As the taxi taking me home from the airport wound through the streets of Paris at lunchtime on Wednesday, we passed clusters of young teenagers in eager conversation -- proof, if I had needed it, that the "rentrée" had begun.
The primary meaning of “rentrée” is “return to a place one had left”. But its most common meaning is “the starting up of activities after an interruption”. There are many "rentrées" in September but the first and biggest is the “rentrée scolaire.” All children in France "make their rentrée" on the same day, though, this year, in a spirit of innovation, the 13 -15 year olds went back on Wednesday and all others a day later.
For those who don’t know, let me give you a brief explanation of how French schools are organized.
The first step in a child’s education is “école maternelle”, which has been a non-compulsory part of the school system since 1881.It is open to children from the year of their third birthday for 3 years. “Ecole maternelle" teachers receive the same training as elementary school teachers and often split their career between the two.
L’école éléméntaire”, the start of compulsory education, begins, in a different school, when children are 6 and is completed in five years.
Afterwards, at the age of 11 or 12, tweens begin their 4 years of “collège”, followed, sometimes in the same school, often in a different one, by three years of “lycée” culminating in the revered “Bac”. ”"Lycées" often also house a number of two year programs leading to a diploma called “BTS” (Brevet Technique Supérieur) which students can take after the “Bac”. This is more professionally-oriented than University, similar to Community College in the United States.
As some of you know, I have been a volunteer story-reader to a class of 3 year olds in an inner-city “école maternelle” since 2005. I planned my return to Paris so I could attend their “rentrée”, a big event for both children and parents, as you can imagine.
Christine (all the children in “maternelle” and, often, the first years of Elementary School call their teacher by her or his first name) had set up her tables with activities and games the day before to occupy the children while she greeted their parents individually.
The primary meaning of “rentrée” is “return to a place one had left”. But its most common meaning is “the starting up of activities after an interruption”. There are many "rentrées" in September but the first and biggest is the “rentrée scolaire.” All children in France "make their rentrée" on the same day, though, this year, in a spirit of innovation, the 13 -15 year olds went back on Wednesday and all others a day later.
For those who don’t know, let me give you a brief explanation of how French schools are organized.
The first step in a child’s education is “école maternelle”, which has been a non-compulsory part of the school system since 1881.It is open to children from the year of their third birthday for 3 years. “Ecole maternelle" teachers receive the same training as elementary school teachers and often split their career between the two.
L’école éléméntaire”, the start of compulsory education, begins, in a different school, when children are 6 and is completed in five years.
Afterwards, at the age of 11 or 12, tweens begin their 4 years of “collège”, followed, sometimes in the same school, often in a different one, by three years of “lycée” culminating in the revered “Bac”. ”"Lycées" often also house a number of two year programs leading to a diploma called “BTS” (Brevet Technique Supérieur) which students can take after the “Bac”. This is more professionally-oriented than University, similar to Community College in the United States.
As some of you know, I have been a volunteer story-reader to a class of 3 year olds in an inner-city “école maternelle” since 2005. I planned my return to Paris so I could attend their “rentrée”, a big event for both children and parents, as you can imagine.
Christine (all the children in “maternelle” and, often, the first years of Elementary School call their teacher by her or his first name) had set up her tables with activities and games the day before to occupy the children while she greeted their parents individually.
Then, sometimes with a little difficulty, she got the parents to leave and began gathering her new class together. At this time, the teaching assistant’s job was to block the escape of any child seeking to run after his or her “maman” or “papa”. My job was to rock and cuddle the most unhappy of the children. I tried to calm them down or, at the very least, give them some comfort in their hour of despair. My main candidate for cuddling this year was a little boy who, eyes closed, moaned “Maman,maman,” for over an hour, tears streaming down his face. He stopped during Christine’s story time and, from my lap, pointed excitedly to the book and named the animals in the pictures. When the story was over, his grief overcame him once more.Not even recess helped.
I kept him on my knee during the entire time and added a little girl from another class who sobbed non-stop while about 50 children from three classes ran, whooped and giggled around us. When I see them again in two weeks, they’ll be experienced school-goers, no longer babies but proud inhabitants of Classe 1 until the end of June.
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