PEACE PROGRAM

Partners in Educational And Cultural Exchange

Catskill High School, 347 West Main Street, Catskill, N.Y. 12414 U.S.A.

(Tel.)518-943-2300 (FAX) 518-943-1451

Lycee de Presles, Boulevard du 8 mai 1945, 03300 CUSSET, France, (FAX)70-98-94-6

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Travel - Study Program

What is the PEACE Program?

A program begun in 1990 by the NYS Department of Multicultural Education to promote cultural understanding. After submitting an application, Catskill High School was paired with the Lycee de Presles in Vichy, France. Lycee de Presles is a secondary school of approximately 2000 students in a small city, surrounded by a beautiful mountainous region and extinct volcanoes. During the summer of 1991, I traveled to France on a scholarship and met with Mr. George Badiou, an English teacher at the lycee. Since that year, Catskill High School has received a group from Vichy each year (with the exception of one) and CHS students have traveled to Vichy three times (1992, 1994, 1996). Below is a description of the objectives and  itinerary for the 2000 trip.

Photographs

A. Objectives

As a result of this trip, students will have the opportunity to:

1)Use the French language in real-life situations.

2)Experience the French culture, including family life, cuisine, and school.

3)Learn about the history and geography of France.

4)Learn about European art.

 

 

French Trip – October 9 - 20, 2003

Thursday, October 9th

Meet at school by 5:30 p.m. (eat dinner at home) – have passports ready to show us and all luggage marked with your luggage tags and ribbon.  Take plenty of snacks.  Depart Catskill by bus.  Clear security before checking in at Air France Terminal.  Air France 009 departs JFK at 10:55 p.m.

Friday, October 10th

Arrive at Paris/Charles de Gaulle airport at 11:50 a.m. Call airport shuttle after getting baggage. 0-800-258-826.  Transfer to the FIAP Jean Monnet. 

Check in & rest for awhile before leaving for the Historic Paris Walk.  Estimated time = 15 minutes

  • Line '4', Direction Porte de Clignancourt  (from Denfert Rochereau)
    • Cité

Sainte-Chapelle, Ile de la Cité, Notre Dame,  and the Latin Quarter

 

Bed check – 11:00 p.m.

 

Saturday, October 11th

Breakfast at the FIAP Jean Monnet  (7:00-9:00 a.m.)  This morning visit the Medieval Museum – Cluny, La Sorbonne, Le Panthéon, Luxembourg gardens, Pont Neuf – shopping at La Samaritaine.  If there is time we’ll go to the Pompidou Museum.

Dinner at the FIAP (6:30 pm – 8:30 pm)

Evening Activity: Eiffel Tower (depending on weather & how we feel).  Bed Check: 11:30 p.m.

 

Sunday, October 12th

Breakfast at the FIAP Jean Monnet.  Today it’s off to the Musée d’Orsay to see a great impressionist collection.  After our museum visit we’ll walk along the Seine River to the Hotel des Invalides (Napoleon’s tomb), Musée de l’Armée.  After a snack on Rue Cler, we’ll walk to Ecole Militaire for some daytime pictures of the Eiffel Tower.

Dinner at the FIAP Jean Monet (6:30 pm – 8:30 pm)

 Evening acitivity – Boat Ride on the Seine?

 Bed Check – 1 hour after we return.

 

Monday, October 13th

Breakfast at the FIAP Jean Monet

 Leave around 8:30 a.m. for the Louvre  (Glacière to Palais Royal, Estimated time = 25 minutes)

 

  • Line '6', Direction – Nation
    • Place d’Italie
  • Line '7', Direction - La Courneuve
    • Palais Royal/Musée du Louvre

Visit the Louvre.  Lunch will be in the food court in the Carousel du Louvre along with time to browse the shops.  Walk through the Tuileries Gardens, down the Rue de Rivoli for some souvenir shopping.  Next we’ll go to Sacré Coeur.  Take the Funiculaire up to Sacré Coeur & the Butte de Montmartre.  Explore the Place du Tertre. 

Dinner at the FIAP Jean Monet (6:30 pm – 8:30 pm)

Evening Acitivity: Stroll the Champs Elysées  & see the illuminated Arc de Triomphe

Bed check – 11:00 p.m

 

Tuesday, October 14th

Breakfast at the FIAP Jean Monet & pick up our picnic lunch on Rue Mouffetard before leaving for Versailles (Glacière to Javel, estimated time = 30 minutes)

Catch the RER from Javel to Versailles for a 12:15 pm tour.  Visit the park and palace.  Return to to the area of the Opéra Garnier, Galeries Lafayette & Hard Rock Café.

Return to the FIAP Jean Monnet

Pack for tomorrow’s train ride to Vichy.

Dinner at the FIAP Jean Monet (6:30 pm – 8:30 pm)

Bed Check – 11:00 pm

 

Wednesday, October 15th

Breakfast at the FIAP.  Check out by 9 a.m.  Metro to Rue Mouffetard to buy lunch for on the train.   Return to FIAP to get our luggage and go to the Gare de Lyon.  Train to Vichy (#5973 departs at 12:31 pm, arrives Vichy at 3:30 pm)  Stay with French families.

 

Thursday, October 16th

A half-day trip in the Bourbonnais including the main attractions north of Vichy.

Friday, October 17th

Visit the city of Vichy

Saturday, October 18th

Students spend the day with their French families.

Sunday, October 19th

Visit the Auvergne region - a one-day trip including the Puy-de-Dôme, the Mont Dore, the volcanoes and the lakes south of Clermont.  Depart Vichy by train (#5958) at 8:00 pm, arrive in Paris at 11:09 pm – Transfer to Charles de Gaulle

Monday, October 20th

Flight leaves CDG at 8:25 am, arrive at JFK at 10:20 am.  Bus to Catskill.  We will start the phone chain when we arrive in JFK and when we are one hour from Catskill.  Approximate arrival time in Catskill – 2:30 pm.

 

 

C.Estimated Price and Insurance

$1100 including everything but lunches and personal expenses.  Insurance may be purchased by students through Council Travel for approximately $20. The card which they receive will also be photo identification and will give them free admission to many museums in Paris.

Fundraising Ideas

D.Survey of Student Interest and Procedures for Selecting Students

Approximately 25 students taking French (grades 10-12) have expressed an interest. The trip is not recommended for those who have not taken French since students will be housed with families during part of their trip. It is also not recommended for younger students because their correspondents from Vichy are usually in the equivalent of 11th or 12th grade.

E.Chaperons

Joyce Notarnicola

F.Benefits received by the proposer

Depending on the number of students, chaperons will go on the trip either at a reduced rate or free of charge.

G.Copy of contracts to be signed

All arrangements are made directly with the individual businesses. A travel agent is not used except for the airfare. When the reservations are made, a contract will be available.

 

*This trip was preliminarily approved by the Board of Education in May 1999 and final approval was given in October of 2000.

Travel Etiquette

 

Find a route on the Paris Metro

 

Paris Guide Shopping Trips

 

Voyage Virtuel - Clermont-Ferrand et Auvergne

 

Questions or comments? Send me a message!

Teacher Information

Course Descriptions and Expectations

Peace Program Information

Links for Students, Parents, and Foreign Language Teachers

Why Your Child Should Study Foreign Languages

French 8

French I (Middle School)

French I (High School)

French II

French III

French IV and V

Homework