The French trip 2016 itinerary has been adjusted in order for the students from both schools to meet in person.

So the nineteen year 11 and 12 girls from St Margaret's stayed for two days in families in Evreux where Katrina de Mecquenem, English teacher at the lycée, had organised a project week around World War I.

The project included a whole variety of student-led activities and bilingual discussions. It also included presentations from representatives of veteran associations, the Red Cross etc.

After a visit of the local cemetery, where commonwealth soldiers, including some from New Zealand, were buried, the students went back to class to create posters and to write texts about their experience.

At the cemetery, we laid down roses provided by the voluntary association "Deep Respect".

Our group left Evreux and the area for Paris just before ANZAC day and unfortunately could not attend the commemoration ceremony in Longueval.

However, we all wore our poppies proudly on the 25th April in Paris and thought back to our experiences in the region. Grateful, humbled and thoughtful.

I am sure I will be back with more students from New Zealand.

Stefanie Hossbach - May 2016