La Rentrée

We no doubt have left our British Columbia, backyard wildlife far behind,  however, we were most surprised to have some local Antibes wildlife visit us our very first morning in our apartement.  Through two large windows opened wide to allow the early morning air in, what should blow on in with the breeze, but a pigeon.  She settled in on our couch for a bit, but with some coaxing from Barry eventually made it to the floor by the window  She was clearly in no rush to leave.

Eventually she did fly back out just before the girls were up.  Every pigeon they now see they ask us if it was the one that flew in to hang out on our couch.

"Pigeon Day" fell on Tuesday, September 6th, or better known as "La Rentrée" or "Back to School" to friends and family back in British Columbia.  For the past few days, we had been reminiscing about our last back to school experience in France, when we all had one of the most memorable "rentrées" of our lives.  I remember very clearly walking two brave, but very nervous, daughters to their Maternelle (Kindergarten)  and CE1 (Grade 2) year in French public school in Avignon, as Barry and I headed back as full time french language students at the University of Avignon .  It ended up being a very good schooling experience for us all, but there were some challenges to overcome that month!

La rentrée 2010 in Avignon

 

This time we decided to change things up  and, as Barry calls it, take the girls "off grid" and not enroll them in any school.  Their education this year will come from what Barry and I can teach them and, we hope, from new experiences and travel. 

So, after clearing the school room of flying interlopers, we started the girls on their first math lesson of the year.  Lily got started on her Grade 6 curriculum and Grace and I both headed into new territory with Grade 8 math. 
 

A much happier Lily starting off this school year in France.

We all headed out after math class in search for some school supplies and to explore our town beyond the chocolate shop!  We found a Chinese Restaurant just a tad further down the road where the girls had their first steamed bun fix in a long time.  We wandered into a bustling "librairie", or bookstore, where the girls both picked out a french novel to read.  They also checked off a return to France must:  the purchase of chocolate covered almonds made to look like olives.

Steamed buns and a coke:  first day celebration lunch.

Chocolate olives found, bought and eaten:  check.

Back in the apartment, the girls enjoyed organizing the new supplies in their "lockers" while they made some jokes about their new history/book obsessed teacher, Ms. Avery, and how rough it must be for her own children to hang out with her on holiday, because she would have to read every single historical marker.  It was hilarious.

"Lockers" are organized.

"La rentrée" 2010 was special and memorable, but "la rentrée" 2016 was, without a doubt, the least stressful in my decades of heading back to the books as both a student and a teacher.  

A stroll to the beach seemed the best way to bring it to a close.

La Plage de la Gravette quiet and calm in the evening.