The sky was an icy white, there was frost on the ground, and temperatures were well below freezing on the morning that we walked into our French classroom in the Sixth Form Village to find the photographs of white sand beaches, lazily swaying palm trees, azure waters reflecting bright blue skies, and lush green foliage on the board, accompanied by the title La Polynésie Française.

The photographs of French Polynesia were breathtaking – époustouflant, as we would learn that lesson. We spent the next hour studying a blog about the La Polynésie Française, learning about the flora and fauna of the islands, as well as the food, local people, climate and economy. 

This term, we’ve also had the opportunity to delve into the topic of Ecotourism, discovering just how harmful our preferred forms of travel can be and learning ways in which we can enjoy the world around us without destroying it. We have come away from the lessons confident in our ability to travel in an environmentally-conscious manner, and excited to put these skills to the test when visiting French-speaking countries and regions of France, especially those we had encountered and researched throughout this term as well.

By Sophia, Scarlett and Emilia (Lower VI IB)