Contact 
Calendars
Careers
Engage 
District
Lycée Chanzy & Wakefield
Memorandum of Understanding with Académie de Reims and VDOE
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Virginia Department of Education and the Académie de Reims (a region including a large number of schools) in April 2012. Katy Wheelock, French teacher and Department Chair at Wakefield High School, requested a partner in the fall of 2013, and began work with Françoise Fauquembergue Duvivier in January 2014. Wheelock was paired with Duvivier, an English teacher at Lycée Chanzy in Charleville-Mezières, north of the city of Reims, and only a few kilometers from the Belgian border.
See also this article from the Arlington Connection www.arlingtonconnection.com/news/2016/mar/15/arlington-wakefield-high-school-welcomes-french-ly/ which discuss the partnership and other activities in the French Department at Wakefield.
In March 2016, Duvivier traveled to Arlington for a brief visit to strengthen the relationship and the future of the project. She was able to visit every French class (French 1-5 and AP), allow student time for questions and answers about any area of interest. Additionally, she observed an English 11 co-taught class, AP English Literature (12th grade), and spoke with a 9th grade English teacher working on non-fiction presentations, a sociology teacher, a librarian, Assistant Director of Student Activities, and our Assistant Principal and Principal. A reception held in her honor included guests from the PTSA, World Language Advisory Committee, Sister City Arlington-Reims Committee, World Language Supervisor for APS as well as members of the WHS administration. A meeting with Wheelock and Duvivier took place at the Embassy of France as well, to discuss the partnership in more detail with Karl Cogard, Education Attaché, Head of Educational Affairs Department and Céline Jobé, Program Officer for Educational Affairs. Divivier’s and Wheelock’s last visit, just hours before Duvivier’s departure, was with Virginia Department of Education Lisa Harris, Specialist for Foreign Languages. Harris asked many questions about the beginning of the relationship, but also where the partnership would be headed in the future. On a personal side, Duvivier was able to interact with various Arlington residents including a breakfast at the home of WHS French teacher, Susan Haley, followed by a meeting with the members of the Arlington-Reims Sister City Committee. Wheelock hosted a small dinner party, more of an American “picnic” at home. Sightseeing involved numerous neighborhoods and monuments in Washington D.C.
At the start of the partnership, the teachers exchanged information, discussed their teaching schedules, their students’ school days, class and school requirements and obligations, teaching techniques, testing and evaluation, and the structure and hierarchy of French and American school systems.
After comparing similarities and differences via email and Skype sessions in French and English, the teachers began plans for more emphasis on student interaction. Students wrote emails, through their teachers which were shared via google drive. Both groups wrote and read letters in French and in English. After letter-writing, each group began introductory videos, which largely focused on tours of the school and various unique elements of each. At Wakefield, the focus has been on the upper levels: French 5, AP French Language and Culture, and Advanced Studies of French. On the French side, most of the focus has been on Duvivier’s “première” group, equivalent to 11th grade.
In addition to focus on the language classes, various social studies teachers were able to share a variety of websites and resources via Padlet, in order to aid Duvivier in teaching about the American Civil Rights Movement, which is part of her curriculum in France. Additionally, an effort to assist French students with their TPE en première may take place through student surveys so the French students can learn first-hand the opinions of Wakefield students. Also, Wakefield’s unique Senior Project is being considered, as it may be possible to link Wakefield seniors with students at Lycée Chanzy who may have a special interest in subjects or topics being explored by the WHS seniors.
The Wakefield students truly enjoyed Duvivier’s visit, and are looking forward to continuing the relationship in the years to come. Both Wheelock and Duvivier agree that despite the easy access to technology for both groups of students, nothing compares to having a face-to-face conversation.
For more information about the establishing a partnership with a school in France, see http://frenchlanguage.frenchculture.org/teach/school-pairing