Port Ouverte Coulogne september 24, 2011

24 september Studytrip to Port Ouvert Lycee de Coulogne

1. Teacher chemistry: Mrs. Thea van Bokhoven
2. Teacher English: Mr. Eduard Kamstra
3. Teacher English: Mrs. Daniëlle Kivits 
4. Teacher Economics: Mrs. Mascha van Hest
5. Teacher biology and culture: Mrs. Sanny Copini
6. Teacher horticulture: Mr. Ton Janssen
7. Teacher horticulture: Mr. Noud Teuws
8. Teacher litlle animals: Mr. Jeroen Wouters

The evening of friday september 23, 2011 has been used very well. We (the teachers) have spoken about the questions en expectations we have for tomorrow. We allso tried to speak some french. Mascha van Hest speaks reasonable French and Sanny Copini speaks a little bit of French. Together with the two English teachers it must be possible to talk to the teachers of the Lycee de Coulogne. After a good nights sleep at the gites of Mrs. Gombert and Mrs. Bigot in Escalles we had a strong English breakfast at the shopping centre of the Auchan in Coquelles.



Garden at the entrence of the school

As soon as we arrived we got impressed by the beautifull and enormous garden which is around the schoolbuildings. At all kind of places in the garden we can buy agricultural products out of the region.  



Anywhere in the schoolgarden are "carports" where students can hang-out or work.

All kind of plants (outdoors and indoors), tools, fruitjuices, etc. are for sale. This is a very good idea to connect professionels of the region with the school.

Beatuifull tools.

A real dog between the flowers.

After we enjoyed a part of the garden we arrived at the cafetaria of the school. This is the place where students have their food on schooldays. In the middle stead a big table with more then 100 different kind of apples, all named. Beautifull to see and allso interesting.

Assortiment apples.

The next stop was at the department with aquaculture. Students learn to bring up fish. We saw big bassins with different kind of fish: goldfishes, Koy, etc. 

Visitors could buy a fish. This is a beautifull way to train the students in capturing and selling the fishes.  

Students catch a fish for a client/visitor..

Very soon after I met a few teachers and one of them brought to the stafbuilding. 

Speaking with one of the teachers of the aquaculture department..

Here I met Mrs. Isabelle Sauvage and Mrs. Anne Dedgjoni. After we got acquinted, we talked about possiblities of exchange. The ladies are two warm and enthousiatic people and soon they invited Mr. David Vandewalle to the conversation. He is allso very enthousiastic and interested in an exhange program. This is more then I hoped for. During our conversation Dutch teachers were introduced to the French Staf and French teachers were introduced to me. We agreed to stay in contact and we will arrange a meeting for the future.

Conversation Dutch teachers with the staf of  Lycee de Coulogne.

We brought lunch and after we found a place in the garden, we could eat and exchange our experiences. Sanny Copini saw beatifull mozaics and Daniëlle Kivits had allready spoken English to some students. Some other teachers had allready spoken to the French teachers. After the short lunch we tried to see as much as possible of the rest of the school: aquaria, greenhouses, petshop, flowery, etc.

Students at work. Visitors can buy flowerarrangements and vegetables.

The visit at the petshop and flowery was very special. It's one big "shop", completely equiped, where students can learn to sell products.

Petshop and flowery.

We should like to see more, but not all the classrooms were opened for visiting. Maybe we can visit them later in the year. With many answers, but allso many questions we finished the visit. 

• How does the internat looks like?
• What is the difference between internals and demi-pension students?
• How many students they have for all the different departements?
• Which agricultural lessons do the young pupils get (everything or only horticulture)? 
• How do they attract new pupils (PR)?
• What is the perspective for the future for the students?

My collegaues wrote down all the good ideas and questions in their litlle books. So they are ready for an interesting and exciting exchange!