Just before the springbreak, Mrs Bou-Antoun and her pupils learning Arabic from 4e to Terminale, both in the French and the British Sections, organised the 35th Festival des Langue & Culture arabes. An amazing performance of songs, dance and poems with a trilingual presentation by the pupils, vibrant traditional costumes and colourful backdrops, followed by an oriental buffet.
Introduced by M. Devilard in the Salle Iselin auditorium, filled with parents, LFCG personnel and pupils, the evening was a delight! Mrs Bou-Antoun and her pupils have worked hard all year to present this rich programme combining various forms of art with an obvious focus on language learning and an interesting insight into the Arabic culture.
After the Proviseur, Mrs Bou-Antoun took the microphone to present the festival, as well as to explain how Arabic is taught at the Lycée and how she motivated her fifty-plus pupils to take part in the festival, donning outfits they never wear and proudly performing in front of an intimidating yet very supportive large audience.
Pupils introduced each part of the programme in French, English and Arabic with equal ease of expression, perfectly illustrating the amazing level they achieve after a few years of language learning.
The songs and poems were a celebration of the Arabic culture, of the language and of the mutual influences between French and Arabic. Mrs Bou-Antoun's lyrics are meant to stay with pupils forever. They echoed the values of integration, solidarity, equality and diversity underpinning the festival's spirit for so many years, as well as the Lycée's ethos. A moving homage to Mums (and parents in general) was also recited and sung.
As to the dances performed in groups, they showed skills and engagement from pupils who do not usually practice this form of expression, gaining them the audience's enthusiastic cheering and applause.
At the end of the performance, and just before the happy crowd was directed towards the refectory for a buffet - provided by generous professional sponsors and homemade contributions by parents, solidarity was once again the focus. Pupils launched an appeal to support the CVL & Justice au Coeur's fundraiser for the victims of the current conflict in Ukraine.
The refectory was revamped into a lovely oriental setting, complete with sand dunes landscapes and elaborate columns and windows, as well as a dye henna stand where hands were could turn to works of art. The buffet was delicious and even included Mrs Bou-Antoun's official cutting of the Festival's 35th anniversary/birthday cake!
Generations and cultures mixed in harmony for a perfect celebration of the Arabic Culture and Language. After two years of suspension, the return of the Festival was a total success, thanks to Mrs Bou-Antoun's dedication and her pupils' engagement.
Just before the springbreak, Mrs Bou-Antoun and her pupils learning Arabic from 4e to Terminale, both in the French and the British Sections, organised the 35th Festival des Langue & Culture arabes. An amazing performance of songs, dance and poems with a trilingual presentation by the pupils, vibrant traditional costumes and colourful backdrops, followed by an oriental buffet.
Introduced by M. Devilard in the Salle Iselin auditorium, filled with parents, LFCG personnel and pupils, the evening was a delight! Mrs Bou-Antoun and her pupils have worked hard all year to present this rich programme combining various forms of art with an obvious focus on language learning and an interesting insight into the Arabic culture.
After the Proviseur, Mrs Bou-Antoun took the microphone to present the festival, as well as to explain how Arabic is taught at the Lycée and how she motivated her fifty-plus pupils to take part in the festival, donning outfits they never wear and proudly performing in front of an intimidating yet very supportive large audience.
Pupils introduced each part of the programme in French, English and Arabic with equal ease of expression, perfectly illustrating the amazing level they achieve after a few years of language learning.
The songs and poems were a celebration of the Arabic culture, of the language and of the mutual influences between French and Arabic. Mrs Bou-Antoun's lyrics are meant to stay with pupils forever. They echoed the values of integration, solidarity, equality and diversity underpinning the festival's spirit for so many years, as well as the Lycée's ethos. A moving homage to Mums (and parents in general) was also recited and sung.
As to the dances performed in groups, they showed skills and engagement from pupils who do not usually practice this form of expression, gaining them the audience's enthusiastic cheering and applause.
At the end of the performance, and just before the happy crowd was directed towards the refectory for a buffet - provided by generous professional sponsors and homemade contributions by parents, solidarity was once again the focus. Pupils launched an appeal to support the CVL & Justice au Coeur's fundraiser for the victims of the current conflict in Ukraine.
The refectory was revamped into a lovely oriental setting, complete with sand dunes landscapes and elaborate columns and windows, as well as a dye henna stand where hands were could turn to works of art. The buffet was delicious and even included Mrs Bou-Antoun's official cutting of the Festival's 35th anniversary/birthday cake!
Generations and cultures mixed in harmony for a perfect celebration of the Arabic Culture and Language. After two years of suspension, the return of the Festival was a total success, thanks to Mrs Bou-Antoun's dedication and her pupils' engagement.