Students at Lake George Jr.-Sr. High School are discovering that language learning extends far beyond the classroom walls. Through a growing virtual exchange with students in Beaulieu-les-Fontaines, France, Lake George’s French program is blending culture, cuisine, and connection in meaningful ways.
Students in grades 7–10 recently competed in a culinary challenge to create and plate the perfect Croque-Madame sandwich, under the guidance of French teacher Nathalie Martineau. The competition highlighted not only their understanding of French cuisine, but also their creativity and presentation skills. From carefully melted gruyère to beautifully prepared béchamel sauce and perfectly cooked eggs, students embraced the challenge.
Meanwhile, juniors and seniors took on a more advanced recipe challenge from their French peers in Beaulieu-les-Fontaines, a small community in the north of France. Approximately 20 students there, ages 14–18, attend a BOCES-style school focused on career preparation and internships in professions such as hairdressing and mechanics.
Students from Beaulieu-les-Fontaines challenged Lake George seniors to prepare ficelles picardes, a traditional regional dish. The Lake George seniors rose to the occasion, carefully crafting the savory crêpe-based specialty filled with ham and mushrooms and topped with cream. Across the Atlantic, their French pen pals worked to complete the American challenge, baking classic apple pies.
In addition to the cooking challenges, French 9–10 students have begun exchanging letters, videos, and cards with Mrs. Barrois’ students abroad, building friendships and cultural exchange.
“Cultural exchange allows students to see that language is alive, it connects real people, real traditions, and real experiences,” said Martineau. “When our students cook a dish from a small town in France or receive a letter from someone their own age across the ocean, they begin to understand that learning a language is about building bridges, not just memorizing vocabulary.”
Through recipes, conversations, and shared creativity, Lake George students are experiencing firsthand how global connections can begin in a classroom or a kitchen and grow into lasting cultural understanding.