“Discovering the Vibrant Learning Environment of Montmirail College”

The college of Montmirail was transformed for the space of a morning into a wonderfully lively place allowing parents to discover what their children are going through. For some, these are the first steps in the premises of the college since they will leave theprimary school at the beginning of the summer to become college students in September. In the entrance hall, we discover the various workshops led by teachers of technology and SVT. The plants rub shoulders with the3D printer that a student operates under the proud gaze of his teacher. It’s here application of acquired knowledge during lessons. The programmingbut also the creation of 3D objectsfuture of these students who will undoubtedly make daily use of it in their adult lives.

A table further, we admire plants of all shapes and colors. They catch the eye and are put up for sale by the students in the company of their SVT teacher. These plants are a reminder of the excellent work accomplished by Camille Collet and her students. Learning how to plant, harvest and recycle green waste. The flower, certainly decorative, but also essential to the garden since it attracts the bees coming to forage and which in exchange gladly pollinate the vegetables of this organic garden of the college.

Music, a means of communication

A little further on, we gladly allow ourselves to be invited to listen to some musical sounds. There, we discover the class of the music teacher, Daniel Gonzalez. In his class, you not only learn to play a musical instrument or to learn notes, but you also learn about life. Daniel Gonzalez explains: “Music has always been a life lesson. Instruments were born in prehistoric times simply because the inhabitants of the planet at that time listened to everything: the noise of the string of art, the sound produced by the wind passing over reeds, the energies produced by trees of the forest covering the earth at this time. “And to further explain his educational work:” Making music is first of all being with others, regardless of their age. Music removes all these barriers. It’s extraordinary. Then, to make music is to seek harmony and this is done by listening to others. Observe an orchestra: the musicians are all of different ages, play a different instrument with a different score and yet the music they produce is divine. It’s melodious, it’s harmonious, it’s simply sublime. »

Learn the fundamentals of life with music

“By listening to and participating in the music together, the young people of the college will discover the joy of sharing, they will cultivate living together with respect. Music causes instant pleasure. I observe it in particular with the training of the “Cajon”, this Peruvian instrument which does not require extraordinary capacities. A sound box, the Cajon makes it possible to produce different sounds depending on where it is struck. “

The cajon can be taken everywhere, it can be played everywhere and offers incredible pleasure to those who play it as well as to those who listen. Daniel Gonzalez’s class is full of them and everyone rushes to try to master the multiple sounds of this wonderful instrument.

Standing very close to the entrance, Philippe Claudette, head of the college, is in complete agreement with Daniel Gonzalez. He not only observes young people’s enthusiasm for music, but confirms the pedagogy put forward by Daniel Gonzalez: “Knowing how to listen to each other, respect each other, get along, to live better together while respecting the differences of others. We launched this year this operation of integration of all “All have a heart, all have a soul” and which brings together the students under the same banner: Living together and happy”.

This is a successful bet by this team of teachers and their headteacher. Experiencing the college years isn’t just about learning math or Latin or English: it’s about learning to become the adult of tomorrow. And if this learning is successful, the world of tomorrow will be smiling.

The visit ends and already the eyes turn to the future. New projects? “Always”, replies Philippe Claudette with a smile and we take his word for it. Man is never short of innovations.

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