In the Lower School, students in French have been exploring vocabulary words and phrases surrounding the Mardi Gras history and celebration, including vocabulary about food, colors, music, and more. Students enjoyed the story The King Cake Baby, which is a play on the book The Gingerbread Man. The story brought students throughout the many French inspired areas of New Orleans, and brought along some laughter as the plastic baby ran through town.
Students in all French classes have been learning about various topics around Mardi Gras, Carnaval, and how it is celebrated around the world. Students looked at the traditions in Nice, and will explore a look into Rio de Janeiro, Venezuela, as well as here in our country, in Louisiana. There, not only the traditional Mardi Gras is celebrated, and the 8th grade students learned about historical connections to French peasants and the Courir de Mardi Gras and its celebrated history in Cajun Country Louisiana.
Last week, Grades 7 and 8 read about La galette de Rois, as well as enjoying a story about The French Quarter (grade 7) and/or Cajun Mardi Gras (french 8), and will continue to explore a brief glimpse at the history of the French, Acadians, and the Seven Years War, as well as the impact made by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. With Black History month upon us, we also have a few stories about African-American individuals who have left a mark in history in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina.
