The American Cooperative School of Tunis

Our sole purpose for coming to Tunisia was for Mom and Dad to teach at ACST, and so far the school has not disappointed us. Located in La Aouina, a district of Tunis, the school features an amazing campus as well as features that aren't possible in North America. For example, there are no hallway walls, it's just open air. The school is built with white plaster and concrete, as well as blue finishing touches, blending in with, well, everything in Tunisia. The floors, countertops and stairs are made of marble, considering that the material is readily available here.The campus is equally stunning, with palm trees, plenty of green space and a fountain and amphitheatre as main attractions. Check out these pictures that I took of the school.

Campus grounds behind the school and amphitheatre

Marble staircases with white and blue colour scheme

Palm trees and fountain on campus

View of the front of the school

Another look at the campus

Hallways that blend with the outdoors

As far as academics go, the school offers an Elementary School, that ranges from grades kindergarten to 5. Then, there's your typical Middle School with grades 6 to 8. Last but not least there's the High School, from grades 9 to 12.

Overall it's been incredible so far going to school at ACST and meeting people from all around the world. We are truly fortunate. Check back soon !

Click here to see more photos from the school!

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-Ethan Proulx

Our Arrival in Tunis

Our adventure to Tunisia began on August 7th. After saying our goodbyes, the Proulx family jumped into a shuttle which transported us and our 24 bags to the Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport in Montreal. Despite minor complications at the baggage drop-off, we successfully boarded an AirFrance plane destined to land at the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, France. There, we transferred to our other flight to Tunis, the capital of Tunisia.

Once at the Tunis airport, amidst the frequent smokers, telecommunication advertisements and muslim women, we managed to recuperate 16 bags that flew to Tunis with us. The remaining 8 were picked up the next day by Dad. Subsequently, we dragged our sleep-deprived and jetlagged selves out of the airport and were driven to our house in Carthage, Tunis. We were speechless when we entered our 7-bedroom tunisian-style home. The architecture and the size blew us away. Even a few days after we moved in, the family was still discovering little nooks and crannies, including a full-fledged bathroom hidden away in a closet !

We eagerly picked our rooms, showered and headed out to American Cooperative School of Tunis director Allan Bredy's house just down the street, for the annual "new teachers dinner", where we got to meet our parent's colleagues. After an amazing swordfish catered meal, the new teachers were invited to introduce themselves and speak a little about who they were. Later on, we returned home and got some much needed sleep.

The next day we got up fairly early to be driven to the school, ACST, where Mom and Dad had meetings with Allan Bredy and his team. While Hannah, Noah and Aidan were taken care of, I decided to wander around the school. I was amazed. Unlike schools in North America, the school was basically outdoors, meaning that it is composed of open-air hallways and staircases.

Later on, we ate lunch at a modern sea-side restaurant in La Marsa, a small town on the Mediterranean. It was surreal, so picturesque. A picture is worth a million words, right ? Here is a panoramic picture Mommy took with her iPhone.

Overall it has been an interesting, eventful and amazing first couple of days in Northern Africa. Check back soon to read more about our experiences.

-Ethan Proulx