Live book readings begin at French May

Issue 64: 17/5/2024 Strategic Objective: , , ,

On Saturday afternoon, May 11th, the living books of FIS gave their first recitations to a wider audience beyond the FIS community. Five outstanding students (Heidi Baron-Jiang, Svetlana Bouev-Dombre, Nil Charbonneau, Suzanne Doumenc, and Céleste Lee) were the first ones last Saturday to offer recitations from memory of the books they had chosen to learn. For some, like Heidi, Svetlana, Suzanne, high school students at BPR, and Nil, a 9th-grade student at TKO, the process of learning the book began one or two years ago at the CDI of BPR and TKO. Others, like Céleste, a 8th-grade student at TKO, joined the project only a few months ago.

Dr. Bonin came to meet the five living books present on Saturday afternoon. He and his wife listened to the recitations and shared some anecdotes about the memorization process. Other visitor-readers came specifically because they had heard about the project, some in the Bulletin, others on the website of the Alliance Française, which is a partner, or because they support one of the participating students. Mr. Jean-Sébastien Attié, the Director of the Alliance Française, also came to listen to the books that were available between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m., including “Les Royaumes du Nord” by Philip Pullman, read by Suzanne Doumenc, a 11th-grade student at BPR. The participants on Saturday also got to know a young French-speaking girl named Fiona, originally from Zimbabwe, who stayed and exchanged thoughts with them about the living books for over an hour in a warm camaraderie atmosphere.

In total, fourteen people from the extended FIS community have decided to learn a book in order to recite it from memory as part of the French May from May 11th to June 8th, 2024. Most of them are middle and high school students from TKO and BPR. In addition to the students present last Saturday, other participants include high school students Naomi Benhamou, who will read “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins on Saturday, June 1st, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., Rose Chupin, who will read “The Picture of Dorian Gray” on Saturday, June 1st, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Emilie Foster, who will read “Un Coeur simple” by Gustave Flaubert on Saturdays, May 18th, June 1st, and June 18th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a math teacher, Mr. Cabane, who will read “Le K” by Dino Buzzati on Saturdays, June 1st and June 8th, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., a French teacher, Mrs. Rensy, who will read Chapter 1 of “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville as soon as another book becomes available to accompany them, and a mother of a student, Mrs. Ha Thuc, who will read “Que ma joie demeure” by Jean Giono on Saturdays, May 18th and June 1st, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Complete Programme: 

SATURDAY, MAY 11, from 12 NN to 3 PM:

SATURDAY, MAY 11, from 3 PM to 6 PM:

SATURDAY, MAY 18, from 3 PM to 6 PM:

SATURDAY, MAY 25, from 12 NN to 3 PM:

SATURDAY, JUNE 1, from 12 NN to 3 PM:

SATURDAY, JUNE 1, from 3 PM to 6 PM:

SUNDAY, JUNE 2, from 3 PM to 6 PM:

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, from 12 NN to 3 PM:

SUNDAY, JUNE 8, from 3 PM to 6 PM:

Alice Rensy
French teacher

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