It was a very early 3am start for Year 4 children and some Year 5s last Friday as we left Holmwood for our overnight trip to France. Suitcases loaded and passports packed, we headed to Dover to catch the ferry to Calais. The children were really excited to see the famous white cliffs and for some, it was their first time on a ferry.
After a smooth and sunny crossing, we made our way to a traditional bakery where the children had hands on experience at kneading and learning how to make bread from scratch and an exciting lesson in making their own croissants. The best part was eating the delicious freshly baked croissants they had made. Following a quick picnic lunch and a chance to stretch their legs and have a play in a French park playground, we headed to the old, historical town of Boulogne. We followed the old ramparts round to the little boutiques and were treated to ice cream at the end of our trail. The children got to show off their skills and order their ice creams in French. The shop owner was really impressed with their knowledge and spoken French – “especially for such young pupils” as she is normally used to secondary school visits from teenagers! We ended our first day by checking into our hotel and having dinner at a local “Flunch” restaurant. The children had to choose and order their own meals and had a wonderful time. The food was delicious!
On Saturday morning, we left our hotel after a tasty breakfast “al fresco” and headed to a famous Snail Farm. The children learnt about the life cycle of snails and how they are bred for food. They got to handle snails as young as a few days old to ones that were fully matured. Next came the tasting part….snail tartlets, smothered in aromatic garlic sauce! I am so pleased that quite a lot of the children tried them and actually liked them!
The final part of our trip to France, was a chance for everyone to spend their Euros in a hypermarché! They navigated their way around a giant store, bought their lunch, queued and paid for their purchases using foreign currency!
Our crossing back from Calais was calm. The weather was beautiful and the sea sparkled and many team games were played in the lounge. The McDonalds’s evening meal at the services was just what we needed before heading back to school for a well earned sleep!The trip was fantastic, the sunshine was glorious and the children were amazing! Well done! The teachers were very proud of you all! A huge “merci beaucoup” to the staff who accompanied me on the trip – Mr White, Miss Shipley and Mrs Wakeman, to the Catering team who supplied our breakfasts and lunches and to our Front Office team for all the trip admin.
Madame Mookherjee
Categories: News Category 1
