Just back from Chartres

Come to our Summer Ball 2011

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=6gucr9cab&oeidk=a07e3x9xrt864e65a91


Above link for information about our Summer Ball, Friday 1st July 2011.

Bishop Alain Castet to celebrate Mass of Thanksgiving

Bishop Alain Castet, our diocesan bishop, will be celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving for the academic year at the College on Monday 20th June at 12 o'clock. All are welcome.

Father Bede Rowe to be new chaplain

Father Bede Rowe of the Diocese of Clifton is to take up the post of Chaplain at Chavagnes International College from September 2011.

Scout Weekend

On Saturday the 27 March we woke up to a sunny day- a good omen for the long walk ahead. Leaving soon after midday, the temptation for a little detour prevailed, and we only arrived at our destination, the abbaye de la Grainetière, near Parc soubise, late in the afternoon. We were allowed to pitch our tent in the cloister, and had an abundant dinner of food that we had brought with us. When we woke up on Sunday it had started raining, so we had breakfast in our tent.Soon after, we attended mass in the monastery's chapel. The way back proved a lot harder, because, apart from being longer, we were already tired, and the rain made our bags heavier. However, we all made it back to school safe and sound, and enjoyed our school dinner with great enthousiasm. Ironically, it was those who complained on the walk who stayed up longest. It was a great experience, and we would like to do it again.

Chavagnes and the Royal Wedding

http://www.tvvendee.fr/video-TVV_le_journal_20110429_07.aspx

Here we are celebrating the Royal Wedding Chavagnes style.

Chavagnes Academic Programme

Visit our new site outlining our academic courses in detail, including our current timetables.

http://www.cursus.chavagnes.org/

Teaching vacancies

Check out the College website for information on teaching vacancies for September 2011:
http://www.chavagnes.org/news/Vacancies.shtml

Sunday outing

Mr McDermott has been recovering more quickly than expected. After making a dramatic return in an ambulance, he only spent a few weeks in a wheelchair and was then able to follow us around on foot. This was met with a natural sense of joy at his returning health mixed with a slight sense of regret from pupils and staff alike that they were once again pursuable.

Sunday afternoons at a boarding school are the only times where it is possible to undertake anything spectacular in our free time. However, most people prefer to wile away the time sitting in boredom in front of a computer. Last Sunday, however, there was an opportunity to go to the opera to enjoy a performance of Falstaff. The performance was in Italian, with surtitles in French. Not being opera aficionados, we waited for the appearance of the fat lady, which would signal the approaching end. In fact the only thespian of imposing stature was Falstaff, the pompous, bigheaded and comical main character. Falstaff is also a tragic person who, due to his appearance, cannot find love. He falls in love with two ladies, who then play tricks on him; such as throwing him into a river with a load of dirty washing.

New Chavagnes Photo book

Father Talbot's new table book, containing photos of life at Chavagnes, is now ready. Available for purchase from Amazon (link, left), proceeds go towards school funds.

Contains:

Photos of people in the College
Various activtites: lessons, sports, music and worship
Events such as the 'Boy Bishop', All Saints Party, etc ...

A fascinating and accesible introduction to life at Chavagnes, with a written commentary by Mr McDermott.

«Modernité, mythe et magie: les clefs pour comprendre l'univers de JRR Tolkien et de CS Lewis»

Le samedi 4 décembre 2010, conférence de Ferdi McDermott.


La Fondation pour l’école organise un cycle de conférences consacré cette année à une réflexion sur la modernité à la lumière des penseurs dits antimodernes.

La deuxième conférence sera donnée par Monsieur Ferdi McDermott, professeur de littérature, directeur et cofondateur d'une "public school" britannique catholique en France.

Elle aura lieu le samedi 4 décembre 2010 de 18h à 19h30 sur le thème :

«Modernité, mythe et magie: les clefs pour comprendre l'univers de JRR Tolkien et de CS Lewis»

CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien

Les enfants s'impatientent déjà: le 8 décembre, c'est la sortie en salles du prochain chapitre de la saga de Narnia: L'Odyssée du passeur d'aurore. Dans le sillage du Seigneur des Anneaux, cet univers magique où règnent Frodon, Aslan et compagnie a su complètement dominer l'imagination de nos enfants, et même d’un certain nombre d’adultes. Narnia, Terre du Milieu ou encore Poudlard, chacun des ces univers magiques témoigne de la remarquable fertilité de l'imagination britannique et du don anglais pour la Mythopoeia - la création de mythes.

Professeur et littéraire anglais de 39 ans, Ferdi McDermott a créé sa propre école anglaise - un internat catholique pour garçons - au cœur du bocage vendéen. C'est un îlot britannique, quelque peu gothique, excentrique, fidèle à Sa Majesté. Les Français, selon McDermott, ont parfois du mal à vraiment le comprendre, même s'ils sont de plus en plus nombreux à lui confier leurs enfants ... A nous-autres, pauvres cartésiens français, Ferdi McDermott propose une conférence imprégnée de l'esprit festif de la saison, centrée sur l'œuvre des amis Tolkien et Lewis, mais qui proposera des clefs magiques pour comprendre tous les univers parallèles littéraires que l'esprit anglais a générés comme talismans contre les horreurs de la modernité. Venez nombreux: il suffit de prendre le train spécial depuis le Quai 9 3/4 en gare du Nord, ou bien de fermer les yeux et d’entrer dans l'armoire de votre chambre à 6 o'clock PM, le samedi 4 décembre 2010.

L’entrée est libre sur inscription préalable par téléphone (01 42 62 76 94) ou par courriel (contact@fondationpourlecole.org).

Merci de bien prévenir de votre venue en raison du nombre limité des places encore libres dans l’amphithéâtre.
La conférence a lieu au 115-117 rue ND des Champs 75006 PARIS (métro Vavin, RER Port Royal).

Retrouvez les dernières chroniques de la Fondation sur le lien suivant.

FONDATION POUR L'ECOLE

Fondation reconnue d’utilité publique

Bureaux et adresse postale:

25, rue Sainte-Isaure ; 75018 Paris
Tel: 01 42 62 76 94
Siège : 43, rue du Colisée ; 75008 Paris

http://www.fondationpourlecole.org/

Play and Carol Service

On Saturday 11th December we are hosting a Medieval Mystery Play presentation, with four short plays on the Christmas story, plus a traditional Carol Service.

4pm: Mystery Plays
5pm: Tea
6pm: Carol Service

followed by 7.30p Buffet Dinner. All welcome, but advance reservation before 5th December, please.

Father Anthony Talbot's photographs will also be on display over the whole weekend. Check out his site for details: http://www.anthonytalbot.com/
(Left)Photo credit: Anthony Talbot.

Spanish site about Catholic boarding schools

Mr Lavilla has started a website dedicated to articles about Catholic boarding school issues, in Spanish. In particular, there will be articles on:

- The advantages of boarding
- The arguments for single-sex schooling
- Advice for parents and pupils on issues such as homesickness, examinations, careers, etc ...

If you understand Spanish, check out the site at: http://internados-catolicos.blogspot.com/

Shakespeare Week 2011

Plans for Chavagnes Shakespeare Week 2011 are underway. Check out updates at:

http://shakespeare.chavagnes.org/

When schoolboys get to punch their teachers ...

A fly-on-the-wall film about this evening at Chavagnes. Just an ordinary Tuesday evening, with boxing, chess, piano, detentions, tuck shop ... etc. With a sample of the choir singing Exultate Justi by Ludovico da Viadana.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFTfU567_fM