Cheese, croissants, French pastries, and games. What could be better? The French Fête is an annual event at Wellesley Middle School celebrating the culture of French speaking countries. There are games, and more importantly, food! The French Fête is organized by the French teachers at the middle school, Madame Rebecca Blouwolff and Madame Hasfa Abdelmoula, together with the Wellesley Parent Teacher Organization and volunteers.
The French Fête was first hosted about fifteen years ago, when the parents of some French students saw the Lunar New Year event hosted annually at the middle school. They decided they wanted to host an event similar to that celebration, except for French.
This year, it was hosted on March 12, after school in the cafeteria. It is usually somewhere between March and April, as a fun break for students. Madame Blouwolff said that they chose that date because they know that time of year can be particularly stressful for students, as it is when 8th grade students choose their classes for high school, and it is around the time of the MCAS tests.
Seventh grade French students performed a song in French, and there were dance competitions for French students in each grade.
New this year, some families volunteer to set up stations about various French cultures. This year, there were stations about Haiti and Louisiana, with a focus on New Orleans. In years past, there were also games like French Twister, French Charades, mini-bowling from Quebec, match the monument from Paris, and match the French artist. There was also a station set up where students could take pictures as the Mona Lisa.
Alejandra Martinez takes a photo as the Mona Lisa – with the added benefit of a ticket for food. Photo courtesy of Madame Abdelmoula.
The Louisiana table, spotlighting the celebration of Mardi Gras, which originated in France. Photo courtesy of Madame Abdelmoula.
In addition to the games, there were pastries from France — some donated by the new French bakery Le Petit Four, and others made by local pastry chef and middle school parent Lisa Sewall. There were croissants, crepes, and madeleines, just to name a few. Aside from the pastries, there were also cheese tasting stations set up around the cafeteria, with a variety of cheeses such as babybel and brie.
In order to be able to get food, students had to either visit all of the cheese stations and get stamps for every cheese in their ‘passport’, or participate in games and stations.
The French Fête is a great opportunity for everyone at WMS to learn about French culture and traditions, or just to eat French pastries. Again, it is an annual event, so whether it’s their first time participating or not, students are always encouraged to attend.
