French Team Enters Eiffel Tower Contest
Article and photos by Shelly Newman
           
The French Embassy in the United States, in partnership with the American Association of Teachers of French, will host a series of school contests to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the Eiffel Tower. Under the direction of Madame Liliane Rubin, students in the French team at North Shore Middle School have created at least 15 different “Eiffel Tower” projects that will be submitted to the French Embassy in Manhattan for entry into the contest.

The French team at the middle school consists of 43 students who actively enjoy learning French culture, language, history and songs. As part of the contest, students had the opportunity to study all about the Eiffel Tower as they created a number of different designs, paintings and sculptures. Additionally, entries could include videos, songs, poems, models or speeches about the Eiffel Tower.

The Eiffel Tower has always had polarizing appeal – it is an original creation that has been both loved and criticized for its uniqueness. To celebrate its 120th anniversary, the contest was created for Tri-State area students in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut from grades kindergarten to 12. First prize consists of a trip to Paris for the winner and the person of his or her choice. Four grand prizes include a scholarship valued at $500 and 45 third prizes include a luxury “souvenir bag” of French gifts. Bonne chance to all!