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Exchange students form friendships

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KINGSTON — Lucy Morrow and Manon Clavel may live an ocean apart, but the two 14-year-olds have formed a bond that transcends international borders.

The two -- one Canadian and the other French -- met while taking part in a student exchange program and have developed a friendship that will last long after the program is over.

Lucy, a Grade 9 student at Regiopolis-Notre Dame Catholic High School, is certainly no stranger to world travel. When she was in Grade 6, she spent a year in England while her mother was on a sabbatical and later spent a week in France on vacation.

It was while she was a student at Vanier that she learned about International Student Exchange Ontario.

The program provides reciprocal exchange visits for Ontario elementary and secondary students with their counterparts in France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Germany and Quebec, explained Judy Speagle, the program manager for eastern Ontario.

Participating students stay in the homes of the student with whom they have been partnered.

The non-profit organization offers summer exchanges for three or four weeks, as well as school-year exchanges for Grade 8 to Grade 11 students for two or three months. The cost is about $3,000.

Many Canadian Grade 8 students in French immersion programs use the Go-First program the exchange program offers, which lets them attend class in a French-speaking country beginning in February.

Then their French counterpart comes to Canada in mid-August in time for the start of the following school year when their Canadian partner is back in English-only high school classes.

The start of both visits coincides with a time school is out, so the newcomers get some free time to go sightseeing or learn more about their temporary home.

Grade 8 is also a perfect time for an exchange, since the local students haven't yet gotten into the heavier high school workload and aren't as involved in as many extracurricular activities, Speagle said.

Both local school boards send students on the exchanges. There are currently about a half-dozen ISE exchange students in Kingston.

The program seemed like a great idea to Lucy.

"It sounded like a lot of fun because I really like to travel and also I wanted to improve my French," she explained.

"I enjoyed travelling and being in a different country and the new experience, and I wanted to do that again."

Lucy had originally considered signing up for Switzerland but eventually decided on France.

"I really wanted to go to France again."

Once signed up, Lucy waited to see who her exchange student would be.

That's when she and Manon were paired together.

It almost seemed like they had been separated at birth.

"We both like the same types of music, we both like to swim and we both like to hang out with our friends, so it was a really good match," Lucy said.

"The matching process is really good," Speagle said. "That's one thing the ISE does wonderfully."

The nine-page application includes the usual questions about likes and dislikes, but it even goes into details such as whether you are a morning person or not.

Lucy and Manon stayed in contact through social media, getting to know each other better long-distance, until the time came for Lucy to fly over to Manon's home in Chambery, in the French Alps near Grenoble.

"I was a little nervous, but I don't really get scared or intimidated that much about doing new things," Lucy recalled. "I was nervous, but I was really excited."

She also liked the idea of being independent, if only for a couple of months.

"You miss your family, except it's really fun because you get to experience it yourself."

After getting over her jet lag, Lucy got to know her host family and started to settle in.

"The first week or so I was never homesick because it was really fun. Everything was new."

They went sightseeing in nearby cities, went shopping downtown and skied the Alps.

It took a week or so before thoughts of home started to come up.

"You don't want to go home but you just miss your family."

After brushing up on her French, Lucy joined Manon at her school. There were five other Canadians also there on exchange programs.

Lucy found that French teachers didn't spend as much time as Canadian teachers making sure you understood the lessons before moving on.

"I found when I was there they moved things at a much faster pace."

Some days stretched from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and there were different subjects and schedules each day. It was something that took a bit of getting used to.

"It was always starting and ending at different times."

Apart from that, her two months in the French school presented no real problems.

At the airport as she left, "it was really sad," Lucy said.

But four months later, it was Manon's turn to make the flight. "It was the first time I took an airplane," she said.

Their travel experience was one difference between the two. Apart from a family trip to Germany, Manon had never travelled before. She had to take three planes to get to Kingston.

Lucy was still at a summer camp when Manon arrived, but the Kingston girl's family kept Manon busy with a visit to Fort Henry and a Thousand Islands boat tour.

"Her family is very nice, so that was very good," Manon said.

After Lucy got home, they all took a three-day trip to New York City. A planned outing to Upper Canada Village turned into a road trip to Ottawa when they got there and found the village closed.

Manon said she wanted to see Canada after a friend had visited here last year and raved about the country. It would also give her a good chance to improve her English.

"It's very nice to know new things," she said.

Manon joined Lucy for an orientation session before starting her classes at Regi. Her own school is smaller than RND and she has had to contend with subjects she has never taken before, but, on the whole, it has been a positive experience, she said.

She has been taking music, English, religion and gym, different subjects than those she normally would be taking at home.

"European students have a very structured academic environment, so the European students love coming here because they get to take (subjects like) drama or gym," Speagle explained.

The only problem Manon has had is with people always trying to speak French to her. Since she is here to improve her English, she has to politely ask them to change languages.

She has been staying in touch with her family back home via Skype -- when she remembers.

Lucy had the same problem when she was in France. Manon's mother had to keep reminding Lucy to contact her mom.

Manon will be heading back home again in three weeks. It will be both "sad and exciting."

"I want to stay here, but I want to see my family and friends."

Both girls expect to continue their exchange experience in future years.

"Because they go in Grade 8 and they love it, a lot of students repeat it later," Speagle said.

Both Lucy and Manon have younger sisters who also want to try out the program.

Once Manon returns home, she and Lucy plan to stay in touch, perhaps even visiting each other again.

In the meantime, Lucy already has her next overseas trip planned. She will be going to Japan for four months starting next spring.

"I am real excited for that, too."

michael.lea@sunmedia.ca

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