Host City Visit Day 2: 3 Schools

A Reading Challenge Competition, World Book Day, and more.

April 23--
Day 2 was a very busy day in Fès!  We began with a peaceful breakfast at the hotel.  I especially enjoyed selecting sugar cubes from a mini-tagine for my coffee.

After breakfast, Hicham picked us up and took us to Marguerite School for a tour and to be on the jury for a reading competition.  After visiting classrooms and meeting the administrative leaders and some teachers, we sat down to prepare for our task as jury members.  It was my first time on a jury for a competition.  It felt very official!  

Rubric and refreshments at the jury table.

One of the "Reading Challenge" rubrics for a grade-level winner.

Posing with the English teacher who helped prepare all of the students for the reading competition.

Reading achievement certificate

It was fascinating to watch how seriously the students prepared for this competition and how patient they were as the adults set up, reviewed the rubric, and got things in order.  Their eagerness to participate was endearing and admirable!  

The Reading Competition Jury!

Jury with one group of winners.

After the prizes were awarded, we said our farewells.  It was a wonderful way to learn about how reading, public speaking, and preparing for competition all play a role in Moroccan classrooms and schools.  Another notable takeaway came when we noticed a young student crying after she did not win one of the top awards.  Hicham pointed her out and said, "Can you see that she is crying?  That is okay.  It means she cares.  That is a good thing."  It was an excellent final thought as we watched Hicham approach and congratulate the winners but also those who worked hard and cared about their performance.

After saying farewell to Marguerite School, we drove to the ALC Cafe for a quick lunch and to check in on the World Book Day festivities.  We found the ALC and its courtyard cafe to be a true place that creates community and connects people. We sat at a table and quickly met Ayoub (pictured below) who is an expert on the Fès medina, a photographer, and perhaps also one of the most proud residents of Fès.  He shared many new facts about the medina as well as some of the ALC initiatives he supports.  We immediately started following his instagram site @ayoub_louizi, which features beautiful sites in Fès!

Back to the American Language Center of Fès for lunch on World Book Day 2024!

We met Ayoub in the courtyard and learned about some of the ALC initiatives he supports.

Lisa-Erika, Whitney, and I enjoying a beverage at the ALC Courtyard Cafe.

One of the many cats at the ALC "Z Cafe."

One of the "World Book Day" displays with Moroccan books at the ALC Bookshop.

Another "World Book Day 2024" Display highightng Moroccan books.

​​After our visit to the ALC Cafe, we headed to a school that is very close to Hicham's heart: Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS.  While he is placed at a public high school this school year, he made it clear that this is the school where he feels most at home.  We visited specifically to see a special Moroccan student presentation entitled "The Heritage." 

Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS

The school courtyard where students gather during passing time.

A view of the colorful design features at the school.

A second-floor mural visible from the courtyard.

The view from the back of a math class we visited.

Whitney, Hicham, and the math teacher mid-lesson.

Student participation during the math lesson.

After visiting a math class, we had the great honor to watch a class skit-like performance entitled "The Moroccan Heritage."  The students set up all kinds of Moroccan artifacts at the back of the classroom, which we were invited to view.  It was like a mini-museum!  Next, they presented a play (in English) to tell the story of young Moroccans and their relationships with each other.  It was charming, and we especially enjoyed how they embedded Moroccan clothing and artifacts to recognize and honor those items in a public space.  We learned a lot!  While I couldn't take photos of the students during the performance, the classroom with the artifact-set up appears below.

The classroom where we saw students perform "The Moroccan Heritage" presentation.

Posing with Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS teachers and staff.

Hicham with his favorite Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS principal!

When the principal appeared towards the middle of our visit, Hicham motioned for him to come and meet us.  We didn't yet know who he was, but Hicham put his arm around his shoulder, turned to us, and said, "This is the greatest man in the world.  This is my principal."  Wow!  Once again, we noticed the positive relationships that Hicham nurtures and values, and admired how this made a school feel warm and friendly immediately.

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Hicham posing with the principal and another staff member.

After our visit to Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS, Hicham took us to a scenic overlook not far from the school.  The views of Fès were stunning!

Views of Fès from a scenic overlook point.

A nice view Fès and the traditional city walls and the mountains in the background.

One more great view of Fès from the scenic point!

After visiting Mohammed Belarbi Alaoui Jr HS, we headed back to central Fès so Hicham could prepare for his American Language Center evening Adult Class.  We had another moment to relax in the courtyard, then headed into a different classroom to meet Hicham's adult students.  We introduced ourselves, and then each student told us their name, age, and their line of work.  It was incredible to hear the range of fields!  There was a chemistry PhD student, a tannery owner, a businesswomen, and more.  We watched again as Hicham engaged students, used the whiteboard, and projected the textbook content on the tv in the classroom.

Mid-lesson view of Hicham's adult class.

One of the textbook pages - learning English and the "crazy things people buy online"

One task was to read a blog and identify a few items.

At the end of class, we got to meet and take photos with Hicham's students.

All of his adult students were so warm, friendly, and curious about us!

I got to share some University of Michigan International Institute swag with the studentgs.

Students especially enjoyed the U of M Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies swag!

During the evening class, Whitney, Lisa-Erika, and I got to learn about a new Moroccan dish from the students: Pastilla.  Each student shared their favorite food and many said "pastilla."  We had not heard of it, so after class, Whitney and I headed out for a late (9:45pm! ) dinner to try it out.  It was delicious, and also quite unlike anything I had tried before.  Here's a recipe for pastilla that I plan to try out sometime!

Chicken Pastilla - Delicious!

It was a great way to end a very busy day of learning! 

Before I fell asleep, I wanted to share some details of the last two days with my 9th grade PASS students, so I made them a video overview.  Here it is!