2019 Colorado Academy Middle School Quebec Program
Program Blog
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Bon Voyage
Hey everyone,
What an epic week this has been in Quebec. Staying at the luxurious grand lodge in Mont Tremblant was the cherry on top. We pretty much had the place to ourselves, with a tranquil lake to relax by. Our last full day was spent zip-lining through the fog, with some awesome (very quebecois) guides, total mountain men with a lot of charisma that made it an extra fun time. Not nearly as scary as it seemed beforehand!
After another tasty supper, letters to ourselves were written, ghost stories were told and marshmallows were roasted. It was beautiful to see all the friendships that had grown on this trip. Heading home satisfied and exhausted, it was such a pleasure to travel with this group- so fun and easy to work with. I hope a little piece of Quebec stays with everyone. Enjoy the memories and the maple treats!!
Happy trails, Bon voyage
-Jesse (aka ‘mother nature’s son’)
Group Quotes
Hi everyone! Quebec trip crew here writing you live from the bus to Mont Tremblant, our bellies full of maple syrup. Here are some quotes from the group about their experiences so far:
“We were 30 minutes late and held everyone up. But spending those last 30 minutes with my host family was totally worth it.”
-Andrew
“Doing a handstand is like you’re holding the world”
-Fabian Frenz
“After showering we had to vacuum hair out of the bathroom.”
-Madeleine Worrall
“We do not have our phones so we need to resort to ancient forms of entertainment such as playing cards.”
-Heidi Schmid
Live life like you’re living in Quebec
-Violet
“Traveling brings people together.”
– Ava
I’m so glad I went on this trip!
-Hadley
Life is good because everyone speaks French and English
-Olivia
Life’s as sweet as maple syrup in Canada
-Cara
It took me 4,000 miles to get to know someone who sits 10 feet away from me.
-Abisai
Fantasies might not be real, but Quebec is
-Alex
A dream isn’t crazy unless you lack the passion to achieve it
-Aron
Day 3 in Quebec
Written by Jesse – Walking Tree Program Leader
Hi everyone! After our final morning of french classes, we celebrated Heidi’s birthday at the market in the old port. We tasted a some delicious pastries, cheeses, charcuterie and maple syrup. The museum of civilization had an exhibition called ‘Venenum’ that we saw, all about poisons- human history, poisonous plants, animals and minerals. The fish and sea urchins were particularly cool. The other exhibition was a sort of treasure hunt, which was very creative and had us using a lot of our senses to find clues. Everyone was a little tired today (lots of bus rides!), but we had fun and the group was really excited when we went shopping around the old town. Almost at our halfway point!
Looking forward to seeing the Huron village tomorrow, as indigenous culture and history is a huge and important part of Canada’s past and present.
Take care everybody!
French and More French!
Written by Jesse – Walking Tree Program Leader
Yet another great day here in Quebec City! The students came in from their host families in the morning to all meet at the school; everybody seemed to have had a good night with their hosts, and shared that for most of them it was more comfortable than they’d expected. They met their French teachers and spent the morning practicing. Role playing French newscasters sounded like fun! The group’s accents seem to be getting better and they enjoy imitating the quebecois twang. We spent the afternoon developing our ankle muscles at an epic indoor skating rink, gliding around with rollercoasters overhead that some of us tried. Zero injuries to report! We capped the day with the Avengers movie; three intense hours of popcorn and IMAX action all dubbed in French of course! All in all, a great day. À demain!
First Day in Quebec
Written by Jesse – Walking Tree Program Leader
For our first day here in Quebec City, we were blessed with amazing sunny weather without a cloud in the sky, and although the day of travel prior was long and tiring, spirits were high and everyone was excited to explore this new city. We trekked through the historic center, tasting quebecois cuisine and ordering in french – delicious croissants and café for breakfast at the iconic Paillard Bakery, and sweet and savoury crêpes au sarrasin (buckwheat crêpes) for lunch. We saw ancient stone houses from the 1600’s, a huge cannonball with a tree growing around it, and walked along the city’s old fortified walls with our guide Hélène who gave us our tour all in french. We were all feeling excited and a little nervous about meeting the host families, but the group came up with a lot of great strategies to make the most of this immersive opportunity – ask questions, share how you’re feeling, be brave and curious. The families arrived and they were lovely and welcoming; the students seemed ready to make new friends and practice their language skills around the dinner table. This trip is introducing us all to a lot of new things, and we can’t wait to keep exploring and see what we can learn! More updates to come soon!