After so many successful adventures, the Virtual Family decided it was time to pick up some more culture - they decided it was time to try being bilingual!  A special French school in Surrey called L'Ecole Gabrielle-Roy was hosting a Science Fair, which they wanted the Virtual Family to be a part of.

Katie, the Virtual Family Nanny, was a little nervous about this adventure, because it had been several years since she had last spoken French regularly, and the family certainly didn't have time to learn a new language; but she was up for the challenge!  She called up her friend Kathy Lo, to help her teach the students how to teach the family new tricks en francais, and the two headed off to Surrey bright and early on the morning of June 7, 1999.

This was a very busy day for the Virtual Family - they had three groups of girls and boys to meet.  The first was a class of grade sixes.  The combination of being younger and speaking French made programming with Virtual Family rather challenging for them.  Katie and Kathy were looking a little frazzled as they darted about the room, explaining how to make Sis ask Junior if she could use "l'ordinateur" (the computer)...

The next class was des septiemes (seventh graders).  With one French workshop under their belts, Katie and Kathy were ready.  This time the frazzled looks were gone as they led the group through giving mom a new action, in which the grade sevens were successful.  However, Katie still couldn't think of a way to say "compile the code" en francais!

The final workshop of the day, with a sophisticated class of grade nine students, went even more smoothly... several enthusiatic students made new action and reaction sequences, and all thought the Family's antics were hilarious.

The Virtual Family learned a lot of new things during their visit to Gabrielle-Roy.  They found that entertaining and keeping focussed a large room full of grade six boys and girls, especially those speaking a foreign language, was very difficult!  But in a slighty smaller class and with a little experience, Virtual Family succeded and even had the time to pick up a little French.  :-)