A partner in France to honour the American veterans and a visit to NYC

This link to our padlet will tell us more about our current project. https://fr.padlet.com/sjschevallier/v8qhx8yavgcv2prq.
As you can see, we have had a long tradition of paying tribute to the soldiers who freed our region in 1944 and we’ve built many projects on the subject.
This year, thanks to the donation of an American family, we’re intending to go to New York on Don Reynold’s (their fatther) trace and build up an educational project with an American school in order to highlight the values he represented. Working on a regular basis thanks to differnt media, we would like to visit this chool and be able to present each other’s work when we visit New York next June. In the following text, you will be able to know more about our schol and the advantages of working with us.
HISTORY:
Our school has a very long history. It was founded by Elizabeth de Surville, a sister from the order of the Bon Sauveur (Good Saviour) in 1712. Just like the town of Saint Lô, it was almost totally destroyed during WWII.
So, the importance of history, of the fight for its liberation and of the Battle of Normandy are very sacred notions in the eyes of the people of Saint Lô and for us, it is extremely important to teach our students about these events and what they symbolize. We have always thought it was our “moral duty “to remember, honour and thank the US soldiers who freed the city on the 17th of July 1944 after fierce fighting (search for the battle of Saint Lô).
Our commitment is to send a delegation of pupils from the BS school at least once a year to the Colleville American cemetery and honour the grave by laying wreaths, by having a minute of contemplation or by taking part in official ceremonies, etc..
In 2014, for the 70th anniversary of the battle of Normandy, as a symbolic gesture of remembrance, we decided to name the classes of our 14-year-old pupils after the US soldiers we honour every year.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL:
There are about 400 pupils in the Collège du Bon Sauveur, the secondary school which teaches pupils from the age of 11 to 15.
For many years, there has been a special focus on the teaching of languages with pupils taking extra hours (from the normal curriculum) to improve their English or Spanish and the BS has always prided itself in being a “European” school, that is to say in developing partnerships with other schools in Europe (Belgium, Sweden, Portugal, Greece, Hungary, Germany.).
The traditional trip to England has been organized for 26 years without any interruption, which helps better understand how experienced the teachers are in organizing exchanges, supervising pupils abroad and running projects on a long term scale.
Many other aspects of the school’s curriculum and extra-curricular activities may be interesting for schools wishing to start a partnership with us.
• teaching sustainability at school (a” green” club has been in place for many years and a collaboration on this topic can be envisaged).
• a strong emphasis on science with diverse science clubs being run every year.
• an initiation to the notions of aeronautics with a group of around 20 pupils who take an official exam each year.
• teaching sport: a lot of pupils benefit from special time tables in order to be able to practice their activities in clubs (gym, soccer, table tennis, etc..) in close partnership with the school.
Of course, we would welcome any other ideas of collaboration.
GEOAGRAPHICAL SITUATION AND PLACES OF INTEREST
The town of Saint Lô boasts a privileged situation with very easy access to places of high interest for groups wishing to visit France.
A well connected train service places our school within 3 hours from Paris. Different UNESCO World Heritage sites are very easily accessible
• the D Day beaches and the Battle of Normandy museums and sites (check the Mémorial museum in Caen too). Around one-hour drive.
• The world famous Bayeux tapestry depicting the invasion of Britain by William the Conqueror and the magnificent Gothic cathedral of this intact medieval village. 40 minutes from the school.
• The holy island of the Mont Saint Michel, which counts among France’s most stunning sights, can be reached in less than 2 hours.

Apart from those internationally known sites, all sorts of outdoor activities can be planned because nature is at its best in the area. Most importantly, we have the world famous “bocage” and its famous hedgerows, the numerous studs which make the Manche a world famous region for the breeding of horses and finally, the seaside, which is only an hour drive both East and West to beautiful beaches.
PROJECT:
Our ambition is to find a partner school and build up an educational project that would culminate in an exchange between pupils. Our families are really used to welcoming foreign pupils and look after them safely and warmly. After so many projects and exchanges, they can be fully trusted.
This common project