The exchange experience
Jack Rowan, Mathilde Pechet and Mason Rowan enjoying a walk in Castle Pines with the family dog.
Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) students had a unique opportunity to experience a little piece of France right in their own classrooms. From February 14 to March 8, three exchange students from L’Hermitage, a small town in southern France, joined RCHS as part of the annual French Shadow Week.
The French students stayed with host families and immersed themselves in the American culture by shadowing different RCHS students throughout their day.
“It was really interesting to talk to the exchange students. It’s fun to hear how their life is like in France and to see them learn and experience something so different,” said RCHS junior Rachel Christensen. “It’s not hard to communicate with them either; they know English very well.”
Outside of the classroom, the host families show the French students Colorado’s sights and culture. Junior Mason Rowan is hosting Mathilde Pechet, also a junior, and noted the importance of learning about different cultures and shared experiences.
“We took Mathilde to Red Rocks, which was really fun, and a wildlife refuge,” said Mason. “We took her to Costco just so she could see what it was like because they don’t have it.”
“Everything here is very different; school is very different. Everything, even food, you have so much fast food here,” Mathilde said.
Over the course of the three weeks, students created friendships that will last a lifetime. And of course, they will stay in touch by the universal communication held by teens: the sharing of phone numbers for texting and social media handles.
For more information on the exchange program, visit languageandfriendship.com.
French exchange student Mathilde Pechet felt right at home with her host family and their dog.
By Rosie Benson (Rock Canyon journalism student), photos courtesy of Mason Rowan
