Back Home!

All are now home and trying to get back into the swing of things in Melrose! The weather is chilly, lunch is short, and the local Starbucks isn't down the street from the palace of Versailles ;-)
I plan to add additional photos and follow-up from our trip to the blog, so that everyone can see and read a bit more about our trip, and I invite everyone else to do the same with your own posts and comments. I also hope to link a separate site for more photo/video sharing from the trip, as the blog is not ideal for sharing lots of media files. Also, I'm eager to interview the Melrose participants - and even some willing parents - about the trip, in hopes of using the momentum of this experience to drive our upcoming two-way-exchange proposal and participation in it.
In the meantime, I'd like to thank many (many...many...) people who helped to make this trip possible:
The Melrose School Committee and Superintendent Taymore, who let us take this initial step toward a two-way France exchange.
Principal Marianne Farrell, Global Languages Chair Kim Talbot and my departmental colleagues who contributed so much to the planning and decision-making process of our trip.
Ms. Pari and her family for their efforts in allowing her to chaperone our trip and bring so much excitement to our group.
Mme Maliach and M. Carbonnier, for their planning work, generosity, dedication to the program and warm personal welcome of our group.
The Maliach family and Mme Phelizon and her family for going above and beyond in their hosting and chaperoning while we were in France.
All of the host students and families and the entire staff and community of the Lycee Leonard de Vinci for welcoming us, inviting us into their classes, taking our students on local trips, sharing lots of different cuisine, and making our stay and our excursions so pleasant. The tears shed at our departure are a reflection of your efforts and their effect on all of the students!
The Melrose parents, who have been a joy to work with and learn from, thanks to their many suggestions, questions and sharing.
The Melrose students, who (despite missing every deadline of the trip process in one way or another!) represented their school and community well and were very appreciative and respectful of their hosts and trip leaders, and who regularly showed maturity, a willingness to take on responsibility, and an engagement in things sometimes outside of their comfort zone.
My wife and daughter, who celebrated birthday number 2 and managed a hectic trip week (as well as many hours of planning and preparation time) without me.
All others who offered us support, resources, and encouragement!