Small But Mighty: Donnelly’s French Students Dominate Congrès as Division Champions
Students at this year’s Congrès competition showcased their French language skills and cultural knowledge, bringing home top honors in multiple categories. The event was held from March 6th to March 8th in Orlando, and was centered around the theme “La Cuisine du Monde Francophone,” challenging participants to engage with French culture and culinary traditions through various performances, presentations, and academic tests.
The competition schedule was jam-packed with activities. After arriving on Thursday, the team submitted their art and album projects before heading into a night full of events, including a play, a song and for RJ Pierman, an interview with two French judges to explain the meaning behind his unique art project. Friday was dedicated to poetry recitations and written exams, followed by a banquet, when students had the opportunity to interact with peers from across the state. On Saturday, the team attended the awards ceremony before heading back on the bus to campus.
Junior Sage Ponchock, the French Club’s president, coordinated the team’s preparation efforts for the individual and group competitions. Additionally, Ponchock personally performed a four-minute poem in the highest competition level (COA/COF) and also led a seven-member team in performing their ten-minute adaption of Molière’s L’Avare.
“We practiced every lunch for weeks, and cutting the play from three hours to ten minutes took months,” Ponchock explained.
Juniors RJ Pierman and Ishe Makoni, other members of the team, competed in most events at this year's tournament. Pierman designed and created the art project and took the written test while Makoni opted for poetry recitation as well as having a leading role in the play which suited his flair for the dramatic. Both participated in the play, the song contest as well as the making of the cooking video. “Each took a great deal of time, such as over six hours spent making a video and cooking a traditional French dish or spending three lunch periods a week practicing the play. But, all of the hours of preparation and performances at Congrès really help you gain confidence in not only speaking the language but also expressing and presenting it in different ways,” Makoni explained.
Upper School French teacher and Congrès Advisor Mademoiselle Donnelly emphasizes the importance of teamwork and preparation. “Preparations usually begin in October or November with a structured approach to each event. The biggest challenge is the play, as it requires coordination, memorization, and rehearsal. The projects are student-led, but structured to ensure an authentic cultural immersion experience. The performances are creative, while the academic events strengthen reading and writing comprehension. Beyond fluency the experience builds on communication skills, time management, and confidence. It’s rewarding to witness the students' growth, because they really worked so hard,” Mademoiselle Donnelly said.
For Sophomore Emma Lewis, Congrès was a way to celebrate her French heritage. “French was my first language, and I love my French culture. This competition was a great way to embrace it with others. Congrès definitely helped me focus on my grammar and history skills while also exposing me to French music and cuisine,” Lewis said.
Despite being a small team, students delivered an outstanding performance. The groups’ play, song, video, art project, and poetry recitations earned Supérieur ratings, the highest possible distinction. During the final awards ceremony, Benjamin was announced as Division A Champions. But beyond these accolades, Congrès served as an opportunity for the students to step out of their comfort zones, embrace challenges, and celebrate their shared passion for French language and culture.
Results: Division A Congrès Champions
● Play - Supérieur (Ishe Makoni, Sage Ponchock, RJ Pierman, Nickie Walsh, Lauren Slyh, Tedjinia Himmich, introduction by Emma Lewis)
● Art project - Supérieur (RJ Pierman)
● Album - Excellent (Sage Ponchock, Lauren Slyh, Tedjinia Himmich) ● Song - Supérieur (Nickie Walsh, Emma Lewis, Ishe Makoni, RJ Pierman) ● Cooking video - Supérieur (RJ Pierman, Ishe Makoni and videographer Sage Ponchock) ● Poem recitation (Fluent) - Supérieur (Ishe Makoni, Sage Ponchock, Lauren Slyh) ● Test - Supérieur (Robert Jerry Pierman, Emma Lewis, Nickie Walsh)
● Test (Fluent) - Excellent (Tedjinia Himmich)
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The competition schedule was jam-packed with activities. After arriving on Thursday, the team submitted their art and album projects before heading into a night full of events, including a play, a song and for RJ Pierman, an interview with two French judges to explain the meaning behind his unique art project. Friday was dedicated to poetry recitations and written exams, followed by a banquet, when students had the opportunity to interact with peers from across the state. On Saturday, the team attended the awards ceremony before heading back on the bus to campus.
Junior Sage Ponchock, the French Club’s president, coordinated the team’s preparation efforts for the individual and group competitions. Additionally, Ponchock personally performed a four-minute poem in the highest competition level (COA/COF) and also led a seven-member team in performing their ten-minute adaption of Molière’s L’Avare.
“We practiced every lunch for weeks, and cutting the play from three hours to ten minutes took months,” Ponchock explained.
Juniors RJ Pierman and Ishe Makoni, other members of the team, competed in most events at this year's tournament. Pierman designed and created the art project and took the written test while Makoni opted for poetry recitation as well as having a leading role in the play which suited his flair for the dramatic. Both participated in the play, the song contest as well as the making of the cooking video. “Each took a great deal of time, such as over six hours spent making a video and cooking a traditional French dish or spending three lunch periods a week practicing the play. But, all of the hours of preparation and performances at Congrès really help you gain confidence in not only speaking the language but also expressing and presenting it in different ways,” Makoni explained.
Upper School French teacher and Congrès Advisor Mademoiselle Donnelly emphasizes the importance of teamwork and preparation. “Preparations usually begin in October or November with a structured approach to each event. The biggest challenge is the play, as it requires coordination, memorization, and rehearsal. The projects are student-led, but structured to ensure an authentic cultural immersion experience. The performances are creative, while the academic events strengthen reading and writing comprehension. Beyond fluency the experience builds on communication skills, time management, and confidence. It’s rewarding to witness the students' growth, because they really worked so hard,” Mademoiselle Donnelly said.
For Sophomore Emma Lewis, Congrès was a way to celebrate her French heritage. “French was my first language, and I love my French culture. This competition was a great way to embrace it with others. Congrès definitely helped me focus on my grammar and history skills while also exposing me to French music and cuisine,” Lewis said.
Despite being a small team, students delivered an outstanding performance. The groups’ play, song, video, art project, and poetry recitations earned Supérieur ratings, the highest possible distinction. During the final awards ceremony, Benjamin was announced as Division A Champions. But beyond these accolades, Congrès served as an opportunity for the students to step out of their comfort zones, embrace challenges, and celebrate their shared passion for French language and culture.
Results: Division A Congrès Champions
● Play - Supérieur (Ishe Makoni, Sage Ponchock, RJ Pierman, Nickie Walsh, Lauren Slyh, Tedjinia Himmich, introduction by Emma Lewis)
● Art project - Supérieur (RJ Pierman)
● Album - Excellent (Sage Ponchock, Lauren Slyh, Tedjinia Himmich) ● Song - Supérieur (Nickie Walsh, Emma Lewis, Ishe Makoni, RJ Pierman) ● Cooking video - Supérieur (RJ Pierman, Ishe Makoni and videographer Sage Ponchock) ● Poem recitation (Fluent) - Supérieur (Ishe Makoni, Sage Ponchock, Lauren Slyh) ● Test - Supérieur (Robert Jerry Pierman, Emma Lewis, Nickie Walsh)
● Test (Fluent) - Excellent (Tedjinia Himmich)
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