This was our general emploi du temps - schedule - at Lac du Bois Hackensack in the summer of 2004. This schedule almost always changes from year to year, but basic activities remain the same. Some days, like Saturdays and Sundays, have special changes to accomodate activities such as la danse, and older villagers have a later bedtime.

7h30
Le sauna/Les douches - Sauna and showers. Villagers have the choice of a refreshing dip in the lake and a warm-up in the sauna, or a more traditional shower.
8h00
Le réveil - Wake up time!
8h30
Le petit déjeuner - Breakfast in our dining hall, Paris, usually consists of le muesli and la baguette, with juice and sometimes hot chocolate. After breakfast, villagers have the chance to take an étiquette de super français, which they try to keep until the evening's cabin council by not speaking any English. Villagers who succeeded the previous day are awarded beads for their own étiquettes.
9h30
Projet et cours - Les projets are our small language learning groups, and usually consist of nine villageois and one mono. Les projets work to reinforce the language themes of the day within the framework of a larger theme such as les animaux or le journal, tailored to the language level of the villageois. During this time, the four-week credit villagers have their first cours of the day.
10h30
Le nettoyage - Cleaning time! During this time, the villagers go back to their cabins to balayer (sweep), ranger (tidy up), and vider la poubelle (empty the garbage). The nurse later inspects the cabins, and notes scores. The cabins with the highest scores receive certificates from la tornade blanche - the white tornado.
11h00
Récré-action - This activity is a more structured version of the traditional school recess. All the villagers (except the credit villagers, who are still en cours) participate in an activity organised by the monos. This may be a large group game, several small group games, a new song, or une danse.
11h25
Grand Réunion – This is a brief sketch presenting a particular linguistic theme—what people like to do, where people live, personal appearances.
11h45
Les ateliers - Les ateliers are small group activities that last three days each. Villagers get to choose which ateliers they'd like to participate in. Some examples of popular ateliers are le foot (soccer), la faïence, le canoë (canoeing), and le batik.
12h45
Le déjeuner - Time for lunch à Paris. 2-week villagers have free seating for this meal, and the credit villagers eat with each other and are graded on the French they use.
14h00
La sieste - Sieste is a quiet hour in the cabins where villagers can nap if they choose, or use the time to write letters home.
15h00
Les activités aux choix - Free time! During this time, villagers can swim à la plage, buy candy from la confi or t-shirts and other cultural items from la boutique, or participate in other activities that may be offered.
16h30
Chansons - villagers learn songs of Lac du Bois and sing the songs they’ve already learned.
17h00
Francofolies (Projet culturel) - Francofolies are cultural activites done with the projet group. Some examples are bandes dessinées (comics), la géographie (geography), and la musique africainne (African music). During this time, 4-week villagers have their second cours of the day.
18h00
Dîner - Dinner à Paris is with family groups, a randomly selected assortment of villagers, both 2-week and 4-week, with one or more monos as les parents. After dinner, prizes (beads for les étiquettes) are awarded by les monos mystérieux to villagers who've been trying especially hard to speak French. Also, the PTT is delivered - the inter-Lac du Bois mail system, through which villagers can send each other and their monos letters.
19h15
Pause
19h30
Plaisirs d'Amour - Plaisirs d'Amour is a soap opera, Lac du Bois-style. A storyline is developed every day through short skits - in French, of course! Almost always humorous, this is one of the favorite moments during the day.
20h00
La veillée et heure d'études - Every evening, an activity that further explores the cultural theme of the day is organised. Treasure hunts, capture the flag, and simulations are popular activities. Sometimes the 4-week villagers participate, or sometimes they go back to Paris for a study hour.
21h15
Feu de camp - Every day ends with a campfire, which is a moment to relax and, of course, sing.
21h45
Aux chalets - At this time, villagers are dismissed en cabane. Cabins get ready for bed together, and every night winds down with a Cabin Council. Cabin Council is a time to talk about the previous day, and work through any concerns the villagers might have. The final activity of the day is a story or song from one of the many monos.