Bonjour et bienvenue sur le site du lac du Bois, Bemidji!
This website is designed to give you a hint of the cultural undertaking that your child is currently experiencing at Lac du Bois.
The date is july–August, 2009.
In glancing at the images that follow, imagine your child traveling the world and coming into contact with the various activities, understandings and traditions that have shaped the lives of people in various places for centuries.
Imagine your child, for instance, in the middle of a “souk”, a Moroccan open market, hustling with a merchant for a bargain price; her/him, in contemporary France, standing in front of a Historical monument and learning about its significance to the people who first celebrated its placement, or see her/him stooped at a side walk Café to enjoy a warm cup of chocolat chaud.
Your child has, not only assumed a French first name, settled into a cabin with the name of a region in France, but she/he is truly leaving in a foreign country, encountering and interacting in French with staff and children from around the US all the while enjoying food and pastimes that are traditional to the French and the Francophone people of the world.
Days at Lac du Bois are marked by themes. La francophonie, les jeux Olympiques, la Journee Internationale, le Cirque du soleil, la fête de la musique, l’Afrique, etc.…. A sample of this is provided in our theme section. This dichotomy serves to widen the context of the French language learned at Lac du Bois and it gives the villagers an additional opportunity to explore cultures of the greater Francophone communities across the globe. In fact, during this session, your child had to reflect on the issues of discrimination in our our world, an issue that was played out in a simulation game throughout the day, titled “Immigration et Racisme”. An engaged discussion followed at the end of the game and our villagers demonstrated that they were fully aware of the existence of discrimination in our societies and of the negative impact this has on all individuals.
All of this is put together by a fabulous international staff that has experience, enthusiasm, and love of children and of the great French language. From kitchen staff, to counselors, to teachers to nurses, the Lac du Bois team has representatives from Africa, Europe, the US and, behold, la Nouvelle Caledonie, the place on earth that is closest to Paradise! These devotees labor each day with their hearts and their minds in order to sustain the magical experience that is now home to your child.
Finally, I invite you to take a quick French lessons in our section “Francais”—Practice your Francais– and learn a few French phrases that you can use to introduce or sign letters to your child while she/he is at Lac du Bois.
Enjoy!
Gilbert Ekotto, Dean Lac du Bois, Bemidji 2nd half.
