France

The Modern and Classical Languages Department are pleased to announce the 2018-2019 French exchange with the Institution St. Joseph of Le Havre, France. Le Havre is a major city located on the coast of the English Channel in the historical Normandy region and about two hours northwest of Paris. This will be a family-to-family and school-to-school exchange. This is a great opportunity for our students to experience a new culture firsthand, go on an adventure, and practice their French!

The French group will arrive in Buffalo in mid-February for a two-week visit. During their stay here, the French students will participate in excursions and activities on and off campus during the school day. Students and families participating in the French exchange trip must be available to host the visiting French students. Hosting is often times the highlight of the trip and what makes our program affordable and an exchange in the true sense. Through hosting, our students expand their understanding of the French culture and their own, and learn a great deal about themselves.

We will take a group of Nichols students to France a week before and during our spring break (+/- 17 days) accompanied by two Nichols faculty members. While in France, our students will live with families, attend school with their host siblings, and participate in excursions to various sites in the area including Paris, the Normandy beaches, the American cemetery as well as other local points of interest.

French students who are currently freshman, sophomores, and juniors may apply. Rising seniors will be given the first opportunity to turn in their application (with deposit). Rising juniors will have the next opportunity, followed by rising sophomores and students that are not taking French. Please note that this exchange runs bi-annually only.

The success of the exchange depends on many factors: an open curiosity about the world, a desire to participate in school and family life while in the foreign country, the commitment to be a considerate and accommodating host here at home, the maturity to accept responsibility, the ability to work well in a group, and flexibility under all circumstances. We look for an applicant’s commitment to share, understand, and appreciate cultural differences. In making our choices, we will also talk to teachers and deans.

The deadline for returning the application and deposit is Friday, May 24, 2019. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to having you be part of this exciting adventure!

Laura Arribas
Director of Exchanges
larribas@nicholsschool.org

Justin Gibson
Upper School French Teacher
jgibson@nicholsschool.org

Application Information

List of 1 items.

Application Information
1. Dates of exchange:
a. French exchange students in Buffalo: Mid February 2020 (17 days approx. Exact dates to be confirmed)
b. Nichols students in France: Two weeks and half on March-April 2020 (contingent on travel)
1. COST: $2600 based on 10-12 participants
a. Price includes:
- All travel expenses between Buffalo and France
- Excursions expenses in France
- All hosting expenses for Nichols organized activities
b. Prices do not include:
- Family-organized activities
- Spending money in France
- Medical services incurred in foreign country
***These costs are based on 10-12 participants and current airline fares. Significant adjustments in costs could result in additional surcharges due to fluctuating airline prices and taxes***
3. Who may apply? Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors (rising seniors and juniors studying French take priority)
4. School organized activities:

For foreign students in Buffalo:
a. Tour of Buffalo architecture; Visit to Albright-Knox; Excursion to Niagara Falls in Canada and the USA; Other excursions to local points of interest (e.g: Niagara Falls Outlet Mall, Niagara Hydroelectric Power Station, Canisius College, Science Museum)
For Nichols students abroad (check our Nichols in France Facebook page for more details!):
b. Attendance and classes at host school; Cooking class; Excursion to Paris; American cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer and war memorial and museum in Caen; D-day beaches (e.g: Omaha beach); Downtown Architecture of Le Havre; Other excursions to local points of interest (e.g: Honfleur, Deauville, Étretat, le Mont Saint Michel, les jardins suspendus du Havre)
5. Family responsibilities in Buffalo:
a. Host exchange student for two weeks (make them feel like a part of your family!)
b. Introduce visiting student to a wide range of American culture if possible
6. Mandatory meetings (mark your calendars!)
a. Hosting meeting – will take place in January (student and at least one parent must attend)
b. Pre-departure workshop – will take place in February (student and at least one parent must attend)
7. Application Procedure:
a. Complete and return attached form with $200 deposit by Friday. May 24, 2019
b. The $200 deposit will be refunded to those not accepted for this year’s exchange or in the event the trip gets cancelled. It is non-refundable to those accepted, but it will be applied to the cost of the trip
c. Applicants will be notified as soon as possible after the final selections of participants are made
d. First payment ($1,200) is due the last week of November 2019 and the final payment ($1,200) is due the final week of January 2020.
Please, note that the French exchange will start running bi-annually after this year.