Homework and report

Louis has to do homework. He doesn't think much of this. It is mainly reading over what he has done in class, and it is a chance for me to see what he has been doing during the day. He has an exercise book in which his teacher writes which pages he has to read, but she has told me privately that it is only a guide, and that if he is too tired not to worry.

In this school, the teachers understand the enormous effort that it takes for little non-French speakers to complete the school day, and that they need far more time to rest and recover than the other children. The school day is much longer than in England : from 8.45 a.m. to 4.45 p.m.

As I can only do homework with one child at a time, I have asked the lovely Selma from next door to come in between 5.45 and 6.15 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays. She spends the half hour helping Louis, and I help Sacha with his English reading.


On the other homework nights, there is less pressure as there is a free day to follow, and finding two slots is easier for me to handle.

Mme Bonnot told François that Louis was a very bright child, eager to learn, and a pleasure to have in class. He now speaks  French in the classroom all the time. She has written a short monthly report in his work book. She says:

 "Louis is a lively and enthusiastic pupil.. He works very well.  He is very well brought-up, a lovely  little boy, with a very pleasant attitude."

Sacha takes off / Louis' newspaper

At the "aeroplane park."

It has finally started, Sacha is speaking French! I hear him practising to himself, and he speaks more and more to François in French. Not complete sentences yet, but groups of words. Yesterday evening, when I collected him, the teacher made a point of telling me that Sacha had put his hand up in response to her question, and told her (in French)  that the tortoise was situated in the middle of the top line on the page.

Before supper, he played a game of "pairs" with François and me, and made a very good attempt at remembering the new words. It is as though a light has been switched on. He even recited one of the little poems that he has been learning in class.

Sacha wants me to include this picture of the daisy-chain that he picked and made "for Maman." How could I refuse. (Yes, daisies in October. )

(A rotten trick, Sacha, to lift up your hand ON PURPOSE....)

Louis has his own newspaper : "Mon Petit Quotidien," which I have ordered for the term. (Thank you for the tip,Valérie!)

It  is a children's publication, of excellent quality. He finds it in the letter-box every morning. On Wednesdays, there is a supplement in English called "My Little Weekly." He loves having his own post to open. He is making great progress in reading and understanding written French.


 This lunchtime, Nick is collecting the children from school and taking them to Jersey for a long weekend. I will be back on the blog next week. Au revoir!

A trifle

The trifle had to be just right, exactly like the trifle at Bad Harry's birthday party in the story.  I had brought some jelly and tins of mandarin oranges with me from England, and we found the "jelly sweets", the sponge cakes, the cream, and the custard with very little difficulty. But the little silver balls were more difficult. In the end, Papy took them to a different supermarket.
Here is the finished trifle : the children's version of course. Silver balls placed by Sacha, jelly sweets cut and placed by Louis. Sacha cut up the orange jelly with an expert hand. French readers who don't know about trifles need to be aware that there is an alcohol-drenched version for adults.

Louis went and rang on the bell next door, and invited Selma and her mother Sophie to taste an English pudding. They came gladly, and said that they enjoyed it very much.

 They have promised to make a French cake very soon for the boys to try.

Ouistiti (or Little Monkey )

Sacha's teacher  told us on Monday that he isn't putting his whole heart into his time in school! So we have had to have a serious talk with him. We have told him that we don't really expect him to speak perfect French by Christmas, just to be able to make some little sentences, and be able to say what he did during the weekend, for example. I gave him some examples : he was surprised, as he could understand perfectly. He said that he wanted to speak not a little French, but ALL French by Christmas. I said that it was a worthy target, but no-one expected that, and that we would be very pleased just to hear him making an effort.

Yesterday he made a start , telling Papy "C'est bon, mais c'est chaud."  (It's nice, but it's hot" - the dinner, that is.) Unfortunately, this has to be said in a lisping, baby voice, telling us that it isn't really Sacha speaking. But it's a start.

They both have colds this morning, so there will be no swimming class. I have just read "My Naughty Little Sister at the Party" to Sacha for the umpteenth time, so we will be making a trifle today.

"1-2-3-Soleil!"

Waiting for those Oranginas

Look, the tram's coming.

It was a lazy Sunday, not a bad thing. At the end of the morning, we went and sat in the main square, rather sad that the roundabout had disappeared, but consoled by the brass band that was playing some well-loved film tunes. It was a pity that there were very few people around to hear them : they were good and deserved a bigger audience.You can just see them in the background of the photograph above, in front of the Galérie Lafayette.

Doing the Angers walk

Then a short walk took us to the side of the Cathedral, and our restaurant. It was called "The Farm," and was decorated with some more old farm tools, which Papy was pleased to show to the boys. We have certainly seen some bygone farm implements this weekend.

"We won't put THAT one on the blog"

 In the afternoon, Matthew and Lolita came round :

Too late, Sacha.

"Un, deux trois, soleil!"(much the same as "Grandma's Footsteps,")  was a hit as usual. Thank you, Lolita!

Troglodytes and châteaux

Saturday started well with a game of « Guess Who? » with Maman.

They learned to ask  questions in French: " has he got a big nose / white hair / glasses ? "  " Is the person a boy or a girl ? " etc.

We packed a picnic, and went to a Troglodyte village 15 km from Saumur, Forges. We were able to see farms, carved out of soft  limestone rock, and hollowed-out houses which are still inhabited. The area is set out like a museum, so there were old farm tools to be looked at, as well as various animals .

Caroline and I were amused by the awful translation into English of the guide which we borrowed to explain the site. Everything was "graved" into the rock, we visited "the stables, or chicken"  (kitchen? Who knows.) We might as well have taken the French guide, as the boys didn't understand  much of the explanation  unless we made a stab at imagining what the original had been., and then translating back.

Trog Dance.

Fighting form

 They saw their first guinea fowl,  and admired fan-tailed doves, geese, turkeys, guinea pigs,  and ferrets. More new words. They think that they would quite like to live inside a cliff.

We were only 20 minutes away from Saumur, so we went to look at the château.

 

A few knights and horses cantering around would have been appreciated, but we had to make do with the  Museum of the Horse featuring "Le Cadre Noir"  of Saumur, an internationally renowned cavalry school , and of course the amazing view. 

Water Shortage

October is here, but the heatwave goes on. There is now an official water shortage, so our plans for a frolic in the lawn sprinklers and the " pool " after school were scuppered.

It's surprising what you can do with an empty paddling pool

 Caroline is here this weekend, and she found the old electric train. : 

It still works! Sometimes.

 

Supper outside again, we could get used to this.

Tomorrow I'll write about our lovely Saturday visit to some Troglodyde caves, and to Saumur castle. Love to you all!