St. Charles Catholic French students have a très bon time

By Aimee Dauenhauer
St. Charles Catholic

I was among 30 students taking French classes at St. Charles Catholic High School who recently traveled from their LaPlace campus for a French-immersion field trip to the French Quarter.

Led by French I, II and III teacher Kate Abreo and faculty members Melissa Roussel and Sarah Faucheux, our group explored everything from the history of New Orleans jazz to the stunning frescoes within St. Louis Cathedral.


Ms. Abreo said, as a French teacher, one of the things she often hears is, “Why do I need to take French when it isn’t spoken here anymore?”

Ms. Abreo says she reminds students that many of our ancestors who settled here were a diverse population of French, Creole and Africans who spoke French and brought with them aspects of French culture that date to colonial times, including language, culture and cuisine.

“I also emphasize that it’s our responsibility to preserve those influences, and that by keeping the language alive, we are doing our part to accomplish that goal,” she said.

The first stop on our trip was the iconic Café du Monde, where we feasted on fresh beignets and café au lait (coffee with milk). Then we trekked to nearby Jean Lafitte National Park Visitor Center, where park ranger Hunter Miles Davis kept us engaged with a presentation detailing the blending of cultures that created New Orleans’ music, food and unique flair. He highlighted New Orleans’ percussion traditions and artists who have influenced the jazz genre and the history and cultures behind today’s jazz drumming.
 
Ms. Abreo said many of those influences are French.

“It was really intriguing to learn about the origin of the drum and a lot of music in general,” said French II student and drumline member Morgana Lee. “I really liked being able to do the ‘bam-boo-a’ clap that he taught us.”

We then took a guided tour of St. Louis Cathedral to discover the church’s rich background.

“Having never been to St. Louis Cathedral, this was a very authentic experience for me,” French III student Lily Bordelon said. “I have always been one to love architecture and the history etched into it, so the amount of detail shown through the tour was something that stuck with me. From the symbolism of the theological virtues to the beautiful frescoes adorning the ceiling, everything tied the building together perfectly. … There’s even a room devoted to Venerable Henriette Delille, a devout African-American Catholic going through the process of becoming a saint.”

Aimee Dauenhauer is a French II student at St. Charles Catholic in LaPlace.