Hearing languages other than English is one of the many benefits of being at OES. Mandarin, Korean, and Thai are just a few of the myriad languages our students speak. This week, however, we received a welcome infusion of French! For the 20th year running, a group of high school students from Sainte-Marie La Verpillière in Lyon arrived in Portland and will be in our midst for the next two weeks.

The students' coming to campus marks the other half of the French Exchange Winterim; the first leg of this annual bi-cultural experience took place in March when OES students crossed the Atlantic to visit Lyon.

While here in Aardvark Country, our French guests (including educators Emilie Boivin and Pauline Grangeon) plan to attend classes with their OESian student hosts, do some exciting outdoor activities with OES Experiential Education Coordinator Tom Handel, and participate in the Upper School's diversity, equity, and inclusion immersion experience entitled Culture Shock before returning to France on April 29.

Bienvenue to these globe-trotting young scholars!