Le carnaval ( = mardi gras ) est le Mardi 28 Février mais au lycée nous le fêtons la veille des vacances ( we are celebrating on the eve of the holidays ).

Les élèves peuvent venir déguisés (disguised ) et même les professeurs. Certains élèves de notre classe ont choisi le thème des animaux, moi j'étais en batwoman ( photo 1).

 Nous avons fait un défilé ( a parade ) dans le lycée pour montrer à tous nos beaux déguisements !

Après nous avons organisé un goûté ( organised a snack ) dans notre classe.

Vous pouvez aller voir les vidéos du Carnaval des années passées sur youtube :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7AZkHOJvCo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhFh0ZjHAYA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_FlC9CSWVI

Lea – Batwoman.

Les différences France – États-Unis :

 • Le décalage horaire ( the jet lag ) : 7 heures ( when I publish this article )

•Le permis ( driver's licence ) : Age minimum aux USA → 16 ans

                                                                          en France → 18 ans

•Le lycée :

Aux USA                                                                    En France ...

  Les montagnes

At STM we have a few annual dances including the Prom and Homecoming. Prom is more formal - girls dress in fancy attire with dolled up hair, nails and makeup, and boys typically rent tuxes. Prom is usually a whole day affair with lots of pictures taken, dinner, the dance (at a fancy venue), and then post Prom. Post Prom occurs back at the School with lots of food, games, prizes and fun. Usually kids do not make it back home until about 2 or 3 in the morning, so we are all pretty tired the next day! Homecoming on the other hand is a more relaxed type of dance with students showing up in jeans or other casual wear. The homecoming dance happens after a fun filled homecoming week ending with a football game. The homecoming dance is at our school and lasts a couple of hours typically starting around 7 or 8 at night. Overall, dances are very fun and a way for kids to hang out in a safe way!

Attached are some pictures (:

Talk to you soon, Bella

a group of french club members at prom

the senior class at prom

A picture from the homecoming dance-it was western themed!

During homecoming week, a king and queen are chosen! This is a picture from coronation...The Queen is one of our very own french IV students, Audrey! 

The teachers at St. Thomas More are truly incredible- our school is so small we know them all very well! Our school has one of the highest test scores in the state of South Dakota, and we owe it all to them. Madame Benn, our French teacher, is one of the best! One of our student's favorite teachers has been Mr. Durham, who recently gave his kidney to his wife, who had previously rejected her own (he is amazing). Another is Profa King, the Spanish teacher that's well under 5', has an extremely thick accent, and always says hi to everyone she sees- even us French students. Mr. Murano, however, is over 6' and has one of the largest personalities to match. He is known for annunciating words by shouting them and hitting your desk with a yardstick, but don't let this fool you- he's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. 

These are just a few of the people we interact with on a weekly basis and have been big parts of our high school life! Can't wait to hear back!

Ashley

Hello! My name is Ellie and I am 17 years old. I am a senior at Saint Thomas More High School in Rapid City, South Dakota. The classes I am taking this year include Government, English, Logic and Philosophy, Calculus, French, and Economics. I have three "free periods" during my day, which equates to about 2 hours of free time. During this free time, I usually drive home to eat lunch, watch Netflix, and do homework. Other things I enjoy doing in my free time are reading, drawing, playing the piano, and hiking. 

I have one younger sister and one older brother. My sister has a pet turtle named "Mars" and a pet cat named "Pepper". In addition, I have a large extended family because my dad has 10 other siblings. 

This is a picture of (from left to right): my cousin Maddie, my sister Genevieve, me, my cousin Marlee, and my brother George when we went ziplining in Arkansas this summer.

What classes are you taking? What are your hobbies? What is your family like? I look forward to reading all your blogs!