March 5, 2026
Category: Les Nouvelles, News Archive, Student Travel
On March 4, the 9th grade travelers, TAs, and Chaperones spent our first full day in Orléans and at the Lycée St. Charles, where we set up our “home room” (in the médiateque library), had check-ins, were given a formal reception by our school administrators, before spending the late afternoon discovering the “centreville” of Orléans. We were also very happy to connect back home, as trip leaders read the 2026 Waring Endterm offerings just outside the magnificent gothic Cathedral, Sainte-Croix — where Jeanne d’Arc famously took Mass during the Siege of Orléans in 1429, nearly 600 years ago! To get into the center of town from school, it is roughly a 25 minute walk (north), crossing the oldest bridge in town, a bridge whose access was critical for Jeanne d’Arc and the French armies during the 100 years war.
While at school, students began their anthropology project studies with Tim and Roseann, worked on Math with Jack, and did their first writing/journaling prompt with TAs, Solomon and Astrid (’26). Trip leader Géraldine made sure all the plans were covered, and that our 6 students who are hosted by younger middle schoolers were clear on the upcoming days (when to be at which school); and she gave us the lay of the land for the upcoming days.
Some general background:
Founded in the 19th century and located in the historic center of Orléans, Lycée Saint-Charles is a well-known private secondary school with a strong academic reputation. In recent years the school has developed an increasingly international outlook, including language partnerships and exchange programs like ours. For Waring students, the school offers both a window into daily French student life and an opportunity to practice English-French language exchange with their hosts.
The Cathédrale Sainte-Croix dominates the center of Orléans with its soaring Gothic façade and twin towers. Built between the 13th and 19th centuries, it is most closely associated with Joan of Arc, who attended mass here in 1429 after helping lift the Siege of Orléans during the Hundred Years’ War. Inside, stained-glass windows recount the story of Jeanne d’Arc and the city’s central role in French history.
Enjoy some photos below!
