<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">Remember the large pads of workbook sheets that had all the verb forms on them? And the more conjugations we learned, the more we could fill in on the page. I wish I’d had sheets like that for my ESL students!<div><br></div><div>So Kate, what was weird about Madame’s underwear??!! </div><div><br></div><div>Miss you all. When is our next reunion get-together??</div><div><br></div><div>Betsy</div><div><br><div><div><div>On Feb 22, 2016, at 10:56 AM, <a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="auto"><div>Hi all,</div><div><br></div><div>I also remember the little literature books we had. Condensed versions of French classics. I think I still have a few around here somewhere.I also remember Kate telling us about the weird underwear Madame used to wear. And I remember how Madame used to drill us on the properly rolled and throaty French "rrrrrrrr." I never could do it very well.</div><div><br></div><div>Holly</div><div><br></div><div><br>Sent from my iPad</div><div><br>On Feb 22, 2016, at 10:48 AM, <a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;"><div>Betsy - So great that you reminded us all of this - I remember Sept d'un Coup very well. And all the other things, especially Hum-sah! xo Claudia<br></div><div><br></div><hr id="zwchr"><div style="font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><b>From: </b><a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a><br><b>To: </b><a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a><br><b>Sent: </b>Wednesday, February 17, 2016 9:34:40 PM<br><b>Subject: </b>Re: [Oxford63] French teacher<br><div><br></div>I just looked back in my 1960 yearbook at the list of faculty names: Mme LaBrecque’s given name was Yvonne.<div><br></div><div>I never had French with Mme LaBrecque, but I had Mme Lefaivre in 7th, 8th, and 9th grade. She was my favorite teacher. The bark was much worse than the bite, I discovered. I do recall that on the very first day of class she told us that if we hadn’t done our homework (and there might be a perfectly legitimate excuse), we should come to her before class began, and she wouldn’t call on us. But if she called on us and we didn’t know the answer because we hadn’t done our homework, and we hadn’t confessed it to her before class began, well… all bets were off! She was very demanding, but I learned so much French, that after taking French I with her at Oxford, I was jumped into French III my sophomore at Abbot! (Where I had another French teacher, Mlle Arosa, who was an equally demanding tyrant, but that’s another story.)</div><div><br></div><div>What I remember best about Mme Lefaivre was her amazing story-telling ability. When we had finished our lesson and grammar, if there was time enough before the bell, she would tell us stories from history etc. There was the story of Saint-Christophe, and stories of Catherine de Medici, and once she was in the middle of a ghost story when the bell rang, making all of us jump out of our skins. It helped us learn by listening, in a very pleasant manner. I remember our first little yellow book of stories: “Sept d’un coup”, about a giant, and “Les Chandeliers de l’Évèque” from “Les Misérables”, and “La Chèvre de Monsieur Séguin” from "Les Lettres de mon Moulin” of Alphonse Daudet. She made us put our heads down on our desks before we started an exam, and breathe deeply, saying “hum-sah” several times. Precursor to mindful breathing!! And very effective for calming down enough to write a good exam. I used the technique all through school and university. </div><div><br></div><div>The grounding I received from her and from Mlle Arosa enabled me to function fully in French when I moved to Québec to sing in the Opéra de Montréal. They made it possible for me to have a career in singing, and later teaching ESL in a francophone college. I couldn’t be more grateful! I wish I had kept up contact with her, but I saw her only once after I left for boarding school. I’m so glad you stayed in touch, Katie, and had such fun experiences with her in France! I thought she was just wonderful!</div><div><br></div><div>Hope you are all staying warm and looking forward to spring! Love, Betsy</div><div><br><div><div>On Feb 17, 2016, at 8:47 PM, <a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote><span size="2" face="arial" data-mce-style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
<div>my favorite . . . <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">still have le livre! Bon chance, Lelly!</span></div>
<div> </div>
<div>Susan</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: oxford63 <<a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a>><br>
To: oxford63 <<a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a>><br>
Sent: Wed, Feb 17, 2016 6:26 pm<br>
Subject: Re: [Oxford63] French teacher<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1.2_2387711e-a57b-4f43-9b95-9c8605994138">
<div class="aolReplacedBody" dir="auto">
<div>And I am taking a French class at our library, and we are just finishing Le Petit Prince!</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Lelly<br>
<br>
Sent from my iPad</div>
<div><br>
On Feb 17, 2016, at 6:13 PM, <a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a> wrote:<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div><span face="arial" size="2" data-mce-style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;">
<div>Yes, she was!!</div>
<div>Interestingly enough, about a year ago, while commuting in traffic on I-95, started to translate license plates into French!</div>
<div>I have been thinking/ speaking in French ever since! A method to avoid Alzheimers? Who knows, but I am loving it!</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Susan</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: oxford63 <<a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a>><br>
To: oxford63 <<a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a>><br>
Sent: Wed, Feb 17, 2016 12:33 am<br>
Subject: Re: [Oxford63] French teacher<br>
<br>
<div id="AOLMsgPart_1.2_9124d962-7d4e-4e59-b5e8-73ad10928c7a">
<div class="aolReplacedBody" dir="auto">
<div>Yep, Simone LeFaivre. Who could forget that bitch.<br>
<br>
Sent from my iPhone</div>
<div><br>
On Feb 16, 2016, at 6:34 PM, <a href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a> wrote:<br>
<br>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div>
<span face="Arial" data-mce-style="font-family: Arial;" style="font-family: Arial;">Simone<br>
<br>
</span>
<div class="moz-signature"><br>
*** Jane ***<br>
<br>
Cyber Mesa Telecom<br>
Santa Fe Headquarters<br>
Tel 505-988-9200<br>
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<a href="http://http//www.cybermesa.com/ContactUs.htm" target="_blank"><i>Local
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 02/16/2016 8:25 PM,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a> wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote cite="about:blank">
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">
<div>A good memory and good to have found the packet of letters.
I remember Mme LaBrecque, but do not know her first name. In
fact, I only knew a few teachers' first names - Barbara
Jarrell, Edith Evans, Shirley Storrs...What was Mme.
LeFaivre's first name?<br>
</div>
<div>Curiously, Claudia</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;"><b>From:
</b><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com" target="_blank">oxford63@mailman.cyber-community.com</a><br>
<b>To: </b>"oxford63" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:Oxford63@cyber-community.com" target="_blank"><Oxford63@cyber-community.com></a><br>
<b>Sent: </b>Tuesday, February 16, 2016 10:08:56 PM<br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Oxford63] French teacher<br>
<div><br>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I happened to find a packet of letters my mother
received after my grandfather and father died in 1969. One
of them was from Wilfred and Anne La Brecque. I wonder if
it was from Madame La Brecque who taught at Oxford as she
was a good friend of my grandmother's. Does anyone
remember if her name was Anne?<br>
I hope everyone is safe from the bad weather. <br>
<br>
</span>
<div> <br>
</div>
<div> <br>
</div>
<div style="clear: both;">Barbara <br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Brucket@aol.com" target="_blank">Brucket@aol.com</a></div>
</span><br>
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