Bonjour! On Nov. 16, the French Club brought a taste of French culture to the middle school to teach the 8th graders about French by singing, playing games and dancing with them.

Approximately 30 French students went to the middle school to promote National French week. National French week is a week-long celebration of all things French related. The French Club students took time to demonstrate the reasoning on why they should choose to learn French in the future.

“The middle school students participated in activities that involved music, brands and logos, talking about likes, dislikes, and food,” said Norwin’s French teacher Madam Kelly Cole. “Students were able to see and understand just how much French is used in English and also hear the language in context.” 

Both the French Club students and the 8th graders were able to gather in the cafeteria and auditorium to participate in activities such as dancing and singing to the song “Case Depart” by Missy D., learn about popular French foods while trying Éclairs, and talking about French logos and brands by playing a matching game.

“Personally, my favorite activity that we did was the dance,” said senior Kailey Resnik, a French Club student. “Though a lot of kids were shy at first and they didn’t want to do it, I made sure that they knew we were all doing it together. After a while, they all began to warm up to it and ended up having fun.”

The 8th graders were able to open up and explore what dance this culture had to offer. Although the trip to the middle school showed a lot of French culture, it isn’t the only event the French club will be going to throughout the year. 

“French Club is taking several trips this year,”  said Cole. “In December, we’re going to the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh as well as the Christmas markets. We will also hopefully eat at a French restaurant. For the rest of the year, students will celebrate Mardi Gras, sail on the Gateway Clipper, have fun for the fish of April, and go to several more after-school venues.”

French Club students are open to a whole new world of French from being involved in these trips. They are able to interact with others who also want to learn about French culture and have fun with it. 

If you are interested in learning about French culture, consider the Norwin French Club. The French Club is for anyone who would like to explore and learn about French. They play games, eat good food, do crafts and are involved in service projects.

“I realized that as long as I tried my best to get them engaged it would be fun,” said Resnik. “I’m glad that the kids had fun with the activities and were even able to recognize some things from French culture.