French immersion weekend brings kids together

Thirty-four students from four area high schools recently spent the weekend developing leadership and team-building skills, all while only speaking French.

For more than 15 years, District 214 students have been gathering for Aventure Française, a weekend immersion program led by Reid Lewis, a retired French teacher from Elgin.

This year, students from Elk Grove, Prospect and Wheeling high schools in District 214, as well as Loyola Academy, met at the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center for the event.

Over the course of three days, Feb. 5-7, students participated in "trust walks" on snowshoes, four-way tug-o-war, group skis and axe-throwing. Throughout the weekend, students were expected to speak only French as they worked through the challenges.

"We basically lived, ate and spoke French the entire time," said Wheeling French teacher, Angelique Dorchies. "Reid is so talented at getting the Level Ones to be comfortable interacting with the Level Fours, right next to each other."

The other District 214 French teachers accompanying the students were Scott Russell and Kathy Wilkens (Prospect), and Kirsten Fletcher (Elk Grove).

Participants stayed in cabins and ate authentic French food. On-site chefs made crepes, boeuf bourgignon, quiche and poulet a la crème.

Wheeling High School student Anthony Garing, a Prospect Heights resident, commented, "He (Lewis) had a quote, 'Opportunity is nowhere,' but if you break it apart, it becomes 'Opportunity is now here.'

"It showed me that if I ever have an opportunity in front of me, I should always take it."