Rencontres Avec les Professeurs Principaux

Parent conferences, happened. Expressing how proud I am of the boys is just a "woah" moment. So, let's dive into Charlie's conference. It turned into a lengthy hour-and-a-half discussion with Mr. Zubieta. The real eye-opener was when he shared Charlie's grade book with us. The school year started with all 1s, and now, in the third grading period, we're seeing 2s and even a triumphant 3! Talk about progress. Mr. Zubieta surprised us by mentioning that Charlie is further along than he initially anticipated and that he is so proud of Charlie. However, the key now is to keep that momentum going, and he specifically pointed out the need for Charlie to engage more in French – suggesting that Charlie speaks in French and watches films in French with French subtitles. One standout thing for me has been Mr. Zubieta, who's turned out to be an awesome teacher. It's clear he genuinely loves the kids, and you can see he's always thinking of ways to support Charlie and takes real pride in what he does. Having him as Charlie's teacher this year, I feel incredibly grateful. Toward the end of the conference, Mr. Zubieta casually inquired about our background in California, leading us into a conversation about mushroom foraging. It turns out he's quite the enthusiast himself and even shared a photo of him and his son proudly posing with kilos of mushrooms they'd gathered after an hour of foraging. During our conversation, I mustered the courage to speak some French to Mr. Zubieta, explaining that I'm in the process of learning but still very much a débutant. He shared his appreciation for hearing English speakers speak French, expressing that he finds a delightful charm in the way foreigners articulate his language. Then he said, "You are better than Jane Birkin, so you are doing fine." I couldn't help but chuckle at the unexpected comparison. But who is Jane Birkin? Thank you, Google. Jane Birkin is an English-French actress and singer known for her collaborations with Serge Gainsbourg, including the iconic song "Je t'aime... moi non plus." Coincidentally, Jane Birkin's song played on the radio the next day. Gabe and I couldn't stop laughing. We get you Mr. Zubieta.

Luke's conference with Mr. Beneyrol, the teacher he often complains about, turned out to be surprisingly positive, lasting a whole six minutes. Despite Luke having received a "word in the notebook" for a computer incident, he had nothing but praise. He gave us a copy of his bulletin, commended Luke for his progress and work ethic, and the sparkle in his eye indicated a genuine fondness for our kid. It is clear that Luke's grades do not show his true capabilities, but Mr. Beneyrol encouraged him to keep up the good work. Of course, he mentioned that he is a bit chatty but that is normal. When Gabe asked about Luke's social life, he said Luke seems to have recognized that the group he was hanging out with was causing distractions, and he appears to be making wiser choices in terms of his social circle now. We found ourselves with a few spare minutes during the brief 6-minute conference — quite amusing, isn't it? Taking advantage of the extra time, Mr. Beneyrol asked a personal question, curious about the reason behind our move. It seems Luke's positive report left room for a more casual exchange. We are so proud of our boys. Way to go, Charlie and Luke!