Hauppauge High School hosts French students for exchange program

Several Hauppauge High School students in Christine Rigaud’s French class had the unique opportunity to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime exchange program. While a group of students from Angers, a city in the Loire Valley, France, visited Long Island, staying with Hauppauge students for 10 days, their Hauppauge counterparts will be going to Angers in November to stay with the French students and their families. 

Arriving on Oct. 9, the French students met their American hosts at Hauppauge High School before going home with the local families for the first time. The following day, students were given a welcome breakfast and tour of the school where they followed their exchange partners, going from class to class and at after-school activities.

Throughout the week, the students were taught a lesson on Long Island geography and historical points before visiting Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, home to President Theodore Roosevelt, and Montauk Point Lighthouse.

The exchange students even experienced an American Homecoming football game Oct. 14. During their remaining days exploring Long Island, the exchange students spent time with their host families, doing local activities such as Topgolf, bowling and even trekking into Manhattan for a Broadway show.

Their trip culminated with a few days in Manhattan, visiting Times Square, Grand Central Station, the American Museum of Natural History, Chinatown, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial site, the Empire State Building and a tour of Columbia University.

On Nov. 4, Hauppauge High School students will visit the Lycée Mongazon school in Angers for the exchange. While there, they will attend classes, participate in a walking tour and scavenger hunt with their exchange partners and visit several castles and cultural sites. Then, they will head to Paris where they will visit the Louvre, Notre Dame, the Latin Quarter, Shakespeare and Company bookstore, Saint-Germain-des-Prés the Eiffel Tower, Les Champs-Elysées, L’Arc de Triomphe, travel the Seine River via boat cruise and more. 

“When the students participate in an exchange program, the rewards are infinite,” Rigaud said. “Using the language in real-life situations, learning firsthand about the culture, traditions and food, speaking with the locals, visiting historic sights and learning about the history are just a few of the benefits.”

She added, “The students become more mature and self-confident as they navigate new situations. They learn to see things from a different perspective and become global citizens who are more understanding and accepting of cultural differences. Every time I travel with them, I get to see things through their eyes. It’s an amazing experience.”