identify with the free, hungry wolf rather than with the content dog are likely to be tweens/teens already. I don't remember what the "cigale" or the "fourmi" meant...) Although I haven't seen it done, you could even have education civique debates with them - like: do you agree with the selfish but hard-working fourmi, or do you agree with the carefree cigale? Isn't the cigale selfish too, expecting to be bailed out by the fourmi? Is the fourmi just in enjoying the rewards of her work, if she lets her neighbor die? How has the modern state figured out a way to keep both fourmis and cigales happy? It's really fascinating if you think those fables were originally meant to teach the future king about his duties ... What kind of morale did the little King-in-training get! And now all children get to be educated like king used to be... :-) :-) ;-)
  16. Beside the "écoles différentes" for kids who want alternative methods, lycée professionnel for kids who have an interest in a trade, there are "maisons familiales rurales" - boarding schools for boys who are in trouble academically and can't stand school. These are small structures where teachers live in the school and provide as much pastoral care as impart knowledge. The focus is on skills needed in rural areas - not just farming but all kinds of jobs like carpentry, etc. The kids are "en alternance" so they make a stipend from work. Perhaps it's the type of school Pfaffp refers to?  The results are absolutely excellent. If your son plans to live in a small town or rural area and is interested in working but doesn't know quite what to do, it's an excellent choice. Their motto is "Success, through other ways" (Reussir, Autrement). They offer classes up to the BTS so if your son is successful and likes it, he can get all the way to further education through this. They are not well-known because they don't depend from the Education Ministry, but I know of a boy who went there and turned his life around. They are public and follow the Ministry's guidelines, but are funded through the Ministry of Agriculture. http://www.mfr.asso.fr/
  17. * An alternative is the Lycee de Saint Nazaire. It's meant for boys (or girls I suppose although it seems to be mostly boys) who are bright but dislike traditional schooling and authority. The school is collaboratively managed between teachers and pupils, with the pupils working on rules and enforcing them, taking turns doing jobs around the school, proposing specific class topics, etc. The teachers are "tutors" and rarely teach whole classes. Their curriculum is interdisciplinary and often provocative - they'll study the biological, legal, economic, and philosophical ramifications of marijuana's illegality, for example.  They must all live in apartments and share cooking/cleaning responsibilities (under adult supervision.) The pupils can prepare the bac but not all do. Some simply stay for one or two years, until they can accept "traditional" schooling again. Those who are intend on preparing the bac at that school meet with their tutors for "bac modules" with intensive study and work in small groups. All classes are small and mostly discussion-style. The school requires a lot of maturity and self-motivation. There is a booklet published: http://www.pemf.fr/site/index.php?clef=PEMF_ARTICLE_DETAIL&id=893 http://ecolesdifferentes.free.fr/art13a.htm   * There is a similar school in Oleron, an island off the Atlantic Coast, which serves teenagers who are smart but not necessarily "book-smart" and who would benefit from a different environment to suceed. The bac general is offered (L, ES, S), with specialties in physical education and art, plus "reinforced English " for literature or for social sciences. It follows the same principles as above and requires boarding. http://hebergement.ac-poitiers.fr/l-cepmo/lyceeexp.htm * Finally, for brainy, independent kids who can't stand the intellectual limits of traditional schools, there is  the CLE of Herouville-Saint Clair, a college-lycee that functions along the same lines as those above (tutorials, interdisciplinary workshops, collaborative living, boarding only) , but with the bac and university as a goal. HURRY if your son might be interested because selection is taking place April-May. http://www.etab.ac-caen.fr/cleh/   All these schools are free and public. Admission doesn't follow any catchment area; it is selective (essay/interview and for the CLE, school records). There is one about to be added in the banlieue parisienne, a newer one in Grenoble, and a couple more at the collège level (off the top of my head, one in Saint Martin de Valmeroux, boarding; one in Bordeaux, day school.) All alternative schools (public and private) can be found in the "Annuaire des ecoles differentes": http://ecolesdifferentes.free.fr/
  18. 1) at the bottom of the screen with my message, there ought to be something like an oblong capsule with "pm" in it. 2) The "14" thing doesn't apply to you. It's for students who've been in the French system. Either you take the SAT or you take the BAC (although they're very different. The BAC is like the AP exams. The BAC is the reason why French students only have 3 years of undergraduate studies, rather than 4 like in the US. Same thing in England with A Levels, in Germany with Abitur, etc.) So you'll be judged on the SAT scale and you've already topped their requirement. :-) FYI: The BAC is the series of exams French students take at the end of their last two years of secondary school. Only 40 to 50% of an age group makes it to that point. (There's another program for the other 60-50% students, with about 20% getting to a BAC PRO, essentially an AS degree in the US. A total of 63% of 17 to 21 year olds obtain a BAC of one form or another.) The Bac is both a series of exams and a degree. They're very much like AP exams. Everybody has French Literature and Composition, one foreign language, and philosophy. Then depending on your major (filière), you can take a combination of exams  pertaining to a specific major (the majors are: S=Science, L=Humanities, ES=Social Sciences, STG=Applied Social Sciences/technology, STI= Applied Hard Sciences/technology, SMS=Applied/Paramedical/Technology. For example, a student in ES would have exams in Geography/Geopolitics, Contemporary History, Statistics or Calculus, Economics, Social Science, one additional foreign language). The exams in your major count more than the others. The basic format is a choice among several questions; you pick one and you've got to organize an essay. You may have short-answer items, too. Very similar to the AP exams. At the end, all scores are added up and a median score is produced on a scale from 0 to 20. Pretty much everyone falls in between 6 and 12. The median grade in French Literature and Composition is around 8.3. 3/4 students get a grade of 8 or below in philosophy. (Humanities grade harder.) If you scored below 8 points, you lucked out and must repeat the year in order to master the skills and materials better. That's roughly 20% of the candidates (remember that only the top 40-50% made it this far in the first place.) If you scored between 8 and 9.9, you take 2 oral exams in subjects of your choice, to show that your relatively low score is a fluke but that, really, you're good. :-) If you do well and receive enough points to balance things out, you obtain your BAC. If not, you join the previously mentioned candidates and repeat your year. Roughly 30% are there. The next 50% don't have the elective orals. They are divided into groups, depending on their score: Basic honors is called "Mention Passable". You get it for a score of 10 or 11. Honors is called "Mention ABien". You get it for a score of 12 or 13. It means you were in the top 15-20% among the candidates. High Honors is called "Mention Bien". You get it for a score of 14 or 15. It means you were in the top 5-10% among the candidates. Highest Honors is called "Mention TBien". You get it for a score of 16 (or more). It means you were in the top 0.5-1% among the candidates. Essentially, if you managed to get a "BAC" with or without a mention, you're publicly known as a person of knowledge, ready to embark on specialized studies and intellectual independance. Your name is in the newspaper for a day and if you got a "Mention TB" you may even get money from a local bank and your picture in the paper.  There are lots of rituals related to the BAC. The whole country's obsessed with it. In health or women magazines, a host of advice are related for anxious parents. Pharmacies covers their counters with little jars - Bee Pollen, phosphorus pills, energy boosters, anything to help the future scholar.Even parents who don't believe in God will pray or light candles for their children. During BAC review (most of May), the bac-takers are treated as royals by their family. At the very least their siblings shouldn't think of bothering them.They get food offerings - cookies, chocolate, energy bars, sweetened coffee.   On the day of the Philosophy exam, the 3 questions are discussed in the news. Sometimes, seasoned journalists or random famous people sit mock exams to show how they'd do. The correlation is that the whole nation's judged on that day: is French youth up to the task? Are we sinking (mentally) as a collective entity? On TV, you'll get a film or two about students, the bac, Mai 68, or such. Some of the intellectual or societal talk shows will have a "special" to discuss the school system (general consensus: it's going to hell in a handbasket) or whether things were better in the past (general consensus: they were.) If there's anything left sacred in France, it's the bac! ;-) :-) :-) :-)
  19. Hi Rich, You sound like a terrific student and any college should be proud to admit you! Just MHO. If you did well in Spanish, you should do well with French. French is actually easier to learn than Spanish (despite the false reputation in American high schools: Spanish has twice as many verb tenses that you need to know + more vocab with a different root.) Doesn't mean it's a cinch but it should not be as hard as for some, esp. seeing your current record. BTW, just so you know: French schools don't care a fig about your extracurriculars. All that matters is the academic stuff: grades, classes taken, test scores, ability to write essays. Class rank has not been factored in since 1968 (major student protests that heralded France's entrance into the modern world incidentally abolished class rankings and uniforms.) If you're allowed to take CC classes, see whether you can do their 'Second Year French'. It's the basic minimum before going to France - but it also means you should cover the equivalent of Basic French by yourself (getting to the 500-600 range in the SAT-II test).  Truthfully, if you want to make your life in France easier , I'd say take the most advanced classes available, ie., don't be content with "Second-Year French" if it is at all a possibility. Most universities would require that you pass two 300-level classes (like History, Composition, or Intro to Lit) before you go abroad; it's a good rule of thumb. But I don't know whether your CC would offer these classes and whether you'd be ready to take them. Having Spanish and AP English definitively helps though.  In any case, AUP offers French classes; becoming fluent is not an option, it's a requirement. ;-) In daily life, as long as you have basic French, you can get along. But as most expats here will tell you, the more you know, the easier the life. And the hardest part isn't the language as much as the culture, all the little "insivible" things - but if you read 60Million Frenchmen, you should have an advantage already. :-) Based on what I know, I'd think you're a shoe-in for AUP and they should give you one of these $3,500 academic scholarships. However the students from AUP I knew were all from families that could afford the tuition fees... so, can't help on that account. But based on their admits, you'd stand a good chance for the academic scholarship. AUP does offer financial aid and loans so you should be okay on that front, but it will be significantly more expensive than a Cal State school. ;-) Roughly, you'd have to contribute about half of tuition, plus room/board (housing is hard to come by/expensive in Paris, esp. for a student). Re: Housing: AUP should be able to help with that. However for a cheaper alternative you could try and look into the Cite Universitaire Internationale. See whether you'd qualify, being a poor youth all on your own in Paris. :-) There's an American pavillion and it's probably the nicest residence complex for students in France - nice lawns, actual upkeep of the buildings, no cockroaches :->, etc. (Most "cites U" are dreadful. You get a single room with a sink, a desk, a bed, etc., but no phone line and no cooking facilities. They're rented out for $100 a month to the poorest students and thus poorly/not maintained.) Yes the BTS program is in French. There is another program (mostly math/economics focused) that is TUITION-FREE but it's harder and requires students to really, really love math because they combine high-level math with economics from 8 am to 5pm (plus other classes), and then you've got homework till the wee hours. On the other hand, if you survive the 2 years, you're set for a good choice of majors and a garanteed Master's or MBA. Word of caution: As an American, you shouldn't look into French "universites", because they're underfunded and overcrowded. All French students who can, attend other colleges (like the BTS, the CPGE or 'classes prepa', the IUT, various 'ecoles'). They're all free, more or less, so cost isn't an issue should you go the "French school" route. (By free, I mean that tuition is about $200 a year. Meals are discounted to about $2.50 a meal + personal cooking and outings, budget about $75-80 a week to be safe - you can go by with far less of course. Housing is expensive though, probably $700 a month for something decent in Paris, and about half that in other cities.) A program you may want to consider is the Sciences Po program. Sciences Po (real name is something like Institut d'Etudes Politiques) is considered like the "Harvard of France" and is trying to be the "Harvard of Europe". While their entrance requirements are stringent, they are relaxed a bit for non-French people who've shown they have great potential. I can look into the "premier cycle" or the undergrad cycle, the  first 3 years. (BA in France is 3 years, like in England, because of the "BAC", which is like A'Levels or a series of 5-7 AP exams.) The curriculum is rigorous. You can start learning other foreign languages and you'll be expected to keep up your Spanish. Of course, if you don't deliver, you are out by the end of the first year, but then it's still time for you to fall back on something else. Tuition is $5,000 a year. Of interest to a future International relations major: They've got an agreement with Columbia's SIPA; after your 3 years of study at Sciences Po, you can be enrolled both at Columbia and Sciences Po Paris and you get a double Master's degree (from both schools.) http://www.sciences-po.fr/english/index.html http://www.sciences-po.fr/daie/stage_integration/guide_2005/index.htm I still think AUP would be a great choice for you, but I'm also mentioning Sciences Po so that you can apply to several colleges in France and then choose the one you like best. :-) As a rule of thumb, to be competitive in a French school (or an American school in France), you should have: AP-level:  History (European and/or World); Political Science or Economics; English. [For Sciences-Po, all four] + Preferably: Humanities/Philosophy/Great books, Geography and/or Sociology, Statistics and/or Calculus, a foreign language (all preferably Honors level although AP doens't hurt.) + as much French as you can.   Hope this helps and good luck! (Don't hesitate to PM me. I seriously know pretty much anything you might want to know about French schools.)
  20. Off-topic, but has anyone read Sadler's "Englishman in Paris"? Thought it was hilarious. especially the stinky cheese episode. ;-)
  21. Hi Rich, I happen to know AUP quite well (from inside, if you will.) As you say, AUP isn't a French university, basically it's an American College that happens to be in Paris. Most students are international (Americans, Europeans. Middle Eastern.) They do have financial aid. The scholarships and loans you could get for an American university in the US are all okay to use for AUP. Are we wrong to assume you speak French? (ie., have taken some French in High school). A solution to make your AUP degree cheaper - but only works if you are in the "AP French" course: choose a "BTS" program that can be transferred to AUP. They're like BS programs in the US but in a French high school setting (BTS are recognized as college-level, it's just the setting = regular classes, schedule, classrooms, etc. that are 'high school') The advantage: it's FREE. And if you're lucky, you can even get spartan accomodations on-site, for a very very modest fee.  You take your classes for whatever BTS program, then after one or two years, you transfer to AUP . :-) I should be able to help you with the application process - essentially, you can apply to one program per school, 4 programs per region. Deadlines are in the Spring before you plan to enroll (ie., you'd still have over a year to think this over.) Some info here: http://www.educnet.education.fr/ecogest/enseignements/techno/bts/BTS.htm   STUFF TO READ ABOUT FRANCE AND PARIS Non-fiction * Must-read: 60 Million Frenchmen can't be wrong, by Nadeau and Barlow. Funny, in-depth description by two journalists/writers who spent 2 years there. Most up-to-date, down-to-earth book out there. *Must-read (2): Postcards from France, by  McNeill Libby. Truest for teenage daily life experiences, as seen from an adventurous 17 year old who spent a year in France as an exchange student. * Almost French, by Turnbull. An Australian 20-something falls in love with a Frenchman. Culture shock in an easy-to-read memoir. * Paris: the collected traveller, edited by Barrie Kerper. Best anthology of short essays by "Anglophones" in Paris. Contains lots of practical information, too. * French Toast, by Rocherfort-Welty. An American who's married into the Parisian upper-crust tells it all: family, food, schools, money, men/women... From the person who maintains this site: http://www.understandfrance.org/Sommaire.html   and also writes columns on www.paris.org (le kiosque).   ... More to come if you wish! (books, websites, blogs...) ;-)    
  22. Regarding the "moyenne"... 10 doesn't mean "average" although that's what it translates as... it means "met the basic standards". Kind of like a B or a C (depending how difficult your school is.) The higher you go, the harder it is to get grades of 16 and above. So for example, "good" would be  18-15 in Primary, 14 in Sixieme and Cinquieme, 13 in quatrieme and Troisieme, 12 in Seconde, 10-11 in Premiere and Terminale (it also depends on subjects: in France, humanities teachers are notoriously harder than science teachers. On the "French literature" exam of the bac, I think they calculated that the median mark was 8.3!!!! In philosophy, 3/4 of the students get marks under 8.) 20 can only be attained in math, if results, problem solving, and 'style' are PERFECT. As to why "sports" and "education civique" and "French" all count the same in the collège, here's the reasoning: kids who aren't good at "core" subjects often have decent marks in "minor" subjects (often because music, sports, art... tend to give points for effort, too). Therefore, by adding everything up together, the school gives a chance to pupils whose academic performance isn't too good, but who made some effort.  As for kids who are good at French, math, English, and history-geography, but not sports or art or technology, the reasoning goes: it keeps them from being too cocky by bringing their 'moyenne' down and ultimately it doesn't affect them negatively, because "orientation' decisions are never made based on the moyenne generale, but based on the "core subject" average. If your son got comments like "peut mieux faire", it means... a compliment in the teachers' minds! They're saying "you've got potential, we know we can expect more from you, and your progress shows that you're able to do it, so go for it, show us, and get the 14 we KNOW you're able to get!!" Except French teachers don't write like that. :-) The best you can hope for is "bien" with no other comments. The "negative" comments are meant to show where your son is supposed to improve. The "positive" comments are there underneath: where there's no negative comment, it means he's doing well and his teachers are thinking "good job!" or "kudos!" For example if the teacher comments on learning lessons and 'redaction', it means spelling and conjugation have improved, that the child IS learning is lessons just not regularly enough, that the compositions are coming into their own but lacking compared to his native classmates... Perhaps you can "re-read" the bulletin de 2e trimestre with your son, using these "keys", it may cheer him up. ;-)
  23. Relax! It's traditional for French teens (lyceens and etudiants) to protest in order to show that they're joining adulthood, =defined culturally as the ability to defend or resist or support ideas expressed by the collectivity (ie., the Nation, or, the republic.) Remember that resistance is one of France's basic rights. :-) Participating in a protest is supposed to be an education - as long kids know why and what they're protesting. Still, you can't blame kids for joining a movement that provides endless fun (create banners with witty slogans, decorate signs, invent songs and rhymes) in a school system that provides so little. In all likelihood, they're not demonstrating in front of the lycee as much as blockading it to convince a majority of teens to join in the protest. If the lycee's blockaded, a good solution is to join the protest and see what it's like. It's a cultural experience like no other. Afterwards, the students who wish to go to class can always claim legitimacy "I was at the protest yesterday but today I've got a really important test". :-)  In virtually all cases, they'll be allowed to enter. It's all very media-savvy but not dangerous. It won't really affect much of their education. It happens every few years, as a sort of "ritual" for French youth.
  24. You are ABSOLUTELY within your rights. The language taught in primary school is in no way a requirement for the first year of collège. Whoever you talked to was just trying to manipulate you and exercise power. Parents can request a dérogation based on choice of LV1. The website given above is also very useful. Have someone French, preferably with higher-level skills (ie., French teacher who's a friend of yours for example), review your letter. It must sound PERFECT, conveying certainty and elegance.
  25. If your child is 12 or 13 (or will be in 2007), here's a website that includes the entire "cinquieme" (Grade 8 or Grade 9) program for math. The exercises are relevant and all in French. This way you can prepare for the "collège" and math "French-style". It can be very reassuring for a kid to know they're "ahead" in one subject at least! The textbook can be downloaded chapter by chapter as a .pdf document. It's got two big parts: numbers (mostly pre-algebra stuff: fractions, percentages and ratios, basic equations...) and Geometry (mostly work on symetry, shapes, etc.) Added interest: if you look at the curriculum and the exercises BEFORE leaving the UK, you can purchase a textbook as similar as possible to that curriculum, but in English. This way you and your child will be able to refer to it when needed. http://www.sesamath.hautesavoie.net/livre5/
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