With Christmas coming up soon, the Bridgewater-Raritan High School French Club visited Hamilton Primary School on December 8 to teach students about the holiday customs in France.

As part of the event, students left school just after block two and then departed for the school.

Once the French Club got to Hamilton, they split into six smaller groups to visit different fourth-grade classrooms. In each classroom, members of each group first gave the students a presentation on Christmas traditions practiced in France.

In French folklore, the responsibilities of Santa Claus are split between two figures — Père Noel, who rewards good children with gifts, and Père Fouettard, who gives out corporal punishment, rather than coal. Other traditions also involve Saint Nicholas, an older character popular in Central and Eastern Europe. The presentation also covered Le Réveillon, the French Christmas Eve meal and the Masse de Minuit (Midnight Mass), among other topics.

After the presentation, the French Club led two hands-on activities for the younger students. First, there was a bingo game where the students kept track of objects and concepts related to Christmas. As the game progressed, they learned the translations of these in French. At the end, the fourth graders made holiday cards in French, with the help of French Club members. 

The French Club members made every effort to be engaging and enthusiastic for their fourth-grade audience.

From the school, the French Club visited the Bridgewater Commons Mall to get crêpes at Crêpes du Nord, and relax before heading back to the high school at the start of the last block.

Maddie Van Dyk, a sophomore in Honors French III, explains why she decided to participate in the event. 

“I enjoy being around kids and helping them learn something I’m passionate about, like French,” she said. “I just think it’s fun to get them interested in learning.”

Mohit Srinivasan, another Honors French III sophomore, also shared his experience.

“I never had something like this when I was their age…it was very enjoyable to see the kids laugh and find our activities fun. After going to the school, it was really fun to hang out with friends at the mall and just socialize for a bit before ending the trip,” he said.

The advisor of the French Club shared more about the trip.

“The French Club has been doing holiday presentations in the primary schools for many years. The purpose is to teach students about the cultures of France and other Francophone countries,” they said. “Talking about holidays is a fun way to introduce students to those cultures, and holidays are a topic that students are curious about and can relate to. In a more general sense, these trips provide an opportunity for high school and primary students to interact and to learn from each other.”

The advisor continued with the impact it has on high school students.

“Finally, the trips allow high school students to take on the role of teachers and to experience the rewards of presenting a good lesson and impacting others.”

From the event’s origin in 2005, the French Club has visited every primary school in the district in the past. The advisor says this trip to Hamilton Primary School was one of the most successful trips, saying that the students were prepared and presented well.

The French Club hopes to replicate the success of this event with its Mardi Gras-themed trip to JFK Primary School in February, according to its advisor.