building connections with Luzarches

One of my goals this year is to work on the partnerships between Oklahoma and the Académie d'Amiens. The Collège des Fontaines is a great little school, but we decided to pair Classen with a high school that has some of the same interests. The lycée Robert de Luzarches seems like a pretty good match for us.

I was invited to lunch in October so I could meet the teachers and the principal of the school. Unfortunately, that morning I woke up quite sick, and I knew there was no way I could be a good representative of my school feeling like I did. The following Tuesday, I realized that the principal was also a vice-president of the conseil régional and I was afraid I'd really messed up by canceling lunch. Luckily a second invitation was extended, and this time I made sure I kept the appointment.

Approaching the school, I wasn't sure this was going to be possible; a large group of students were blocking the entrance. In typical French fashion, they were on strike. This time, it's in association with the university students who have been striking for weeks. As I made my way through the crowd, heading to the source of the harmonica music being played by the gate, I spotted a familiar face. My friend Véronique's daughter is a student at Luzarches, and I was able to explain to her that I had an appointment with the proviseur for lunch. She said that it was okay for me to enter; it was only students that they were keeping out. Still, I had a hard time getting past a few of the students. They weren't intentionally blocking me, but they were so wrapped up in their protest that they didn't hear my meek pardons. That, or they thought I was a student. Yes, that's it.

Lunch was quite nice. Like last year when the delegation was welcomed by the lycée in Hirson, a special lunch was prepared. We had foie gras, maigret de canard, cheese (of course) and tarte aux pommes. I visited with the English teachers (mostly in French) and the head of the school. Afterwards, the head English teacher and I briefly exchanged ideas of what we envision for our partnership. We're meeting again in a couple of weeks to get some things on paper and hopefully get things going.

Incidentally, Robert de Luzarches was a 13th Century architect who designed the Cathedral of Amiens, and laid the foundations in 1220 for the largest and most beautiful cathedral in Europe.