Monday, November 8, the Notre Dame Academy French Club will be kicking off their French Week. The week will start with a meeting Monday morning at 7:30. 

French Week is part of a national holiday celebrated at schools and universities across the country. 

“It’s to appreciate the French culture and language and have fun,” explained Emily Bonkowski, one of the four parliamentary members of the French Club. 

The first meeting will go into detail on the week’s events and will include a breakfast of fruit and pastries. 

The club has planned both group and independent activities throughout the week, open to anyone in the school. 

“You don’t have to be in French Club to participate in anything we have planned,” said Bonkowski. “Just show up, be excited, be willing to participate, and you’ll have fun.”

Throughout the week students will be able to enter into a coloring contest with French-themed coloring sheets provided. 

“Be creative, color it, show us what you’ve got and we’ll judge it and award a prize,” said Bonkowski. The coloring sheets will be available both in Madame’s room and the library. 

Also throughout the week, students will be able to participate in what Bonkowski describes as an “elf-on-the-shelf” style game. Each day, a picture of Sophia Richards, one of the other parliamentary leaders of French Club, will be hidden somewhere in the school. The first student to find the picture, take a photo with it, and send it to Madame Rentmeester or Emily Bonkowski will win a prize. 

As for structured activities, on Wednesday, students will be able to purchase crepes during both lunches, with the money going towards future French Club events. Crepes are $3 for one crepe or $5 for two crepes. 

“There’s going to be strawberry toppings and Nutella, cinnamon butter, whip cream, powdered sugar, and all that fun stuff,” said Bonkowski, who is most excited for the crepe sale. 

To close out the week there will be a trivia contest in Madame’s room during both advisories on Friday. Any students can participate in this French-themed trivia. 

“We have some really fun prizes lined up for these,” says Bonkowski. “I know one of them is macaroons. You could win those which will be really good.”

To learn more about French Week, or French Club in general, you can join their Google Classroom page with the code 5f4do6w, or speak to Madame or any of the French club leaders: Emily Bonkowski, Sophia Richards, Anna Gruesen, and Lizzie Parish. 

“I really want people to have fun with it,” said Bonkowski. “Sure, you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to, but I think it’s something people might really enjoy.”