Français
Perched atop a snow-covered hill, a few teenagers lie on their stomachs and slide down to the green grass. The sky is gray, but their faces are beaming. It’s a perfect illustration of the trip taken between May 6 and 16 to Sweden by seventeen students from the Minischool in Saint-Jean. Aged 11 to 14, the children—accompanied by their principal, Emmanuelle Astier, two teachers, and a parent—set out to explore Piteå, the small town twinned with Saint-Barthélemy, and Stockholm, the capital.
“It was a great experience for building group cohesion,” says Emmanuelle Astier. “The students were fully immersed in English,” she adds. With a little help from Leeloo, the only child in the group who speaks Swedish. “Many were traveling without their parents for the first time,” notes the principal.
Just like a family
In Piteå, the group was welcomed by Katarina Ricken, a member of the Friends of Saint-Barth Association. “She was extraordinarily kind,” Emmanuelle Astier gushes. “She accompanied us on our visits. Thanks to her, the city hall provided us with three buses to take us everywhere. The people were helpful, kind, and warm. We felt like we were part of a family.”
To start the trip on an educational note, the children spent a full day in the classrooms at Chgristinaskolan School. “They followed the lessons without any problems,” the teacher notes with satisfaction.
They then went to meet the Sami community, the indigenous people. “We had some incredible moments,” recalls Emmanuelle Astier. “The kids loved being out in the woods.” The young delegation from Saint-Barth got along so well that, after visiting the farm and petting some reindeer, they were invited to share a barbecue with a local family. “The students were respectful and polite,” notes Emmanuelle Astier. So much so that when evening came, the Sami family insisted they stay a little longer to meet other people. The bowling outing was therefore scrapped.
Moments of poetry
Even in the rain the next day, the students didn’t miss out on a long walk through the forest to an archaeological site. “Everyone kept a journal,” explains the director of the Minischool. They also painted watercolors that we donated to the Piteå City Hall. A visit to the city museum and the Lutheran church, where student pianists were able to play. “Truly poetic moments,” says Emmanuelle Astier. Then, of course, a visit to the Saint-Barth hut built in Piteå, in the presence of its designer. The delegation was also received at City Hall by Patric Putte Lundström, who had traveled to Saint-Barth last November for Piteå Day. “We were pampered,” says the director of the Minischool.
In Stockholm, the group continued its visits. Notably with a boat trip to a “Viking” village, Birka. Still in the rain, but with a guide in period costume that was extravagant to say the least. The highlight of the trip was undoubtedly the visit to the ABBA Museum. “I have no doubt that the children will cherish memories of this trip for the rest of their lives,” says Emmanuelle Astier. And no doubt a few tangible mementos as well. Like the black bracelet, inscribed with “Sweden” in gold letters, which the director is still wearing, several days after her return.
