Some students at Notre Dame School in Owen Sound had a rare opportunity to virtually speak face to face with the Governor General of Canada.
Julie Payette Connected with Grade 5 teacher Marlene Deschenes's computer earlier this week.
The class got the chance to Skype with her Excellency, with a dozen students asking questions.
Topics included Payette’s experience with space exploration to what advice she wished someone had given her when she was in fifth grade. The conversation lasted approximately 25 minutes. Another question was what her favourite part of her job as Governor General is, to which Payette enthusiastically responded “talking with you folks!”
Deschenes said she was very impressed with how her students handled the endeavour.
“[The] kids have been really terrific,” she said. She also called Payette “such an amazing role model” and said the Skype call was “an honour and a memory these students will have for many years to come.”
This call was months in the making. A group of students sent a request to Skype to Payette's office earlier this year while they were studying about Payette’s achievements prior to being appointed to the Office of Governor General. After sending the letter, Deschenes and her students were informed by a representative from Payette’s office about a new initiative called “GGinteractive”. This program allows students to speak with Payette by Skype and ask their questions. A total of 12 students were able to ask questions,