A theatre trip to London

13 May 2020, 7:50 am
Published in Blog EN

From February 18-22, before COVID-19 managed to ruin our social lives, a group of twenty 'Seconde' embarked on a theatre trip to London. For five days we resided in the lovely St Paul’s youth hostel, which was perfectly located for the adventures we would experience. On the first day, we had a guided tour of the Globe theatre. That evening we saw the iconic musical Hamilton. This incredible show, based in history, made us to turn to each other in pure amazement. This performance brought some of us to tears, showing just how magical theatre can be.
On day two we visited the Arts University, Goldsmiths for a drama workshop, then did some city sightseeing. That night, after dinner in a Cuban restaurant, we were blessed to see Daniel Radcliffe in Endgame at the Old Vic, a play by Samuel Becket that initiated us into the absurd theatre genre. The following day, we started our own performance project on the Great Gatsby with the Anna Fiorentini Film and theatre school. We learned so much during the two day acting and dance workshop (including dancing which is not as easy as it looks!) At night we saw an ianteractive Gatsby performance in a Mayfair mansion. It was totally amazing, unlike anything we had ever seen with clever interaction between the actors and the audience – e.g. everyone doing the Charleston together! On the last day we performed our version of Gatsby, which was fun and fabulous.  That night we saw the hilarious, physical comedy “The Play that Goes Wrong,” in the West End.

This trip taught us many things: the importance of acting in society and how the way we speak can be used to convey emotions and ideas. All of the participating students would like to thank Ms. Yuill and Mrs. Bethell for planning this unforgettable trip and putting up with all of us.

Parker SMITH and Heloïse RIVET-PICOLET
 

 

 

 

Cambodia Humanitarian and Cultural Trip

11 March 2020, 5:32 pm
Published in Blog EN

During the February vacation, a group of 2nde students travelled to Cambodia on a humanitarian and cultural voyage. The purpose of the trip was to visit and perform community service at Grace House Community Centre. Grace House is a charity which offers free classes in English to children in the local villages, a support program and classes for local disabled children and ongoing support for families in difficulty though food donations, health classes and counselling. It is a truly marvellous place and ASEICA was very privileged to be able to go and help at the centre. The ASEICA students fund-raised before the trip and raised over 1 800 euros and with this money Grace House was able rebuild their vegetable garden, build new fences to protect the gardens and beautify the students' play area. In addition to the money raised, primary students from Haut Sartoux donated over 260 English books for the library at Grace House and over 500 toothbrushes and toothpaste were donated and bought with money raised which were donated to the centre as well to help with their dental health campaign. School stationary supplies were also donated by the Pichon company. 

The ASEICA students worked incredibly hard during their time at the school – clearing gardens spaces, collecting rubbish, mixing cement, building garden beds, painting, planting flowers and trees and moving a truck load of dirt from the front of the school to the gardens at the back. All of this was done in very hot conditions and the staff at the centre were amazed at how much the students were able to achieve during their time at the centre.

The trip also included tours of the temples surrounding Siem Reap, including the world famous Angkor Wat,  a visit to the landmine museum and the APOPO rat centre where students learned about the history of the conflict in Cambodia, the ongoing impact of landmines and how rats are being trained to detect the mines. We also went to a performance at the Phare Circus, an amazing circus involving music and acrobatics which are performed by former street children. During the last part of the trip we traveled south to Phnom Penh where we learned about the genocide Cambodia experienced in the 1970’s – visiting the Genocide Museum and touring the Killing Fields. This was an unforgettable experience and resonated deeply with everyone. The other highlights of the trip for the students were travelling around on tuk-tuks, a fully immersive water blessing at the local temple, eating truly amazing food – some students even sampled insects, spiders and snake and visiting the local markets where students practiced their negotiation skills.

It was a remarkable trip and one which certainly gave the students many experiences and memories which will stay with them for a long-time. Grace House would also like to extend a huge thank you to all the families who donated books, tooth-brushes, tooth paste or stationary items. These items were gratefully received and will make a real difference to the school and the students.

By Michelle Simpson  

 

 

 

Meet the teachers

1 March 2020, 9:29 am
Published in Blog EN
Have you ever wanted to know more about your teacher? Adam Hausman opens a serie of interviews among the ASEICA teachers community. Thank you Adam, the floor is yours!
 
  • What is your name and what do you teach? 
    My name is Adam Hausman, I teach English and History at college; and English at lycée.
  • Where are you originally from? 
    I claim to be from Bend, Oregon, as I lived there longer than anywhere else in the United States - mainly as a young adult. It is known for being a recreational hub, in my mind as good as anywhere in the states: it is a hotbed of skiing, hiking, camping, rockclimbing, mountain biking, kayaking and dipping in mountain rivers and lakes. As a child, I lived in (equal parts) Alabama, Virginia, Ohio and Florida.
  • What do you enjoy about teaching? 
    As an avid reader/writer, I obviously enjoy the literature aspects of my job. Personally, I feel like I have been heavily influenced by what I've read, especially as a teenager. I like the idea of providing similar inspiration to the teenagers that I teach.
  • What are your passions apart from teaching? 
    Apart from teaching, my passions revolve around riding boards sideways. I love to snowboard, surf and wakeboard. This is my "deep kick," as I once heard Flea from the Red Hot Chilli peppers explain it. I like the personal expression it provides, and I like combining the  elements of physical exertion and beautiful natural landscapes. However, riding boards is not a consistent part of my routine anymore, but trail running in the lovely forests around Bar Sur Loup holds me over. 
  • My favorite book? 
    I'll take Catcher in the Rye all day long. I think this novel has fallen out of fashion a bit, as far as being considered an all-time great, but it holds a special place for me. I read it at a really impressionable age (14?), and it kickstarted my passion for literature. I appreciate the humor - it's hilarious! The message/themes have meant different things to me at different stages of my life, but I always get "something" with each reread. 

By Karin Dodson Gignoux

 

Annual Alumni Evening

12 February 2020, 9:31 am
Published in Blog EN
ASEICA’s annual Alumni evening took place on December 19th, 2019. In the midst of the weather warnings, 35 alumni studying or who have completed their studies in the UK, USA, Netherlands, Italy and France arrived at the AGORA to share their experience with current Lycée students. This event is a wonderful occasion for students to ask questions about life after the CIV and we hope that more students will attend in the future. A huge thanks to all of the alumni who attended and to our staff and parents volunteers who contributed to the success of this event. All lycée students should register their email addresses and stay in touch with guidance in order to be informed of future alumni events. This year we asked our alumni for some advice to current students. We hope that the reflections and advice from our wise alumni will inspire the Lycée students who are in the midst of their bac-blanc exams this week.

Irene Boudier 

 

Study well but have a life outside of studying so you can show that you are an interesting and capable person beyond simply grades. James

Always keep a goal in mind and work towards it, don’t lose focus. Ava

Study regularly, follow the news and be curious. Rizlane

Don’t only focus on your grades but do many extra curricular activities that will make your profile unique. Margot

Organize your time well and be passionate. Paul

Every little thing you learn in the section becomes useful at one point. Do not think "Ah it'll be useless in a few years", you never know when you'll need the knowledge you acquired ! Noémie

 

Take advantage of what you learn in your OIB classes. The knowledge that will remain in your brains even after the bac will be so useful in your classes, but also in your general understanding of what goes on in the world. The works of literature that you study are really essential, and I still talk about them today. All of this background knowledge will come in handy when you are having conversations with people who matter. Salomé

Open up your possibilities by applying to different schools even if you aren't sure about going. The more options you have, the happier you will be. If you can't make it abroad right after Terminale it's ok! Stay in France and travel in the years that follow. Dinah