StM News

This summer, 14 St. Martin’s Upper School students had the opportunity to gain a global perspective and experience a new culture on a trip to France, chaperoned by world languages teachers Mmes Mary Kay Beck and Cissy Rowley. This international trip took students out of the classroom and placed them directly into the culture of the language they are studying, including spending time with and getting to know local host families.

The expedition reflected St. Martin’s CI (Comprehensible Input) approach to world languages classes – learning through reading, hearing, or watching in the target language. Throughout the school year, StM students have the option to take world language electives that expose them to a particular language’s people and culture. Those cultures are further explored through experiences such as this trip to France.

“Traveling abroad has so many benefits to students,” said StM parent Dina DiVincenti. “They are able to learn and open their minds to different cultures and places, and are able to see the world in a different light. Students will grow emotionally and intellectually, while meeting new people and exploring new places at the same time.”

After initially arriving in Paris, group members met with their host families in the Brittany region and toured a local high school, Lycée Beaumont. Throughout the two-week trip, students were able to visit a number of important historical and cultural sites, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Mont St. Michel, where they toured the monastery, picnicked, and explored the medieval city). Students also experienced a nature outing and open-air market with their host families. While staying in Paris, students visited landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the chateau and gardens in Versailles, the Catacombs of Paris, Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the Jardin de Luxembourg.

This powerful experience helped deepen students’ understanding and acquisition of the target language, and also reflected St. Martin’s Episcopal identity. By weaving the principles of equity, justice, inclusivity, and global citizenship into the fabric of our school life, we provide St. Martin’s students with a foundation of Christian love that guides and challenges them to build lives of genuine meaning, purpose, and service in the world they will inherit.