Mrs Claire Casson – Prep 5 teacher and Prep Co-ordinator of MFL

Desvres, Opal Coast, France

Prep 6 recently returned from an amazing five-day trip to the Opal Coast in northern France, where learning and laughter went hand in hand. During our stay at the beautiful Hôtel Moulin aux Draps, we were looked after exceptionally well especially by our enthusiastic animatrices, Eva, Chloe, and Laura, who only spoke to us in French and made every day incredibly fun and memorable.

Amazingly, we avoided the downpours and, with mostly sunshine on our side, we explored the stunning white sands of Boulogne and navigated the charming old town through an orienteering trail. A visit to the incredible Nausicaá Sea Life Centre left us in awe, while our “market mission” tested our French skills as we interacted with local stallholders and created our own tasty baguettes. Mrs Eddison and Mrs Harrison were great role models for “having a go” in French, and all the children made exceptional efforts to use the language as much as possible.
At the boulangerie, we discovered how traditional French bread is made and had great fun kneading the dough under the watchful eye of Boulanger Bruno. In Le Touquet, shopping and sweet treats such as crêpes, glaces, and gaufres were big hits, and the hotel disco was a major highlight, filled with singing and dancing. It was also a lovely way to celebrate Amelia’s 11th birthday!

We also visited a local, artisan chocolate factory and watched cocoa beans transform into delicious, top-quality chocolate. Another highlight of the trip was an energetic laser quest in a sandy forest, where Miss Sharp and Mrs Lavorini took no prisoners!
The teachers were very pleasantly surprised to see that almost all of the students tried and enjoyed the garlic escargots (snails) on offer. Some even went back for a second and third helping. Bravo les enfants!

This was more than just a trip: it was a week of new cultural experiences, language learning, team building, laughter and lasting memories. Prep 6 and their teachers will never forget it!
Madame Casson