Français
In the playground, an agent is putting the finishing touches to the final clean-up operations. Only a few days remain before the 200 schoolchildren of Saint-Joseph, Lorient, take possession of the school again. Teachers too, of course, but they shouldn't be scurrying from one corner to another! In any case, Géraldine Cointre is already back in the management office. In a new role, as she takes on the mantle of director following the departure of Laure Gaborit in July.
"A totally different responsibility
For the new headmistress, who is still a teacher as she retains her infant class, this is her thirteenth year at Saint-Joseph. But she has been teaching at Saint-Barthélemy since 2002. "I started out as a substitute teacher at Sainte-Marie, in Colombier, then went on to the collège for a few years before returning to Sainte-Marie and finally being appointed as a full teacher at Saint-Jo," she recalls. Géraldine Cointre embraces her new role with seriousness and an apparent relaxed attitude. It's a totally different responsibility," she assures us. It's a private establishment under contract, so the director is the head of the school, responsible for buildings and finances, even if the Ogec (Catholic Education Management Body) is there. Not to mention the pedagogical side. It's not at all the same job as teaching. "Fortunately, the headmistress can rely on a solid, fully-staffed team.
A few new recruits will be welcoming the schoolchildren next Monday. Audrey d'Alexis, who is taking charge of the CE2 class, Annelies Dewulf, a specialist teacher who will provide support for children experiencing difficulties, Paloma Debavelaere, who is backing up Annelies Dewulf, and Géraldine Laplace, who will be teaching part-time in the petite and moyenne sections. Added to this list are three Atsem (Agents territoriaux spécialisés des écoles maternelles), Noémie Giuge as a teaching assistant in preparatory classes and CE1, and two English teachers.
All in all, the start of the new school year at Saint-Joseph is shaping up nicely. Just like its new headmistress.
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The back-to-school schedule at Saint-Joseph de Lorient school
Monday, September 1 :
- 8 a.m.: Primary school classes (CE1 to CM2) start.
- 8:30am: CP classes start
- 9 a.m.: Kindergarten classes begin (MS and GS)
- 9 a.m.: PS 1st group kindergarten starts (Family name from A to H)
Tuesday, September 2 :
- 8am: All classes from MS to CM2
- 9 a.m.: PS kindergarten 2nd group starts (surname J to V)
Thursday, September 4 :
- 8am: All classes from PS to CM2 - PS: whole class
