Through Princeton Day School’s Global Studies Program, students can engage with their chosen language beyond the classroom. PDS states that, “Our mission is to help our students become mindful of their roles and responsibilities in an ever-changing world.” This includes encouraging students to take risks and fully immerse themselves in unfamiliar environments. Students have the opportunity to connect with new people and experience foreign cultures and values.
Over spring break, students who are currently taking French traveled to France for a week and embraced French culture. This year’s trip consisted of eighteen students and three faculty members, including Middle School and Upper School French Teachers Madame Majorie Barlet and Yves Marcuard. The trip began in Normandy at the D-Day beaches. During World War II, these beaches were the site of the largest single-day amphibious invasion in world history (“D-Day – Normandy Beaches Invasion, Facts & Significance”). Next, students traveled to Mont Saint-Michel, a site with a rich history dating back over 1,300 years. Junior Jake D’Elia shared, “My favorite part of the trip was probably visiting Mont Saint-Michel, which is a monastery. ” The monastery’s history starts in the year 708, when Archangel Michael asked Saint Aubert in a dream-vision to build a sanctuary.
The second half of the trip took place in Paris, visiting iconic monuments and museums such as Musée d’Orsay and the Château de Versailles. They also tried native French dishes like galettes and croissants. In their free time, students were given the opportunity to explore the city and shop at local stores. Junior Ankith Namireddy noted, “My favorite memory from the trip would have to be the walks back from the hotel and seeing the nightlife of Paris. I feel that I got closer to everyone there all throughout the trip.”
At PDS, students have many opportunities to apply their knowledge from their respective language classes to real-life situations. The Global Studies Program is a great example of one of these opportunities where students can immerse themselves in a new culture that they may have never experienced before.
