On Thursday, Jan. 11, French 3 and 3H students visited the Art Institute of Chicago to learn more about French Impressionism.

“The goal was to expose students to French art,” Madame Hamidi, French 3H teacher said, “and to discover the large collection of French Impressionism that’s just in Chicago.”

Both the French 3 and French 3H classes have been studying French culture, although the French 3 curriculum centered more around art while the 3H students focusing on urban life. 

“It’s important that kids can experience what is learned in the classroom,” Madame Miller, French 3 teacher, said.

To learn beyond what the teacher presented them, students got the chance to explore the museum on their own, as well as going on a docent-led tour on French art. They left the school after first period and had the rest of the day to soak in all the art they could retain. 

“My docent was super great,” said Kelly Ahern, sophomore and 3H student. “She was super chill and knowledgeable, even if she was a little quiet.”

Ahern, along with many students, only regrets that she didn’t get more time to see more of the art.

“We only had a half hour to explore,” Ahern said. “I didn’t get to go to some of the exhibits that I wanted to see.”

The French teachers have plans to fix this and other problems to make the trip better for next year. They look forward to improving the trip for future french students, and are excited that they were able to try it out on the current class. 

“We’re thinking about making it a whole day,” Hamidi said, “rather than meeting after first period to go. It felt rushed.”

Another problem that they plan to fix is the awkwardness of the large group size.

“Next year we’re thinking of dividing it into small groups,” Hamidi said. “One group will go one day and the other group will go a different day.”

Despite the problems that popped up, the trip was well received by both the students and the teachers.

“I heard overwhelmingly positive things after the trip,” Hamidi said. “The trip was a major success.”