PiA

Goodbye BLOG!

2009-08-28T00:02:00.002+02:00

Launch of the New PiA Website

This Blog has served us well, but PiA activites are now so numerous that we really needed a more sophisticated form of communication. We've created a website which we hope that you will find easy to navigate. One of the fun things about the Blog was that, since it was linear (ie the articles just appear in one long scroll), you all got to read about a real pot pourri of items - sometimes subjects that you wouldn't have gone looking for on a website. What was great about the blog was that people posting requests or new ideas almost always got a response. We want to try and retain some of that spontaneity and will be keeping the PiA connecting parents section - so do please carry on sending in your requests/ ideas/ things of interest to share.

So, we are proud to redirect you to www.partnersinadaptation.com where you will need to login. This is because we will have people's personal contact details and therefore only want EABJM parents on the site. We've kept it simple: the login is 'parent' and the password 'eabjm0910'.
Look forward to hearing what you think

Best wishes

Rachel, Chris, Julie & Nicola
www.partnersinadaptation.com

Que faire cet été à Paris?

2009-07-14T09:45:00.006+02:00

More to do in Paris this summer

The ever-reliable Figaro has kindly pulled together all its summer holiday recommendations to help inspire your summer city plans.

Paris Plage is open until this weekend. Read more about it here and check out The Times article on the subject

Understanding the Tour de France

2009-07-05T23:14:00.007+02:00

Idiot's Guide to the Tour de France

After living here for 5 years, the Tour de France is still a bit of mystery to me. I can appreciate the extraordinary physical feat of cycling 3500 Km in 3 weeks (with only 2 days off!) and enjoy the backdrop of some of France's (and neighbouring country's) most majestic countryside, but the points system, who wears what colour jersey etc remained impenetrable.

All is explained in this helpful article from the BBC website. Hope that this helps you enjoy the spectacle.

PiA Connecting Parents - Sunday 5th July

2009-07-05T13:34:00.007+02:00

What to do in Paris during the summer

Here’s a great article from Le Figaro with suggestions for things to do in Paris during the summer. This is the link to the 1st-15th July section, but they’ve also got info on late July and August.

LAMUSE website

This is an excellent website full of ideas for enjoying Paris and ile de France with kids. You can sign up for a weekly email update which alerts you to shows which need booking.

Here are a couple of selections from their most recent newsletter

Tout l'été - Jardin - Plage
Pour toute la famille

Pendant tout l'été le Jardin d'Acclimatation prend des airs de bords de mer.

Cabines de bain, plage en teck, transats, bacs à sable vous attendent. Confortablement installés, vous pourrez ainsi "surveiller" vos enfants qui s'amuseront, c'est certain, dans les aires de jeux d’eau éphémères installés pour l'événement : brumisateurs rafraîchissants, bassin pour patauger avec délice, fontaine-fleur géante et, nouveauté cette année, canon à eau extravagant… Sans oublier le bateau géant, le mini-trampoline, les balançoires, des tables de ping-pong.

Pensez aux pelles, râteaux, seaux et moules en forme de coquillages : Les châteaux de sable sont rigoureusement autorisés !
Vous pourrez également profiter des grandes étendues d’herbes et des nombreuses aires aménagées pour pique-niquer.

Jardin d'Acclimatation: Bois de Boulogne, 75116 Paris
www.jardindacclimatation.fr
Ouvert tous les jours de 10h à 19h
Jusqu'au lundi 31 août 2009

Les visites ludiques de Paris d’Enfants.
Pour les 5 - 12 ans accompagnés d'au moins un adulte.

Cette association organise pour les classes du primaire de nombreuses visites dans les musées. Elle propose aux familles un beau programme de visites-découvertes, auxquelles vous pouvez vous inscrire. Les conférenciers sont "rôdés", ils aiment le patrimoine parisien et le font partager aux enfants.
N’hésitez pas à programmer une visite, vous découvrirez, en bonne compagnie, des aspects méconnus de notre cité ou une partie des collections des grands musées.

Leur programme est très régulièrement remis à jour, avec l'état des réservations et le site Inernet est très bien fait.
Voir le programme des prochaines visites, cliquez ici

Bon à savoir :
Un livret d'activités est offert à chaque enfant.
La réservation est obligatoire, vous pouvez réserver par mail.

Housekeeper/ odd job man.

Susan Greig writes…Jerry Pangan, my housekeeper's husband, is looking for more work. He is a very good cleaner, washes and irons, is punctual, honest and hard working. He also does odd electrical and plumbing repairs and cleans windows! Has working papers. Euro 13 per hour. Call Riza pangan at 06 30 86 77 42. For a reference contact Susan Greig at susanmgreig@gmail.com, US cell through 8/25/09 917 834 7777. Thereafter french cell 06 22 48 87 99.

Ex EABJM Student available for summer tutoring & babysitting

Je suis une ancienne élève de l'EABJM (promo 2007) et viens de terminer ma deuxième année de droit a Oxford.
Je cherche a proposer des cours particuliers de tous niveaux (primaire, collège, lycée) en français, anglais, maths, physique, svt. J'ai moi-même obtenu les félicitations du jury en bac S OI, et me sens donc capable de proposer une aide efficace a ceux qui en auraient besoin.
Je faisais aussi régulièrement du babysitting pendant mes années de lycée et cherche a reprendre cette activité.

Je suis disponible durant tout le mois de juillet pour du babysitting ou des cours de 'remise a niveau', voire des cours de français pour les élèves étrangers intégrant une classe d'Adaptation en septembre. Je compte passer ma troisième année a Paris II - Assas, et serai donc a Paris durant toute l'année prochaine pour des cours réguliers.

N'hésitez pas a m'écrire si vous avez besoin de plus d'informations, Marion Bergeret bergeret.marion@gmail.com

Summer offer on the 3D films at the Geode
Check out the Geode website for this offer in July & August – 10h30 & 11h30 films in the Geode at the Parc de la Villette are at a special summer price of 7€ (usually 10€50). While you are there you can visit the wonderful science museum.

Tech Support

Terminale English speaking IB student can help with all your computer woes!

Advice, instruction, and tech support on both PC and Mac platforms!

Do you need to know how to install the drivers for your printer? Do you absolutely have to see the new season of Desperate Housewives? Do you want to get the most out of your newest gadget, be it a PC, Mac, mp3 player, or smartphone?

I am familiar with many different ways of accessing all kinds of media, blogging, web browsing, installing software AND hardware, and even creative digital design, like website and logo creation! I am equally proficient with Blackberries, iPhones, iPods, mp3 players, set top boxes (eg. Apple TV, DVD players, etc) and sites like eBay, PayPal, Gmail, and programs, anything from iLife to iWork to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and many more, like Skype and Picasa!

Available most days from now until mid August!

No fix - no fee!
CALL Jordan @ 06 21 14 55 95 or EMAIL jordansellers@me.com

Note that you’ll also find Jordan on the pia babysitting/ tutoring list. However, he separately took the initiative to email PiA and ask to put his details forward for babysitting - 18 year old young man, American, French speaking will babysit during the day or night, and is available for overnights or for weeks at a time, even to travel with a family interested in such a service.
Experienced with children of all ages, I have been babysitting for 5 years.
Available most days/nights from now until mid August! - and for tutoring children of all ages, specializing in the subjects of English, French, Math, Chemistry, and History, though other subjects are also possible.

PiA Connecting Parents - Sunday 28th June

2009-06-28T17:13:00.006+02:00

La Fete du Cinema – until Friday 3rd July

Pour fêter son 25ème anniversaire, la Fête du Cinéma, qui a commencé samedi et permet au spectateur de voir à tarif réduit le nombre de films de son choix, se déroulera jusqu'au vendredi 3 juillet, soit quatre jours de plus que les éditions précédentes.

Pour l'achat d'une place au tarif habituel de la séance (plein ou réduit), chaque spectateur reçoit la nouvelle carte Fête du cinéma avec laquelle il peut voir le nombre de films qu'il veut, partout en France, au tarif de 3 euros la séance, pendant toute la durée de la manifestation.

Hockey – Summer Stage
Several EABJM families have enjoyed Hockey all year at Stade Jean Bouin in the 16th. They are offering 2 summer stages:
Du lundi 6 juillet au vendredi 10 juillet
Du lundi 24 au 28 aout
De 9h30 à 12h00, déjeuner pris ensemble au club house, reprise jusqu'a 17h00 (note: half days also possible for 7-9 yr olds).
Le stage a pour but le pefectionnement ou l'apprentissage du hockey, il est destiné en priorité aux enfants, garcons et filles de 7 ans à 14 ans.
Une tenue de sport est obligatoire, ainsi que les protèges tibias et protèges dents.
Prix du stage:135€
Contact:gwenael 06.30.10.46.09 section.hockey@parisjeanbouin.fr
01.46.51.74.34

Sofa Bed (and other things) FOR SALE
Eva Ravanel is reluctantly leaving Paris and selling various items including a sofa bed. Please check out the full details in the apartment info section of the blog over on the right hand side ->

Fancy a Bootcamp to lose some weight and get fit?

Jill Cameron writes….I have started attending this bootcamp in the parks in Paris. I would like to form a class in the Champs de Mars at 8:45 (Tues and Thurs), anyone want to join me? jillnchris@gmail.com. A few EABJM parents have joined and we are having fun and getting fit. It sure beats laps of the park every morning.
Please email Chris Pollard directly chris.pollard1@yahoo.fr and let him know if you are interested and for details of present times and locations. The classes will continue in the summer.

Central Paris: Jardin Tuileries 9.45am Tuesdays and 9.30am Thursdays
Bois Boulogne: Pelouses de la Muette 12.30pm Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Workshop: Writing your Personal Statement

Is your child a university student, university-bound, or beginning the application process?

This interactive workshop invites participants to explore their core values and personal charisma, and use them to craft an authentic personal statement, which can be sent to a university, or serve as a roadmap for academic and career choices.

Of all that you have learned, what has touched both your head & heart?
When were you happiest?
Who has inspired you?

Tuesday, June 30 or Thursday, July 2 • 11h – 16h • Max 6 participants per session • 85€
Contact Jane A. Mobille, Writing Instructor and Life Coach
jam.atlantic@gmail.com 06 80 22 99 71

This Week at the American Library

Wednesday 1 July 19h30
Evenings with an Author: Prize-winning author Joseph O'Neill reads from his novel ‘Netherland.’ Highly recommended by several parents (and an Obama favourite apparently!)

Saturday 4 July 10h00-19h00
Used Book Sale all day at the Library.

Wednesday 8 July 19h30
Evenings with an Author: Sichan Siv, former US Ambassador to the UN, presents ‘Golden Bones: An Extraordinary Journey from Hell in Cambodia to a New Life in America.’

For full details of everything going on at the American library, check out their website

Exhibition of Photography

Tracy Coutrix recommends Visions of Reality: Still lifes and beyond
By Karel Steiner

Exhibition: until 8 September, 2009

Combes Gallery, 6, rue du Colonel Combes
75007 Paris
Open: Monday – Friday: 9:00 – 19:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 17:00

The American University of Paris
THE ARTS ARENA

Le Festival La Chaise et l'Ecran
Thanks to Rozenn le Roux Mion for suggesting
« Rendez-vous à 22h30, 12, place Léon Blum. Ni fleurs, ni bouteille. Apportez juste
une chaise. » Tel est le dress code de la soirée qui vous attend ce soir dans la cour intérieure de la mairie du XIe.

Le Festival La Chaise et l'Ecran projette tout au long de l'été des films en plein air, à la manière des cinémas de rue qui animaient jadis les petits villages de province.. Dès 21h, vous pourrez vous délasser les jambes sur un air argentin pendant le bal de tango qui précède la projection. Puis, à la nuit tombée, extinction des feux. Les jambes retrouvent leur chaise, les chaises se font du pied et les pieds trépignent d'impatience. Ambiance Cinema Paradiso. Chut! le film commence.

La Chaise et l'Ecran, les vendredis 10 juillet, 21 août et 4 septembre, 22h30
Entrée gratuite, apportez votre chaise
Le film sera précédé d'un bal de tango à 21h
Cour intérieure - Mairie du 11e- 12, place Léon Blum, 75 011
Métro Voltaire

Figaro recommendations for Enjoying Eating in Paris this summer

Check out the Figaro’s top 20 spots for enjoying eating in Paris in the summer

and also their top new restaurant terrasses

Château Vaux le Vicomte

Thanks to Catherine de La Chausee for recommending the Château Vaux le Vicomte for unforgettable Saturday nights – right through the summer
Chaque samedi soir, à la tombée de la nuit, le château de Vaux le Vicomte et ses jardins s'illuminent, parés de plus de 2000 chandelles, pour recréer l'atmosphère des fêtes du 17ème siècle que Nicolas Fouquet avait organisée en l'honneur de son Roi Louis XIV.

Un bar à champagne et la diffusion de musique classique dans les jardins complèteront cette soirée féerique.

Théatre en plein air avec " sur les traces de Molière", jouée par la Compagnie les Arlequins, les premiers samedis de chaque mois.

Merci de noter que les soirs de théâtre, la musique sera diffusée autour du bar à champagne.
You can book dinner at the restaurant there, or there is a picnic location.

Du 2 mai au 10 octobre sauf le 12 septembre
de 20h à minuit

Opera de Paris new season now booking

Booking for the 2009/10 Opera de Paris season opens Monday 29th June.

Annual Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral
Jusqu’au 26 juillet 2009
Quand approche la saison estivale, le beau temps se profile, les vêtements rétrécissent et… La fine fleur du jazz pointe le bout de son nez du côté du Parc Floral... Devenu une immuable tradition jazzistique, le Paris Jazz Festival attend ses passionnés pour quelques week-ends de pur bonheur acoustique.
À partir du 6 juin, le célèbre jardin botanique de la capitale accueille la crème du jazz international. Au programme, des noms que la planète jazz, blues ou funk connaît par cœur pour les avoirs vus éblouir les ténébreuses salles new-yorkaises ou londoniennes.
De toute façon, férus de jazz ou non, le rendez-vous de Vincennes attire chaque année les amoureux du bien être, séduits qu’ils sont par l’ambiance reposante d’un concert en plein air, au milieu des fleurs. N’hésitez pas à tenter cette belle expérience, c’est jusqu’au 26 juillet, tous les samedis et dimanches. Culture et farniente, des vacances avant l’heure !

Each summer the beautiful Parc Floral de Paris hosts the Paris Jazz Festival in a series of concerts with performers ranging from established jazz legends to new and emerging talents. Musicians play from mid-afternoon each weekend to an enthusiastic crowd made up of jazz aficionados and cool Parisian urbanites. Seats are limited to just 1,500 in the Espace Delta, but anyone that is not there early enough to claim a seat can join the masses with a blanket, picnic and bottle of chilled wine by the lake - a perfect way to enjoy a laidback Parisian summer evening..
Click here for the Programme

Can you contribute to the Survival Guide?

2009-06-24T07:51:00.000+02:00

A Survival Guide to School and Paris

That time of year has come round (again - so quickly!) when the PiA is working on welcoming newcomers to the EABJM – and to Paris – in September. For each and every one of us who has already experienced first-hand the move to a new city, often with a new language as well as a completely new way of living, the PiA’s “SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SCHOOL AND PARIS” has proved to be a fount of knowledge in helping families settle in and find their way around the city, in more ways than one.

Many who were given a copy back in September still refer to it as their ‘Bible’, and many more add notes and keep a version by the telephone that becomes more dog-eared as the years go by…

We are now working on updating the 2009/2010 version, and would be grateful if you would spare a few minutes taking a look at the current version – we are particularly interested in any new information you may be able to give us that you have found to be useful or may have jotted down in your copy of the booklet (English-speaking medical suggestions / handymen / home delivery shopping / activities, etc). Thanks also for drawing my attention to any errors you may have come across while using the Guide this year.

Please forward your comments and suggestions ASAP (and no later than mid June) to nicola.collarile@gmail.com – your help is truly invaluable – THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.

PiA Gardening Group

2009-06-21T16:46:00.002+02:00

Le Jardinage en Ville

Any vegetables being harvested yet ?

Our first garden group meeting brought 7 of us together in April to exchange of plenty of gardening ideas. We are planning another meeting just under the wire before the summer holidays:

Sunday, June 28 at 3:00 p.m.

Since it is the season for (hopefully) good weather, we will meet at a café near the Jardin "Nicole de Hautecloque" (just in front of the Dupleix school).

Anyone interested, please RSVP Corinne Coughanowr-Lazo at 01 40 56 06 18 or corinnecou@wanadoo.fr

Quelles sont les récoltes du printemps?

Après une première réunion très réussie et pleine d’idées, le groupe jardinage en ville se réunira une dernière fois avant les vacances d’été :

Dimanche, 28 juin à 15h00

En espérant que le beau temps sera au rendez-vous, nous nous réunirons dans un café près du Jardin "Nicole de Hautecloque" (Parc devant l'école de Dupleix).

Pour vous joindre à nous, merci de contacter Corinne Coughanowr-Lazo au 01 40 56 06 18 ou à corinnecou@wanadoo.fr

PiA Connecting Parents - Sunday 21st June

2009-06-17T17:07:00.003+02:00

Yann Arthus-Bertrand exhibition

Sophie Melville recommends the Yann Arthus-Bertrand exhibition at the Marmottan museum? Sophie says that it isn’t huge - Paris from the Air - some big photos and a video but is “Absolutely entrancing”.

Let’s Make a Movie – Teenage evening Workshop – THIS WEEK

Miki Thrall writes…..I have some information to pass along to EABJM families. I'm sending it at the last minute but it isn't too late to sign up for this course that starts tomorrow.
There will also be teen acting classes in the fall that start the last week in Sept. Our son who is in 4eme has taken a course this past school year. We are pleased with the course.

The Bilingual Acting Workshop presents:

Let´s make a movie! TEEN workshop
Facilitator: Clarence Tokley
From June 22nd to June 28th
One week worskhop - 18 hours - 250€ (payment installment possible)

Come learn the fundamentals of filmmaking and film acting in our summer intensive young filmmaking workshop. Whether you are interested in being behind or in front of the camera our workshop is for you. The week long program supplies students with the foundations in the grammar, technique, and process of filmmaking and film acting. Working together students will create, produce, film, act in and edit a short film. The workshop is geared to providing students with the “know how” and imagination to go out and make movies. When all the hard work is completed there will be a premier of the students work. Class size will be limited and is open to ages 12-18.

Dates and Hours:
Monday June 22nd from 6:30 to 8:30pm, Tuesday June 23rd from 6:30 to 8:30pm
Wednesday June 24th from 1pm to 6pm
Thursday June 25th from 6:30 to 8:30pm, Friday June 26th OFF
Saturday June 27th, 12 to 6pm, Sunday June 28th - 2pm: Screening

Email: info@bilingualacting.com
Address: Le Pavé d'Orsay, 48 rue de Lille 75007 Paris. Phone: 09 70 44 88 92

Suivre des cours de Français "La Rentrée, the New Year, Back to School!

Catherine Smith writes…..So many ways to mark our return to schedules and academic commitments in September! For Anglophone families, enrollment in French Language Classes is a positive way to support life in Paris. A private or small group instructor can make a real difference for student tutoring needs or continued adult development. Mme Marion Bastard is a competent and encouraging private professor with detailed and committed teaching methods. She is fluent in English for beginners but well versed in French literature and grammar for more advanced needs. Mme Bastard is available for personalized lessons during the summer semester as well as for regular course programs in the Fall.

Contact marion.bastard@orange.fr or 06 16 51 67 09 to develop your own personalized 'cours de français'!

Recommended Piano Teacher

Kathleen O'Donoghue would like to recommend her children’s piano teacher…..
My name is Albert Morris and I teach PIANO LESSONS IN ENGLISH: I am
great with kids of all ages and levels.
I believe lessons should be fun with the minimum of pressure. I teach
all the basics plus a creative approach to playing by ear and with
chords.
Classical, pop and rock. I am a composer and have performed widely in
the States and have three CD albums to my credit, available on
CDBABY.com
25 years teaching experience. References.
Please call or email for setting up a schedule for this coming fall.
albertemorrise@yahoo.com 06 37 07 76 28

Stress Management: L'Arbre de Vie

The damages caused by stress have psychological, physical and economical consequences. Concerning the professional environment alone, the French Ministry of Work has evaluated in 2008 the cost of stress in France to an incredible 60 billion €, including the cost of medicines, loss of productivity, and work stops.

With L'Arbre de Vie, her consulting office close to the Eiffel Tower, EABJM mother, Shahine Ismail has developed a unique approach to helping you cope with stress. Her Indian origins have made her sensitive to both body and mind balance. One of her tools is Shiatsu, or acupressure along the Meridiens developed by the ancestral Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Sessions are individual, but she also offers Relaxation séances to groups.
Click here for further details

Hult International Business School

Reina DESCAMPS would like parents to know about Hult University, a top ranked International Business School, which is still accepting applications for its Undergraduate Programs in Central London (Russell Square). through 22 July 2009. To start or access your online application . Financial Assistance is available.

8 Reasons to Study at HULT:
* American-style education with international focus provides flexibility.
* The best location in the heart of Central London.
* 60 nationalities, twice as diverse as most universities.
* Close academic guidance, teaching-oriented and dedicated faculty.
* Small class sizes, personalized attention.
* Study-abroad programs in Shanghai, Dubai, The Hague and other cities.
* Expert Career Services and internship opportunities. Past internship placements: have included: British Telecom, Saatchi and Saatchi, Harrods, Amnesty International among many others.
* Accredited, Hult International Business School, ranked 16th best MBA program in the US and 31st in the world by The Economist magazine. Ranked 29th in Europe by the Financial Times.

Contact: Reina DESCAMPS, French Undergraduate Representative: reina.descamps@hult.edu or (+33) 06 82 25 44 41.

And Finally this week…
I love this article from the International Herald Tribune about the problems authors face in this modern world of permanent connectivity.
If Only Literature Could Be a Cellphone-Free Zone

And....At the end of the last College meeting, Patricia Koncewicz paid tribute to all the mothers present by showing the Mom’s song video (click here for the few of you who have never seen it). I mentioned, at the time, that there was a Dad’s ‘reply’ and several people asked for the link so here it is….Dad’s sense
While looking for this Dad one, I found a teenager’s response to the song. Some of the lyrics are very fast, but it is very clever

PiA Connecting Parents - Mon 15th June

2009-06-06T22:34:00.000+02:00

Summer Holiday childcare

Several Bilingual, charming senior EABJM students are looking for holiday work this summer. PiA keeps a list of interested students which it makes available to EABJM parents upon request by emailing Caroline Bouffard at pia.babysitting@gmail.com. If you’ve had access to this list in the past, you still have it – if you check back into the google document you’ll have a connection to the most up to date version.

If you have a child (3eme upwards) who would like to be included on this list either for work this summer and/or to offer babysitting and/or tutoring services from September, please ask them to email their name, current class, email, mobile, arrondisement where you live, arrondisements you are prepared to travel to and what you are offering eg babysitting/ French/ English/ maths…. to pia.babysitting@gmail.com

Tech Support

Terminale English speaking IB student can help with all your computer woes!

Advice, instruction, and tech support on both PC and Mac platforms!

Do you need to know how to install the drivers for your printer? Do you absolutely have to see the new season of Desperate Housewives? Do you want to get the most out of your newest gadget, be it a PC, Mac, mp3 player, or smartphone?

I am familiar with many different ways of accessing all kinds of media, blogging, web browsing, installing software AND hardware, and even creative digital design, like website and logo creation! I am equally proficient with Blackberries, iPhones, iPods, mp3 players, set top boxes (eg. Apple TV, DVD players, etc) and sites like eBay, PayPal, Gmail, and programs, anything from iLife to iWork to Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and many more, like Skype and Picasa!

Available most days from now until mid August!

No fix - no fee!
CALL Jordan @ 06 21 14 55 95 or EMAIL jordansellers@me.com

Note that you’ll also find Jordan on the pia babysitting/ tutoring list. However, he separately took the initiative to email PiA and ask to put his details forward for babysitting - 18 year old young man, American, French speaking will babysit during the day or night, and is available for overnights or for weeks at a time, even to travel with a family interested in such a service.
Experienced with children of all ages, I have been babysitting for 5 years.
Available most days/nights from now until mid August! - and for tutoring children of all ages, specializing in the subjects of English, French, Math, Chemistry, and History, though other subjects are also possible.

Annual Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral
Jusqu’au 26 juillet 2009
Quand approche la saison estivale, le beau temps se profile, les vêtements rétrécissent et… La fine fleur du jazz pointe le bout de son nez du côté du Parc Floral... Devenu une immuable tradition jazzistique, le Paris Jazz Festival attend ses passionnés pour quelques week-ends de pur bonheur acoustique.
À partir du 6 juin, le célèbre jardin botanique de la capitale accueille la crème du jazz international. Au programme, des noms que la planète jazz, blues ou funk connaît par cœur pour les avoirs vus éblouir les ténébreuses salles new-yorkaises ou londoniennes.
De toute façon, férus de jazz ou non, le rendez-vous de Vincennes attire chaque année les amoureux du bien être, séduits qu’ils sont par l’ambiance reposante d’un concert en plein air, au milieu des fleurs. N’hésitez pas à tenter cette belle expérience, c’est jusqu’au 26 juillet, tous les samedis et dimanches. Culture et farniente, des vacances avant l’heure !

Each summer the beautiful Parc Floral de Paris hosts the Paris Jazz Festival in a series of concerts with performers ranging from established jazz legends to new and emerging talents. Musicians play from mid-afternoon each weekend to an enthusiastic crowd made up of jazz aficionados and cool Parisian urbanites. Seats are limited to just 1,500 in the Espace Delta, but anyone that is not there early enough to claim a seat can join the masses with a blanket, picnic and bottle of chilled wine by the lake - a perfect way to enjoy a laidback Parisian summer evening..
Click here for the Programme

Are you leaving a nice apartment this summer?

Sadly, some of you will be contemplating returning home or moving to another country at the end of this academic year. If you are renting a property that you think that would suit an incoming family, please consider letting us know so that we can feature it in the accommodation section on the right hand side of this blog. As new parents sign up for parent partners, we send them the link to this blog so that they can access this type of information. Please send brief apartment details to PiA partnersinadaptation@gmail.com

English books for children needed!

We're an Association for teaching English to French children in a small private school in Paris. We're going to put in place a small library/video-/audiotheque for our students and we need English books/tapes/DVDs for children up to 11 years old.

If you're leaving Paris this summer and do not need some of your children's books/tapes/DVDs (or if your children have simply grown out of them!), kindly consider the possibility of donating them to our Association - we'd be most grateful as our resources are very limited.

If you wish, we can come over to collect the books at a place you'll specify within Paris.
You can contact us at: assoangprecoce@free.fr Thank you!

10 things I would miss about Paris...

Thanks to Sue Bell who passed on this article....
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2009/05/15_things_i_would_miss_if_i_move.html

PiA 4th annual Garden Party, thurs 18th June

2009-06-06T20:29:00.001+02:00

PiA 4th Annual Summer Garden Party
Thurs 18th June, 13h

SORRY FULL - 70 signed up but some recent cancellations have cleared the wait list, so if you'd like to sign up for the wait list you have a reasonable chance of getting a place

Come and join in our biggest pot luck lunch of the year - the annual PiA Summer Garden Party. Whilst I'm still lucky enough to live in a house with a garden (16th arr - nearest metro Michel Ange Molitor), come and enjoy the chance for an outdoor (assuming that decent weather does arrive at some point!) summer lunch party to celebrate the end of the school year and another year packed with PiA activities.

Although there is plenty of room, this is always a very well attended event as you can see from the pictures from last year, so we do need to limit the numbers to 70. If you'd like to join us, please sign up soon to avoid disappointment.

You can either volunteer to bring something specific or you can volunteer to be told what to bring!
If you don't specify a dish in your sign up email, I will assume that you are happy to be asked to bring whatever we need (this will be communicated about a week before the lunch).

Please sign up by emailing Rachel Skingsley rachelskingsley@gmail.com

PiA Connecting Parents - Sunday 7th June

2009-06-05T12:36:00.003+02:00

Art Atelier – ‘Portes Ouvertes’ Weds & Thursday

Thanks to Susan Kostelecky Schulz for recommending this Art Atelier for children & adults….

Nous ouvrons les portes de l'atelier
Le mercredi 10 juin à partir de 17h pour vous montrer le travail des enfants
Le jeudi 11 juin à partir de 19h pour vous montrer le travail des adultes.

Un peu de temps pour regarder les dessins peintures et sculptures réalisés cette
année, partager un verre et parler de l'organisation des cours de l'année
prochaine.

A "stage" will take place during the last week of August:
Mon to Fri
10-1200 for 6years and under
1400 to 1600 for 7 years and over
Parents should check out the website and contact Laurent directly (french and english spoken) for details of price etc.

Atelier Grenelle
7 rue Ernest Psichari, 75007 Paris
Téléphone 01.47.53.97.54.

Conference on the Kandinsky expo at the Pompidou, Thurs 11th June

Emmanuelle Martin, mère de deux élèves de l'EABJM, vous propose des conférences sur les grandes expositions dans le cadre de son association Les Dits de l'Art.

La dernière conférence avant l'été aura lieu le jeudi 11 juin à 14h au théâtre du Ranelagh et portera sur l'exposition Kandinsky qui a lieu actuellement au Centre Pompidou. Elle sera présentée par Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, conservateur à la direction des musées de France et professeur à l'Ecole du Louvre.

Pour tout renseignement, vous pouvez consulter le site de l'assocation www.lesditsdelart.fr. Il est possible de se présenter ¼ d'heure avant le début de la conférence pour s'inscrire sur place.

Emmanuelle Martin, mother of two EABJM students, organises conferences on the Paris great exhibitions with her association Les Dits de l'Art. The last conference of the season will be on june 11th at 2 pm in théâtre du Ranelagh and will be on the Kandinsky 's exhibition (Centre Pompidou). It will be presented by Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, professor at the Ecole du Louvre. For more information, please consult the site www.lesditsdelart.fr.
Please note that it is possible to come 15 minutes before the conference to enrol for the conference.

Summer sale – vente privée – Thurs 11th June

Looking for end of term presents ---- gifts to take abroad?
Sale of hand-made items by EABJM mothers

Featuring: Beach bags, Hand bags, make-up & lingerie pouches by Sophie Bourdon
Lunamiller Unique jewelry designs

Cadeaux de fin d'année - Cadeaux pour les vacances :

Vente de sacs, pochettes maquillage, pochettes lingerie, bijoux,
fabriqués par Sophie Bourdon et Melody Cooper

Vente le jeudi 11 juin de 8h30 à 16h
8 rue Sarasate (5mn from EABJM)

Contact Sophie Bourdon for the codes : 06 82 35 65 93 - sbourdon@orange.fr

Help needed to accompany a ‘treasure hunt’ in Montmartre – afternoon of Thurs 25th June

Anne Chartier-Kastler, maths teacher and EABJM mother (and faithful blog follower!) writes…

J'organise une sortie pour les 6e jeudi 25 juin et j'aurai besoin
d'accompagnateurs pour le rallye pédestre qui se passe à Montmartre
l'après midi. Il s'agit d'être disponible à Montmartre de 13h à 15h
pour accompagner 3 ou 4 élèves qui doivent se déplacer dans les petites
rues de Montmartre et répondre à des questions historiques. Une bonne
occasion de découvrir Montmartre ou de mieux connaître ce quartier si
pittoresque.
Cela peut intéresser des mamans ou papas même s'ils n'ont pas leurs enfants en 6e. Merci de contacter Anne Chartier-Kastler a.chartier@eabjm.net

Summer Holiday sports courses in Paris

From 6th July until the end of August, the Ecole Municipale de Sports runs a series of sports stages all over Paris. These are excellent value (85 euros for a whole week including lunch – with reductions possible for those on limited income) and, on the evidence of a stage my son did last summer, very well run. Check out the website for full details

Fun activities for families in Paris and Ile de France

It seems like June is always a crazy month with tons going on. You’ll find even more activities to whet your appetite on the excellent La Muse website including some fun sounding family ‘promenades’ looking at Paris Street art on Sat 13th & 27th at 14h.

Au Pair wanted in South of France mid July – mid August
Nicole Williams Roland writes…We are looking for an au-pair for a month this Summer (mid-July to mid-August) especially to take care of our baby but also to have fun with our other kids (12 and 9 years). It would be in a comfortable beachfront villa in the South of France from mid July to mid August. We would pay for her train ticket, she will share a room with the baby and receive a salary. Experience with babies is essential. Please contact
Nicole Williams Roland ginijeno@orange.fr 06 07 45 44 05

Recommended French Teacher

Mary Pietromonaco writes….I have a very strong recommendation for anyone looking for effective French language instruction in France. Marie Varlet, a hard-working, honest and engaging professional, has a knack for creating customized programs for anyone from children to business executives. Luckily, we met her the minute we came to Paris and she has helped each member of our family overcome the challenge of not only the new language, but how to use it in the Parisian culture. She helped my husband with the appropriate French financial terminology and gave him some incredible tips on how to steer meetings and conversations at work; she was instrumental in taking our son from ground zero to fluency, alleviating all the stress that comes with a bilingual education; and for me, she supplemented my lessons at the Alliance Francaise as well as prepping me for job interviews in French. She works here in Paris and/or in the Champagne region where she spearheads customized immersion programs. For further information, check out the website (for courses in Champagne) and/or for courses in Paris, you can contact her directly at marie.varlet@wanadoo.fr

Or, for a more detailed recommendation, feel free to contact me at pspahns@hotmail.com

If you’re looking for some help with the children….

Thanks to Susan Kostelecky Schulz for sending in details of CROUS…
CROUS focuses particularly on students with the 'carte d'étudiant' looking for ways to earn extra pocket money.

A friend, a parent at our school, was desperate to find immediate help with the pick up after school, accompanying the children to activities, dinner, etc, as well as full time for part of the summer months, I phoned up a few official numbers and was eventually given the number for the CROUS organisation. They were VERY kind, patient and helpful regarding the request for help

They have a web site where these students may consult adverts posted with job offers (www.pole-emploi.fr). In general these registered students have "BAC + 3" and all speak perfect french, sometimes some speak a little english or another language.

The standard rate is €7.50 net for one child per hour and €8.50 net for two children .per hour.

All parents who wish to receive CV's of these students may follow these guidelines below:
- call the CROUS organisation at 01.40.51.37.53
- specify what you are looking for; i.e don't hesitate to ask for a student with experience in taking care of children!
- give your name, e mail and tel number and you will receive a to fill in with your details and request for type of help (NB it is better to request all students to contact you only by mail as you will be able to study the CV's).
- Your ad will be checked, and with your consent by telephone; be put on line immediately.

May I mention, that the time frame for receiving replies was very fast! The first call to the CROUS was made middle of the morning and by early afternoon the ad was put on line. The first CV's were sent the same day and by the end of the week the parent had met with several candidates before having the difficult choice of selecting the final one.
All in all, the whole experience was pleasant and efficient.

Informations sur le lycée français de Dublin
Sophie Morot cherche de l’information pour une amie…
Famille française recherche des informations sur le lycée français de Dublin. Cette famille a un enfant intellectuellement précoce âgé de 14ans. Le système scolaire classique français ne lui convenant pas, certains professionnels leur ont conseillé le Lycée Français de Dublin qui offre un enseignement bilingue et a la particularité d'héberger l'enfant dans une famille.
Au vu de cette lourde décision, les parents aimeraient obtenir des avis et informations sur cette école ou d'autres.
Merci pour vos suggestions et votre aide.
Contacter Agnès Doitrand-Laplace

Free Worldwide delivery on English Books
I feel really cross - I've just ordered some books from Amazon to be sent to my niece in Sweden for her birthday and had to bear a whacking delivery charge. Just after pressing the 'complete order' button (the birthday is this week, so no time to lose), it occurred to me that I could have ordered from the Book Depository and the books would have been sent for free...grrrr. Thought that I would try and find the silver lining (in the cloud - very English expression for you!) by at least passing on the tip (which originally came from Julie Macdonald).

And Finally this week…
France – An Englishman’s Guide

Thanks to Julie Macdonald for this amusing article from the Telegraph on how an Englishman came to appreciate the French

PiA Connecting Parents - Tues 2nd June

2009-06-02T09:42:00.011+02:00

Les Dits de l'Art. – next conference Thurs 4th June – Voir l'Italie et Mourir

Emmanuelle Martin, mère de deux élèves de l'EABJM, vous propose des conférences sur les grandes expositions dans le cadre de son association Les Dits de l'Art.

La prochaine conférence aura lieu le jeudi 4 juin à 14h au théâtre du Ranelagh et portera sur l'exposition « Voir l'Italie et Mourir » qui a lieu actuellement au musée d'Orsay. Elle sera présentée par Françoise Heilbrun, commissaire de l'exposition.

La dernière conférence avant l'été aura lieu le jeudi 11 juin au théâtre du Ranelagh et portera sur l'exposition Kandisky qui a lieu actuellement au Centre Pompidou. Elle sera présentée par Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, conservateur à la direction des musées de France et professeur à l'Ecole du Louvre.

Pour tout renseignement, vous pouvez consulter le site de l'assocation www.lesditsdelart.fr. Il est possible de se présenter ¼ d'heure avant le début de la conférence pour s'inscrire sur place.

Emmanuelle Martin, mother of two EABJM students, organises conferences on the Paris great exhibitions with her association Les Dits de l'Art. The next conferene will be on « Voir l'Italie et Mourir », currently at Musée d'Orsay. It will take place on june 4th at 2 pm in théâtre du Ranelagh and will be presented by Françoise Heilbrun in charge of organizing the exhibition. The last conference of the season will be on June 11th at 2 pm in théâtre du Ranelagh and will be on the Kandisky 's exhibition (Centre Pompidou). It will be presented by Dominique Dupuis-Labbé, professor at the Ecole du Louvre. For more information, please consult the site www.lesditsdelart.fr. Please note that it is possible to come 15 minutes before the conference to enrol for the conference.

Mother's day gifts - Cadeaux Fête des mères

Sale of hand-made items by EABJM mother Sophie Bourdon
Featuring: Beach bags, Hand bags, make-up & lingerie pouches

Check out the full range on Sophie's blog

Vente de sacs, pochettes maquillage, pochettes lingerie, fabriqués par Sophie Bourdon

Vente jeudi 4 juin de 8h30 à 16h
8 rue Sarasate (5mn de l'EABJM) 75015 Paris
Métro Boucicaut - Ligne 8

Contact Sophie Bourdon for door codes. 06 82 35 65 93 - sbourdon@orange.fr

1 Hamlet ticket available for Thurs 4th at Noon
One place has come up for the PiA group visit to Hamlet in the Jardin de Shakespeare this Thursday. See main blog entry below for more details. Contact rachelskingsley@gmail.com if you would like to join us.

Photography Vernissage : Thurs 4th June, 19h - 22h

SOLITUDE

la premiere exposition solo de Takeko FUJISAWA (TKKO)
laureate de SFR Jeunes Talents, coup de coeur du jury 2008

jeudi le 4 juin 2009 de 19h
EspaceAlma
5, place de I'Alma 75008 Paris, code: 321764
a 20h et a 21 h Spectacle de Yin Yang Crew
Exposition (sur rendez-vous) du 4 au 17 juin 2009
Contact: 06 73 14 35 38 hszaday@orange.fr

Summer Help from an Irish Girl

Kathleen o'Donoghue writes: This student will be in Paris in three weeks time and is currently fruit picking in the Loire area. She is looking for a family for the Summer and is open to different arrangements.

She is reliable, I know her family. I would actually have taken her with us but I happened to have found someone before I knew she was available.

Aoife O'Sullivan, 18, Irish student available for the month of July for au pair work.
Mobile number 00353874101854, email address :a.osullivan19@nuigalway.ie please note that this email address was previously inaccurate and has been updated

Creative Writing Workshops for Kids and Adults

Cathy Altman Nocquet will lead a creative writing workshop at the American Library in Paris on June 13th from 3-4:30pm, for kids 9+, free to ALP members, 9 euros for non-members. To sign up call Helen Stathopulos, ALP Youth Librarian at 01 53 59 12 60, or email hstath@gmail.com

Cathy's Creative Writing Workshop 2009-2010

More outrageous, original writing exercises, designed to develop creative thinking long term!

80 minute classes for CM1 and CM2 students, 8 euros per session. Kids are picked up at Théâtre at 16H15.

2-hour classes every other week for students in collège (with week A and week B schedules), 12 euros per session. Pick-up at Théâtre at 15H30.

2-hour morning workshop for adults. Inspiring exercises, truly constructive criticism, and no hype. 12 euros per session.

Classes are held in my apt in the 15th, a ten minute walk from the school. No cost, pre-enrollment has begun, so I get an idea of which days work best for which age group. Please call 06 99 85 40 98 or email altman.nocquet@free.fr

Cuisine! Chez Marie C.

Mary Carey offers private cuisine experiences for individuals or groups in her elegant Paris apartment. Choose from a private hands-on lesson or a detailed demonstration for groups up to 10. Menus tailored to your desires and always include a wonderful meal shared together with the perfect French wine. This is a great way to entertain visiting friends or to involve spouses in a delicious day.
Prices begin at 65 € per person for groups of 8 and are dependent on size of group and menu selected.
Contact Mary at mcarey2758@gmail.com or 06 62 18 77 45 for planning and pricing. Mary is a graduate of the professional cuisine program at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris

Creative Photography for Teenagers
Sue Bell recommends these photography courses for teenagers…
Looking for a creative focus this summer? Treat your teenagers to one (or both!) of these digital photography workshops with popular photography instructor Meredith Mullins.

Great photography is a balance between art and technique. Each four-day workshop offers the tools needed to understand the camera controls as well as the “art” of seeing. The workshop includes classroom sessions, field trips, hands-on exercises, interesting and challenging assignments, and friendly review of each individual’s work.

Two sessions: Week of July 20th and Week of July 27th. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Contact meredithmullins@earthlink.net or 01.43.54.50.75.

If you're leaving Paris, do you have guide books and Michelin maps to sell?
Please contact juliemacdo@gmail.com

La Fête du Vélo, 6th & 7th June

Lots of fun cycling events this weekend. Check out the website
Dimanche 7 juin, la Fête du Vélo et du Roller sera l'occasion de se retrouver pour la Convergence, grand rassemblement cycliste aux points de départ multiples. L'édition 2009 proposera des parcours spécifiques pour les cyclistes parisiens, leur permettant de rejoindre les cortèges en banlieue et de converger vers le village de la Fête du Vélo.

Rendez Vous aux Jardins 5th-7th June

This weekend has special garden events all over France.

And this is the Paris selection

Kathryn Lefrere particularly recommends a visit to the Musee aux arts Forains, Pavillions de Bercy where they have a wonderful collection of historic fairground attractions.

The display in the Tuileries also looks pretty neat…
Bienvenue à Jardins Jardin !
"Jardins, Jardin" est une manifestation ouverte au grand public et aux professionnels des métiers du paysage, organisée au cœur de Paris, dans le jardin des Tuileries.

Venez découvrir des jardins éphémères mis en scène par des paysagistes, créateurs, artistes... Mais aussi assister à des conférences, rencontrer des pépiniéristes et des artisans sur le thème du jardin et du paysage.

C’est le lieu de rencontre entre des professionnels qui souhaitent communiquer avec un public, toujours plus nombreux, à la recherche d’idées innovantes et de contacts privilégiés.

Visiter "Jardins, jardin " c’est s’associer aux valeurs de la création paysagère, de la protection de l’environnement et du développement durable.

L’événement cette année est la présence d’un "village" consacré aux dernières tendances du design d'extérieur.

Needed for 1 week: 5th –11th August.
Julie Macdonald’s sister-in-law and a friend are coming to Paris from Cape Town. We need somewhere to stay. Does anyone want us to apartment sit for that period? Water the plants ? Walk the dog? We are clean and house trained. Can offer luxury apartment with pool in Cape Town for August in exchange. Please contact tonistraz@gmail.com

PIANO STOOL WANTED

Please contact Julie Macdonald. juliemacdo@gmail.com

Summer School in Rome

Ex EABJM parent, Sandra Craig, writes from Rome to tell parents about a new summer school program for high school age students St Stephen's School in . It might be of interest to EABJM students -- especially who are studying Italian, Latin, Art and of course history. The program is taught in English. Full room and board (with supervision) are provided. Parents and siblings are invited to attend the summer programs as well, and may enroll in classes or simply live in Rome alongside the summer program students, for an experience that the whole family can share.

Arts & Humanities Summer Program
Encouraging a harmonious balance of intellect and creativity, the Arts & Humanities Summer Program at St. Stephen’s School offers students the opportunity to explore both academically and artistically in a program tailored to their individual interests and talents. In this program, which is geared toward (but not restricted to) ninth and tenth graders, students are required to take one core course and two electives. Summer 2009’s core courses include Italian History, Renaissance Art History, and Classical Mythology. The elective courses include Studio Art, Dance, Creative Writing, Photography, Theater, Italian Music Appreciation, and Latin. Students in this program are automatically enrolled in Italian Conversation and Italian Cooking classes, as well. Student exhibitions and special performances will be held at the conclusion of the summer school session.

Ancient Rome Summer Program
The Ancient Rome Summer Program at St. Stephen’s School is geared toward (but not restricted to) tenth and eleventh graders, and fully immerses students in the study of Rome’s ancient history and culture. All students in this program are enrolled in two courses, Ancient Roman Art & Archaeology, and Roman Civilization & Culture. Latin is offered as an additional elective. Designed to give students a thorough introduction to the art, archaeology, history and sources of ancient Rome, the program focuses on the topography, ancient sites, and museums of the Eternal City. A trip to Pompeii and other sites in the south of Italy is included. Students in this program are automatically enrolled in Italian Cooking classes, and, if not taking Latin, are enrolled in an Italian Conversation class.

Additional Offerings
Sports activities and walking tours complete the summer programs’ extracurricular offerings. Evening activities include supervised visits to cultural activities around Rome, in-house “movie nights” featuring classic Italian films and modern films with an Italian or ancient Roman content, and Italian poetry and literature readings.

Summer 2009 Dates: 18 July - 8 August

2009 Program Fees: 3,500 Euro, not including airfare (Family members attending but not enrolled in classes pay 65 Euro each per day, for room and board. Airfare is not included.)

Online application forms, sample daily schedules, and more information about the programs can be found on the St. Stephen’s School website, or by calling the school at + 39.06.575.0605.

Contact the summer programs director Crispin Corrado via e-mail: summer@ststephens-rome.com

PiA Evening Talk, Tues 16th June, 20h30

2009-06-01T23:09:00.000+02:00

PiA evening talk: 3 months in Africa: 2 mums and 7 kids!
Tues 16th June, 20h30 Taking wait list (but worth signing up as there are always a couple of last minute drop outs!)

Have you ever dreamed of taking the kids out of school for a while and embarking on a family adventure? And ladies, how about leaving hubby at home to walk the dog and water the plants (....and work!)?

EABJM mother, Elizabeth Osborne did just that.... setting off on an African adventure with a girlfriend and 7 kids between them aged from 4 to 13!

Elizabeth has kindly agreed to share her experiences with us and will talk about the highs and lows of the adventure, illustrated with slides.

Join us at 20h30 on Tuesday 16th June for a glass of wine & a few nibbles (not supper though!) and what promises to be a fascinating evening. Dads welcome too!

Venue: Rachel Skingsley's in the 16th (nearest metro Michel Ange Molitor)
Cost: 5 Euros payable on the night to cover refreshments.

Places limited, so please sign up with with Rachel rachelskingsley@gmail.com

Paris Walk - Tuesday 16 June

2009-06-01T11:53:00.000+02:00

Writers and Artists of Montparnasse

Tuesday 16th June 2009, 10h-12h

Please join us for our last PiA-sponsored Paris Walk of the year, with our professional tourguide and EABJM parent Brad. We will visit the area which was the center of the universe for writers and artists from all over the world, where they found cheap studio space, could see and been seen in the famous cafés and even go to art school and work. We will start at the metro Edgar Quinet and see the area where a diverse group of writers including Henry Miller, Somerset Maughm and Jean Rhys lived in squalid conditions. Then we'll hear stories of the famous Cupole, Dome, Rotonde and Select. We'll find the locations of the famous model market, Gaughin and Modigliani's studios, and where Whistler painted the portrait of his mother. We'll wind up at the Closerie de Lilas, one of Hemingway's favorite spots.

Those who wish are welcome to stay for a bistro lunch nearby, for a chance to continue the morning's discussion. Cost of the tour is €10 payable on the day. Meet on the sidewalk (pavement) outside Metro Edgar Quinet (M6). Please register in advance with Chris Forinash, including your mobile phone number.

PiA Connecting Parents - Mon 25th May

2009-05-16T23:17:00.001+02:00

Wanted: Roland Garros Tickets
I am looking for three or four tickets to the French Open if you have any to sell please call me at 06 2951 8312 or email me at evaravenel@gmail.com

About Roland Garros
Several of you have asked about getting tickets for Roland Garros. Their website lists your options which include

a) Going in at 17h to buy show court tickets as they are released by leaving ticket holders. More about this on the website

b) Looking regularly at the new official ticket exchange whereby people who have tickets to sell can do so legally via a Roland Garros sanctioned organisation

c) you could go and soak up the atmosphere watching it on the big screen at the Hotel de Ville

d) Tickets still available for outside courts in the second week – giving you access to the ‘Legendes’ matches (often huge fun with players like MacEnroe and Pat Cash) and for ‘on va tous au finale’ – for access to the huge screen on No 1 court for the men’s final.

French family looking for a lovely au-pair girl for 3 weeks in August.

Sophie Morot writes....We have 2 children, one son aged 12 and a daughter aged 8 to be looked after for 3 weeks in August 2009.
We need an English mother tongue girl who will help us out with the children and have fun with them. The location will be Tuscany, Italy (on the beach).
She will have her own bedroom, air-flight paid for, food and laundry included plus a wage.
For details, please get in touch with Sophie morot.sophie@gmail.com

Wanted: Teachers in insurance
Je recherche des intervenants en assurances et assurances internationales pour une Licence et un Master professionnel de langues etrangères appliquées à l'université de Paris 13 pour la prochaine rentrée universitaire (2009/2010). Merci de bien vouloir contacter Sarah Valinsky: sarahrmj@orange.fr , téléphone: 01 47 07 56 09 Portable: 06 13 50 34 16

Looking for teachers/professors in insurance classes (domestic and international) for a B.A. and Master's program in the department of Applied foreign languages at the university of Paris 13 starting in October. Thank you for contacting Sarah Valinsky: sarahrmj@orange.fr , Home phone: 01 47 07 56 09, cell: 06 13 50 34 16

Dix tables dans les jardins Parisiens

Now the weather has picked up, you might be interested in this recent article from the Figaro about restaurants in Parisian parks

Photographic Exhibition

Tracy Coutrix writes in to recommend this exhibition.

Karel is a professional photographer who teaches at Parsons and gives private classes in photography and photshop. He is talented teacher and his students learn a lot in a pleasant atmosphere.

And finally this week...

Sarko as you’ve never seen him before!
According to the Times, everyone in France is talking about this video of Sarko and Carla…..

Open Air Shakespeare in the Bois - Thurs 4th June, 12h

2009-05-13T22:08:00.002+02:00

Hamlet in the Jardin Shakespeare, Bois de Boulogne - The Pia Group booking is now closed. If you want to book your own tickets at the normal price, please follow the website link at the bottom of this post
Thurs 4th June, 12 noon (PiA Group visit followed by picnic)
or Sunday 7th June 15h30 (PiA family group visit preceded by picnic)

We have booked 27 tickets for Thurs lunchtime and 97 (!) tickets for Sunday afternoon.

Hidden in the Bois de Boulogne, in the Pré Catalan garden, the Théâtre de Verdure du Jardin Shakespeare is one of the most beautiful open-air theatres in the world. The audience sits on a large lawn around which are planted the flowers, trees and plants which are mentioned in five of Shakespeare's plays. Since 1992 the Tower Theatre Company has performed Shakespeare during the first week of June in this delightful setting. This year they are presenting HAMLET.

The play is presented in English with French sub-titles.

If you are interested in booking your own tickets for one of the evenings (19h performances) or matinees, check out the website for full information.

Special PiA visit to Daum, Thurs 11th June 9h30

2009-05-12T19:49:00.004+02:00

PiA Visite privée de la boutique Daum,
accompagnée d’un petit-déjeuner
Jeudi 11 Juin a partir de 9h30 FULL - taking wait list

Daum vous invite à découvrir ses sculptures emblématiques et vous dévoile ses secrets de fabrication.
Visite privée (en anglais ponctué de français) de la boutique accompagnée d’un petit-déjeuner

À cette occasion, vous découvrirez en exclusivité l’une des dernières étapes de fabrication d’une pièce Daum.

Come and join us for a very special PiA ‘petit déjeuner’ at Daum, where the mysteries and beauty of this luxury house of Cristal will be explained (in English, punctuated with French)

Boutique Daum
4, rue de la Paix, 75002 Paris
01 42 61 25 25

This talk and breakfast are free, but places are limited, so please sign up with Petronella Septier-Wijers pee.septier.wijers@gmail.com if you would like to join us for this unique opportunity

PiA Connecting Parents - Mon 18th May

2009-05-10T23:09:00.004+02:00

Les Dits d’art
Rendez-vous jeudi 28 mai à 14h00.

Madame Florence Viguier, directrice du Musée Ingres de Montauban et commissaire de l'exposition vous présentera "Ingres et les Modernes".

Autour de tableaux et de dessins de Jean-Dominique Ingres sera rassemblée une sélection importante d’oeuvres modernes et contemporaines rendant compte de son influence aux XIXe et XXe siècles.

Montauban Musée Ingres du 3 juillet au 15 septembre 2009

Les Dits d’art: http://www.lesditsdelart.fr/

Théâtre du Ranelagh, 5 rue des Vignes 75016 Paris

IKEA SHARE A RIDE
Thanks to Julie Macdonald for pointing out this great idea from Ikea.
The system of 'covoiturage' puts people who need transport in touch with those who have transport and are willing to share a ride.
The conducteurs can offer their services for free or charge.

Jazz Concert – Jessica Parker, Thurs 28th May
Thanks to Jessica Coonen for letting us know about the following concert….

Apres le vif succes remporte lors de
Son dernier concert avec le band maoze...
Jessica parker
(choeurs de jhonny et lead du chance orchestra...)

Revient sur la scene du Petit Journal Montparnasse, 13 rue du Commandant Mouchotte - 75014 PARIS. Le jeudi 28 mai 2009 (début du concert) 21h30

Ne ratez pas ce voyage Jazz soul and heart vers la caraib...
Reservez des maintenant votre table pour diner Ou passez prendre un verre ...

Tuesday 19 May 19h30
WICE@The Library: Writers on Writing
Cecilia Woloch walks us through the world of today’s poet.

Wednesday 20 May 19h30
Evenings with an Author: A. Craig Copetas introduces ‘Mona Lisa’s Pajamas: Diverging Dispatches from a Roving Reporter.’

Thursday 28 May 19h30
WICE World Watch@The Library: UNESCO Project Coordinator Léna Salamé on ‘Water and War.’

Check out the website for more forthcoming events and children’s activities.

French summer courses – for adults and children – either in Paris or residential

We are often asked by incoming families if we can recommend summer French courses that will help give them a bit of a start with French before school starts. If anyone has any courses that they can recommend, please send the contact details to PiA partnersinadaptation@gmail.com

Are you leaving a nice apartment this summer?

Sadly, some of you will be contemplating returning home or moving to another country at the end of this academic year. If you are renting a property that you think that would suit an incoming family, please consider letting us know so that we can feature it in the accommodation section on the right hand side of this blog. As new parents sign up for parent partners, we send them the link to this blog so that they can access this type of information. Please send brief apartment details to PiA partnersinadaptation@gmail.com

A PiA Spring cocktail party & wine tasting

2009-05-09T22:49:00.000+02:00

Celebrate the arrival of summer drinking wines from the Bergerac Region of France
Tuesday May 26th , from 19h30

Still a few places left if you'd like to join us for what should be a fun evening

Sholeh Fitzpatrick is kindly hosting a spring cocktail party in her home in the 16th arr (Metro: rue de la Pompe) which will start off with a wine tasting to introduce you to wine from the SW region of France.

Hervé and Xavier de La Verrie de Vivans , the owners of Chateau Jeanbrun, will be there from 19h30 to 21h30 to tell us about the history of this family owned business and to introduce you to their wines which include rosé, white, red and sweet dessert wines.

The wines are very reasonably priced, so you might want to stock up for summer.

Come and meet other EABJM parents over a fun wine tasting

A 10 Euros charge, payable on the night, will cover the wine (over and above the tasting which is offered by Chateau Jeanbrun) and appetizers .

Please reserve your place with Sholeh sholehfitz@aol.com

Garden Tour - Les Roses de L'Hay, 27th May

2009-05-08T19:14:00.000+02:00

L’Hay les Roses: A feast of Roses
Wednesday 27th May, 10h

A few places left if you'd like to join us on Weds for this Roses walk at the best time of the year for the blooms!

Before retiring from his career at the Bon Marché, Jules Gavereaux bought a parcel of land just south of Paris, in L’Hay in 1892. Over the next twenty years and sparing no expense, he went on to create the first rose garden of international renown. He began collecting, studying, and creating roses. By 1910, he held an exhaustive collection of all known forms of the rose genus with over 3000 different roses.

Today, the garlands trelliswork, statuaries and a living theater of roses all work together to trace the history and evolution of this amazing flower. Gravereaux went on to play an intricate role in the creation of the Bagatelle Rose Garden, the Elysée Garden, and the restoration of Josephine’s rose collection at Malmaison.

This tour will be led by our favourite garden guide - Amy LaRue.
Cost is 15 euros for entrance + the guide (should be less as there are more than 15 of us currently signed up).
Please sign up with Sue Bell suecharliebell@gmail.com

Full directions for getting there will be given upon booking, but please note that it is a bus journey of about 45 ins from Place D'Italie.

Another Chance to see Waiting for Godot

2009-05-04T23:12:00.000+02:00

Waiting for Godot

L’EABJM est ravie de vous annoncer la reprise de Waiting for Godot, de Samuel Beckett, présentée en anglais par la Charnel House Theater Company.

Les représentations ont lieu aux dates suivantes :

- Lundi 25 Mai à 19h30
- Mercredi 27 Mai à 19h30
- Jeudi 28 Mai à 14h00.

Réservations par e-mail theatre@eabjm.net. Les places sont à 10€ pour les élèves et 20€ pour les adultes.

Global Cuisine - Chinese Dumpling Demonstration

2009-05-03T14:01:00.001+02:00

Chinese Dumpling Demonstration
Thursday, May 28th from 11h00 to 14h00 - FULL taking wait list

China has been perfecting the art of dumpling making since the Sung dynasty. Chinese dumplings may be round or crescent-shaped, boiled or pan-fried. The filling may be sweet or savory; vegetarian or filled with meat and vegetables.

Karen Seidman will be demonstrating several types of dumplings including:

Vegetable dumplings – filled with spinach, ginger, garlic and tofu. This vegetarian delight will amaze your palate!

Pork dumplings – filled with ground pork, shitake mushroom, sesame oil and spices to tantalize your taste buds!

Bistro Shrimp Dumplings – filled with delectable shrimp, oyster sauce, green onions and fresh ginger. The taste will entice you to make more!

Join us at Crys Won's in the 16 arrondissement on Thursday, May 28th; 11h00-14h00;
Cost: 10 Euros (payable on the day)
Sign up with moniqueoneill@gmail.com or 06 07 67 54 92 Space limited to 6 people.

Another walk around Paris with some chocolate stops!

2009-05-02T12:34:00.003+02:00

The Paris Chocolate Tour
We will not be running a tour on 9th June as there doesn't seem to be sufficient demand to fill a group at this busy time of the year.

We'll run a tour in the autumn. In the meantime, if anyone would like to take visitors on this fun tour, Paris Walks run the tour (same tour guide as we had) 3 times a month. Check out the details on their website

Find out about the history of chocolate, and how Paris is the capital of dark chocolate.
We visit a variety of superb chocolatiers on this enjoyable walk which mixes history and anecdotes with chocolate tastings.
The tour will introduce you to some secret addresses.

Editor's note: The first tours, back in Feb & March, were excellent - a great mixture of stories about the various characters in chocolate's history punctuated by stops in chocolate shops to taste...highly recommended addictive fun!

The first chocolate tour back in Feb

Fee 25 Euros, includes the chocolate tastings.

PiA Connecting Parents - Mon 11th May

2009-05-01T08:28:00.007+02:00

Corinne Timsit writes to invite parents to an ArtPremium event

Invitation Cocktail
Jeudi 14 Mai 2009 de 18h00 à 21h30

Exposition et projection du film PLANETARIUM
Et les peintures récentes de KIRO URDIN

à la Galerie Frederic Moisan, 72 rue Mazarine, 75006 Paris

Dans le cadre de la 11eme édition de Art St-Germain des Prés, les galeries sont en fete -du 14 au 17 mai 2009
Jeudi à partir de 18 heures de 11h00 à 19H00 le vendredi et samedi
et le Dimanche de 11h à 19h

This is the week end of Arts St Germain des Prés. The whole area will be closed to traffic and all the galleries, with a red carpet, will have their open door with events for the public. This happens once a year. They have a website

SPRING SALE – VENTE PRIVÉE

Sale of hand-made items by EABJM mothers
Featuring: Beach bags, Hand bags, make-up & lingerie pouches by Sophie Bourdon
Antique Textile Pillows by Debbie Gabriel
Lunamiller Unique jewelry designs

Great for Mother’s Day gifts

Vente de sacs, pochettes maquillage, pochettes lingerie, coussins, bijoux, fabriqués par Sophie Bourdon, Debbie Gabriel et Melody Cooper Idéal pour la Fête des Mères

Vente le jeudi 14 mai de 8h30 à 16h
41 rue Violet (2 mn de l’école) 75015 Paris

Vente le vendredi 15 mai de 8h30 à 16h
8 rue Sarasate (5mn de l’école)

Contact Sophie Bourdon for door codes
06 82 35 65 93 - sbourdon@orange.fr

Samedi 16 mai, les graffitis du Canal Saint Martin
This sounded fun off the lamuse website

Nouveau, des visites guidées rien que pour les internautes de lamuse.fr !
Première date : le samedi 16 mai.

En partenariat avec Promenons-nous dans les arts, nous vous proposons une promenade découverte le long du Canal Saint Martin dans le 10ème arrondissement.
Ce parcours ponctué d’œuvres d’art contemporain (graffitis, collages, mosaïques) est très amusant à découvrir avec des enfants.
Vous apprendrez, ensemble, à différencier les styles de graffitis, à observer les techniques et à dénicher des œuvres réalisées aussi bien par des anonymes que par des artistes reconnus.
L’histoire de ce quartier si pittoresque du nord de Paris et de son canal, n’aura plus de secret pour vous !
Forfait famille, 18€ pour 4 personnes.

Réservation par mail ou par téléphone au 01.43.57.08.28. Inscrivez-vous vite !

Nuit des Musees 2009 – Sat 16th May, until midnight

This is a great night to get out and about in the City as all the museums open their doors, for free, usually with special events and happenings. The atmosphere on the streets is wonderful. Note that some of the popular museums can get pretty crowded – we rocked up to Musée Rodin last year at 23h thinking of a moonlit walk around the gardens, but thousands had beaten us to it and they had closed the doors for safety reasons!
Click here for the full programme

Jazz Festivals
Thanks to Sue Greig for pointing out the following Jazz festivals:

The Paris St Germain jazz festival runs from May 10-25. Full details on their website.

Annual Jazz Festival at the Parc Floral
Du 6 juin 2009 au 26 juillet 2009
Quand approche la saison estivale, le beau temps se profile, les vêtements rétrécissent et… la fine fleur du jazz pointe le bout de son nez du côté du Parc Floral... Devenu une immuable tradition jazzistique, le Paris Jazz Festival attend ses passionnés pour quelques week-ends de pur bonheur acoustique.
A partir du 6 juin, le célèbre jardin botanique de la capitale accueille la crème du jazz international. Au programme, des noms que la planète jazz, blues ou funk connait par cœur pour les avoir vus éblouir les ténébreuses salles new-yorkaises ou londoniennes.
De toute façon, férus de jazz ou non, le rendez-vous de Vincennes attire chaque année les amoureux du bien être, séduits qu’ils sont par l’ambiance reposante d’un concert en plein air, au milieu des fleurs. N’hésitez pas à tenter cette belle expérience, c’est jusqu’au 26 juillet, tous les samedis et dimanches. Culture et farniente, des vacances avant l’heure !

Each summer the beautiful Parc Floral de Paris hosts the Paris Jazz Festival in a series of concerts with performers ranging from established jazz legends to new and emerging talents. Musicians play from mid-afternoon each weekend to an enthusiastic crowd made up of jazz aficionados and cool Parisian urbanites. Seats are limited to just 1,500 in the Espace Delta, but anyone that is not there early enough to claim a seat can join the masses with a blanket, picnic and bottle of chilled wine by the lake - a perfect way to enjoy a laidback Parisian summer evening..
Click here for the Programme

Tutor in MatLab wanted

Rob Greig, a Cornell freshman in Engineering and an EABJM graduate 2008, is looking for someone to help him go through his MatLab course again at less than warp speed for 1 1/2 hours per day at a mututally convenient time from May 19 through June 5.
Please contact Sue Greig. susanmgreig@gmail.com

Music & Creative writing summer camp

Cathy Altman Nocquet writes….I've often said that studying music at the Koenig American Conservatory is like going to summer camp. The atmosphere is so positive, creative and fun, the bi and trilingual teachers so encouraging and inventive, it's no surprise that a large number of EABJM students are faithful Koenig-ites.

So, how's this for a dream come true? Koenig is offering a real summer camp this July 4-14th in a charming village near Dax. The session is open to 7-18 year olds, regardless of musical training or current school. Koenig's Paris staff will teach flute, guitar, drums, piano, voice and theatre. A new addition to the program, creative writing, will be led by yours truly. But, believe me, my daughter would be going without me in a heartbeat. Koenig transformed her, in 2 weeks, from a musical refusnik into an enthusiastic pianist.

For more information, look on the Koenig website , or call Darcy Smith at +33(0)1.45.79.14.66. For creative writing questions, I can be reached at altman.nocquet@free.fr

P.S. Don't miss the Koenig Showcase at the Salle Adyar at 16H, Saturday May 16th, to really get a sense of this great school! Tickets and Info: 01 45 78 01 75

Youth Leadership Camp in Mégève this summer.

The camp is for 15 to 17 years old and takes place in Mégève from July 11th to July 25th. There are more than 15 nationalities represented and everyone speaks English.

The programme consists of fun, interactive workshops in the morning, sport and leisure in the afternoon and party time every evening. The supervisors and peer counsellors are all voluntary and do an exceptional job.

We have a few places left for this summer and more information may be found on our website

Nicky Pétard, YLC Coordinator

And finally this week…
Why pushy mums are good for children
Thanks to Kiran Zaidi for forwarding this thought provoking article from the London Times about whether or not it is good to be pushy parents!!
Barack Obama had one. So did Einstein and Edison. So why do we criticise mothers who encourage their offspring to do more? Click here for the article.

Guided Tour in English: Musée d'Orsay

2009-04-30T20:08:00.002+02:00

Women as Models & Muses

Through the Eyes of the Artist
Dr Kelly Spearman at the Musée d'Orsay

Tuesday May 12th 1030-1245 SORRY IT'S FULL

Discover how women were regarded in 19thC French society by looking at the canvasses of the major + minor painters of the Orsay collection. Brilliant art historian, Dr Kelly Spearman will enlighten us about this very fertile period of great social + stylistic change.

The eye of the artist reflected the reality of the times in the most subtle ways: there can be few greater contrasts than the arrogance of Tissot's bright young things hung side by side with the exhausted peasant girls of Millet. Latour's devoted spouses fade next to the thrill of the assertive ladies of Carolus-Duran or the audaciously realistic nudes of Courbet.

The academy's love of goddesses + nymphs reveals the true morals of a society which savoured strongly erotic female images as long as they were provided with evasive titles such as Birth of Venus, while crying outrage when Manet, as a modern painter, showed his Olympia patiently waiting to cash in her charms.

Degas' depiction of the fading beauty of working class women lit the fuse for the explosion of multicoloured Impressionist coquettes and the array of primitive Gauguin nudes that followed......

Limited to 17 places. TUESDAY MAY 12th. 1030-1245.
Cost is Euro 15.- to cover guide fee + reservation fee. Plus Euro 8.- musée entrance (free to Carte Blanche holders).

Sign up with Julie Macdonald.