Riverwood School Welcomes Two French Foreign Exchange Students

SANDY SPRINGS, GA - From Riverwood International Charter School: Riverwood International Charter School is hosting two exchange students from France this year. Louis Galli travelled from Perigueux in southwest France on a Rotary International exchange program. Jean Deroubaix hails from Lille, on the Belgian border, and is here through an AFS Intercultural Program. Both students, native French speakers, matriculated at Riverwood and are taking a full schedule of classes.

“Riverwood has been fun because it’s an American school,” notes Galli. “It is completely different from France. I like that the teachers are friendly and you get to select your own schedule. In France, the administration gives you a schedule.” Galli, a 10 th grader, is a member of the Riverwood Junior Varsity Basketball Team, as well as the French and Photography Clubs. He lives with a host family in Sandy Springs and will stay with three different families over the course of his nine-month stay. He chose to come to the United States in order to experience the culture and language. His father is a Rotarian, which made him eligible for the exchange program.

Deroubaix is a senior taking advanced level courses, including AP Calculus and AP Statistics. He came to the
United States to “discover something new” and finds the US to be “totally different from France.” He joined the Cross Country team and made many friends during the fall. Additionally, Deroubaix made the Varsity Boys Tennis team this spring. He hopes to be able to participate in Riverwood’s Commencement ceremony on May 24, even though he will receive a diploma from his private high school in France.

Both students indicated that the food in the United States pales in comparison to what they enjoy at home.
However, they did note that American people eat more and eat out more often.

Sally Page, Riverwood Counselor and coordinator for exchange students, remarked, “Having exchange students at Riverwood fits perfectly with the 'International' focus in our school's name and mission. Giving our students the opportunity to interact with students from other countries enriches their lives and broadens their experiences." Riverwood is Fulton County Schools’ only International Studies Magnet school and one of only two Fulton County schools (4,500 worldwide) offering the prestigious International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

For more information on Riverwood International Charter School’s International Studies Magnet or International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, please contact Roxie Garber (garber@fultonschools.org).

Photo courtesy of Riverwood International Charter School