Forty-four students sample home life in Paris

It’s 5am and Stokesley School car park is strangely alive with excited students triple-checking their essentials.  Phone? Check. Passport? Check. Sheep-shaped travel pillow? Check. It can only mean one thing; the annual Paris home stay trip has arrived!

Forty-four year 9 and 10 students, and four teachers, made the journey by coach to be welcomed by the iconic Palace of Versailles glowing gold in the evening sun. Host families greeted the students who set a fabulous example by introducing themselves in French and presenting thoughtful gifts. The next morning saw Stokesley on tour around the Eiffel Tour, Champs du Mars and the Champs Élysées, where students once again put their French into action, much to the delight of the city’s macaron sellers. Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney Studios were next. Students enjoyed princesses, pirates and fearsome rides (the teachers stuck to ‘It’s a small world’) before heading back to meals en famille in Versailles.

The final day included a tour of some of the world’s best impressionist art at the Musée d’Orsay and scaling Montmartre to the Sacré Cœur to savour the unseasonably beautiful weather and stunning views across Paris. Finally, it was back to our host families for pizza parties, home-made baguettes and group photos (including the pets of course)! Back at Stokesley, tired but happy, the students returned with new stories, glowing reports from host families of politeness, kindness and willingness to try new things, and invitations to keep in touch. They can be immensely proud of what they have achieved.