We were invited to the school this morning to partake in Frunty’s end of year ceremony. Grades 1 through 6 and their many parents gathered in the gym to hear some final words from staff and students. The awards ceremony was actually quite short but the name-by-name announcement of all the departing 6th graders took quite some time. So much so, that some poor kids that had prepared a song and dance finale had almost all but been forgotten in the rush to escape the gym.

The saving grace from this tedious hour was a chance to socialize with the other parents and review the kids school work in their classroom. The parents had chipped in to bring snacks, drinks and small gifts for Madame Maricq. It’s worth noting that last week's homework had Frunty practising his writing by transcribing the invitation. In that text, he had copied the term “...drink en classe...” and with the text being in French, Frunty asked me what “drink” meant in French. A split second later, a wry smile grew on his face as the realisation dawned on him that the invitation had simply borrowed an English word. And, this being Europe, the drinks were real drinks: juice or water for kids but white or rosé for adults. Truly a touch of class.