Rye Country Day was delighted to introduce Language Exchange Programs during the 2024-25 school year to allow Upper School students the opportunity to deepen their language skills and gain a more robust understanding of foreign practices and cultures. The program’s destination countries—France, China, and Spain—match with the RCDS Upper School modern language offerings.

The exchange trip to France was coordinated by Upper School French Teacher Baptiste Bataille and was designed to foster meaningful connections that will extend well beyond the duration of the trip. While this year focused on RCDS students traveling to Aix-en-Provence, next year their French counterparts will visit Rye Country Day School, strengthening the global connections they formed and completing the exchange element of the program.

From March 20 - April 1, 16 students traveled to Aix-en-Provence to  live with local host families, attend classes at La Nativité K-12 private school, participate in after school activities, and discover the region of Provence. 

Upon their arrival in Aix-en-Provence, RCDS students met their host families and shadowed their host students at La Nativité. The Upper Schoolers enjoyed noting the day-to-day differences of life and education in France, as they attended a variety of classes, including math, chemistry, philosophy, geopolitics, economics, French literature, physics, Spanish, Chinese, and English as a foreign language. While practicing their French language skills with their teachers and peers, the RCDS students participated in lessons on the stock exchange, discussions on free speech, debates on just war and non-violence, and lab experiments.

Beyond the classroom, the RCDS cohort delved into the rich history of Southern France and visited various cities and landmarks, including:

• Cosquer Méditerranée, a cultural center that includes a recreation of prehistoric cave art
• Notre Dame de la Garde, a basilica and symbol of Marseille
• Camp de Milles, an educational site and memorial at a Holocaust internment camp
• Arles, a small town with impressive architecture, such as Roman ruins and underground tunnel networks
• Le château des Baux, a castle in the medieval village of Les Baux de Provence
• Carrières Des Lumières, a museum inside a quarry that features paintings of Monet, Rousseau, and Cocteu 
• Massif des Calanques, coastal mountains with limestone cliffs 

In addition to the language, cultural, and global learning, the experience gifted students wonderful friendships with their host families and host students and memories to last a lifetime. They will surely remember enjoying home cooked French meals, like jambon et fromage baguette sandwiches, quiches, moule-frites, and brioche perdu. And they will fondly look back on their time with their French peers playing arcade games, bowling, and competing in the Marseillaise game of pétanque.

Following such an incredible experience in Aix-en-Provence, the RCDS students are eager to reciprocate the warm hospitality they received and host their French counterparts in October 2025 when the School welcomes students from La Nativité. 

Une merveilleuse expérience!