Smoke Signals

This week ECHS’s French Club met in the main cafeteria to enjoy a special treat. The scent of Belgian waffles mingled with the sounds of students laughing, chatting, and playing games.

The Belgian waffle theme came about because Madame Barber, the club’s sponsor, went to Belgium in the summer of 2022, and one of the things the country is known for is their waffles. Another point she realized is that not many students understand what Belgium is known for outside of waffles. Madame Barber decided that this French club week was going to be about not only Belgian waffles but the whole country of Belgium itself.  Madame Barber brought in worksheets to help the students learn more with questions about Belgium and even the capital. When asking the students about what they knew about Belgium, most of them said that they didn’t know anything about the country. Students and teachers who did know a bit about it said they know about some of the singers such as John Cloud, Stromae, and Angéle, all of whom had at least one of their songs in “Musique Mercredi,” a collection of French music often used in French classes.

The country itself has its capital in Brussels, and its citizens largely speak French, Dutch, and German. When asking students what they thought about the meeting, one replied, ¨”The waffles were good, but I mostly prefer pancakes!” Another told us, “I learned something interesting about Belgium, other than them being in wars.”

The best part about the whole club was seeing the students load their waffles with the copious amount of toppings available. Anyone interested in learning more about French culture and eating yummy treats should check out the next French Club meeting!