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Sunday, May 21, 2000 Oakville Beaver Weekend 19 Education An Oakville Beaver Feature To advertise in this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5568 French exchange visit was experience ofa lifetime By Courtney Siler, GRADE 9, Q.E.P. O n March 4th, 28 Q.E.P. stu dents and two teachers had the wonderful opportunity of travelling to France. Although the two plane rides were not easy, they were worth it. Even though we had a few minor things hold us back, like lost tickets, wallets, luggage and passports, we managed to pull through! For many years now, Q.E.P. has been participating in a student exchange program with high schools in France. This year, we were lucky enough to do our exchange with a high school called Lycee de Glieres in Annemasse. The town of Annemasse is about the same size as Oakville and is located at the foot of the French Alps. Our program started last December when we were paired up with our French connections.' We started to write to each other and establish friendships. When we final ly met, we were welcomed with open arms and lots of kisses. Our French host families were wonderful. While in France, we spent our nights with our families and during the day, we went on field trips. Since Annemasse is only 30 minutes from the Swiss border and Geneva, we were lucky enough to spend some time shopping and touring 'old Geneva.' Our visit also included the United Nations offices and the beau tiful medieval town of Yvoire. We went to the depths of the dun geons at the Chateau de Chillon, and travelled 5,000 metres above sea level to see the breathtaking views of l'Aiguille du Midi. Some of us even managed to sneak a peek inside a glacier. We vis ited the Evian spring water source, the Nestle Food Museum (no free chocolate samples), and we got the chance to ski down Les Gets. The last four days of our trip were spent in Paris. Although our hosts were not with us, we still had a great time. For most of us who had not trav elled outside of Ontario, Paris was great. We stayed in a Youth Hostel which was surprisingly clean. One thing for sure, we didn't stay around the Hostel very much. We had lots to see and do and little time in which to do it.Our teachers had a full agenda planned. We made our way to the Eiffel Tower on our first night. We went to the Louvre and saw the Mona Lisa. At the Musee d'Orsay, we saw works of Picasso and Monet.Together, we took a cruise on the Seine, aboard "Bateau Mouche," and we strolled along the Champs d'Elysees to the Arch de Triumphe. We also surprised a lot of people by making a stop at the Moulin Rouge! We didn't go inside, though. Napoleon's Tomb and the fabu lous Palace of Versaille were equally beautiful, as they were intriguing. We also visited the Pantheon to see Foucault's pendulum. During our walk through the famous Latin Quarter, we saw the tombs of Marie and Pierre Curie and Victor Hugo. At the end of two weeks, we were very tired and fulfilled. Our trip turned out exactly how we had expected, even more so. By now, some of us were homesick and some didn't want to leave but, eventually, we all agreed -- it was great to be back on Canadian turf again. The trip enabled us to test our indepen dence, and we all wish to thank those who_ made it all possible. France was an experience of a lifetime; one we'll never forget Students participate in PROWIS conference Four Oakville students participated in the recent Promoting Women In Science (PROWIS) conference at Wilfrid Laurier University in Kitchener. The five-day conference encouraged 40 female Grade 10 students to pursue careers in scientific fields through, ranging from soil chemistry to artificial intelli gence. Stephanie Fujarczuk of Appleby College, Tara Loughrey of St. Mildred's-Lightboum School, and Anna Tokarchuk and Nadia Sisca of St. Ignatius of Loyola rep resented Oakville at the conference. Started in 1991 and co-sponsored by Bell Canada, PROWIS encourages young high school women to stick with studies in science and math at an age when many abandon these areas, effectively limiting what they can pursue in college and university. "At every step in their education women make other choices and for a variety of reasons they are less likely to keep studying in the areas of science and math," said Mary Ann Fieldes, a Laurier biology professor and PROWIS's director for the last nine years. Students attend four of 15 possible workshops lead by professors in biology, chemistry, computing, geogra phy, kinesiology, math, physics, physical education, and psychology. The two-and-a-half hour interactive learn ing experiences provide a hands-on opportunity for the young women to work in laboratories and problem solv ing sessions. Tutorial and Enrichment Programs Grades 1 to 13 Math · Science · English · Study Skills Academ y for Mathem atics & Science Hopedale Malt (9 0 5 ) 469-8918 S ylv a n W e t u r n lit t le k i d s i n t o b i g r e a d e r s 8 out 10 Sylvan students improve their reading level by one academic year in 5 months. w w w .e d u c a t e .c o m 1155 N o r t h S e r v i c e R d . W . , U n i t # 7 , O a k v i l l e ( 9 0 5 ) 4 6 9 - 6 4 4 0 crV - 54 V i l l a g e C e n t r e P la c e , M i s s i s s a u g a (9 0 5 ) 566-9111 §opedale Community Nursery School's "Angels From Heaven" N u rse ry S chool Premier Dance Inc. presen T h at's E n te r ta in m e n t DANCE CAM P Directors: Carla Marques & Sandra Nicholson. Registration Now An Exciting New Summer Day-Camping Experience tor 3 to 5 Year Olds. Half-day morning and afternoon programs are offered, in weekly; or same-day-eight-week sessions. Supervised and directed by qualified ECE's in a bright, fully equipped classroom and a shady, fenced outdoor play area. Scamp Camp is a nut free program. For September! Morning Nursery School and afternoon J.K. Jolly Phonics program. 1Summer camp available three weeks of fun filled programs indoor and out! · C lasses in Jazz, B allet, A ero and M u sical Theatre. E very w eek has a different them e with crafts and an exciting end o f the w eek B e fo r e & sh ow for the parents. a fte r c a re a v a ila b le Find Out More: Call 847-1672 or Visit www.vrooman.org/hopedale. Openings in Summer and Fall Programs. July 10-14 July 17-21 July 24-28 Call A nita K elly or E lena C larke 74 F lorence St., (at K err St) Evening C lasses to r C om petitive f J |f and Recreation students during ^ Julv & A ugust 8 W eek L ong Sessions starting July 10, 2000 Haff-day (4-5 year olds) 9:00am-12noon $48.15 Full-day (6-8 & 9-11) 9:00am-4pm $90.95 REGISTRATION: M on. thru Fri. * 4-8pm, Sat. 10-lpm until June 10. · After June 10 - Sat., June 17 & 24 10-lpm * ,208 Wyecroft Rd., Unit 6, Oakville · For more information call · /ff t* 845-1221 a / (905) 842-0794 ················