At Guitres College, about forty students learn English by singing

On Tuesday, December 19, the Abbey’s doors were opened to 39 students from Jean-Aviot College’s Glee Club to perform a recording planned for the Christmas program.

On Tuesday, December 19, the doors of the Abbey were opened to 39 students from the Glee Club of Jean-Aviot College, scheduled for a Christmas performance on Friday, December 22. The club is offered to all middle school students and is intercycle, multilevel. It is intended to complement compulsory music education and college choirs. It enriches the citizenship journey of students.

English teacher Samuel Pappalardo is the choir director and has been organizing the Christmas program for five years.

“I chose to record using this amazing building. I’m not a singing or music teacher, I’m just as curious as the students. Samuel Pappalardo explains that at the beginning, my aim was to make the students realize that they can learn the English language through a song they know by heart without even knowing it. I was keen to bring them together with a common interest, to demonstrate to them that school can take on many facets and that teaching is not confined to classrooms. For many of them, singing means liberating oneself, having fun, but facing the eyes of others…” “We sing almost a cappella, in unison, in medleys. Students have carte blanche to choose talent,” he adds.

The club helps in strengthening civic, social and cultural skills. The choir, as part of the Glee Club, plans to perform at language festivals, Christmas and at the start of the school year in September to welcome students to music. It may also occur as part of republican ceremonies (e.g. diploma certificate).