On the menu of the day: lentils, nuggets and mashed potatoes. This is Sasha’s first meal in this school canteen. A first meal almost finished. The lenses did not have a huge success.
Sasha is 10 years old. She joined a CM1 class on Friday afternoon. This Monday, March 28 is therefore his real first day of school. and she is already surrounded by fascinated little comrades. “She’s our girlfriend” exclaims for example Meryam. “She’s too nice. We played wolf and ‘1,2,3 sun’ with her and we gave her presents”. Yasmine goes even further: “we fight among ourselves to be next to her in class”.
“We improvise with our hands to speak”
In class, children use Google Translate to understand each other. Without it, it’s not easy to communicate. Fortunately, children are full of creativity to make themselves understood. “It’s not easy to talk to each other but we make gestures and we get there” explains Meryam. “Sometimes, we improvise with our hands, we say to ourselves that she can, perhaps, understand” Oscar adds. A technique that works: at the table, the young Ukrainian dialogues and jokes with the other children. A benevolence that underlines Laurent Robillard, the school principal.
“We welcome them as we would welcome any child”
– Corentin Bemol
Sasha arrived on Friday March 21 in one of the two buses from Krakow. The town hall and the Rectorate therefore organized the integration of the young girl as well as her little sister at the André Dessaux school. “We welcome these children as we would welcome any child. It’s happening, they are well surrounded. We have already brought in equipment, picture books and translation devices, for example. We teach them the basics of French” explains Laurent Robillard.
Several Orléans schools concerned
According to Chrystel de Filippi, deputy mayor in charge of educationthe 22 refugee children welcomed by the city were divided into twelve schools (Gutemberg, Chatelet, Pierre Ségelle, etc.). A breakdown according to the place of accommodation of Ukrainian refugees. “We wondered whether or not we would group them together in the same establishment, but we don’t know how long they will stay. It was therefore better that they integrate immediately. And it works.” adds the assistant.