Marie
With the Sisters of Providence: Marie began her schooling with a brief stint at the school of the Sisters of Providence in Alençon.
At the Visitation: in October 1868, Marie entered the Pensionnat de la visitation from the Mans. Mr. and Mrs. Martin entrust their two eldest daughters to this boarding school attached to the Visitation, where the presence of Aunt Marie-Dosithée will be a good influence. Marie stayed there for seven years, leaving in 1875. She took with her from the boarding school a solid baggage of secular knowledge and a first-class religious formation.
You can see here a report card from another student dating from 1861 to get an idea of the subjects taught (click on the photo to enlarge it).
Pauline
With the Sisters of Providence: like Marie, Pauline began her schooling at the school of the Sisters of Providence in Alençon.
At the Visitation: in October 1868, she entered the Pensionnat de la visitation from the Mans. Mr. and Mrs. Martin entrust their two eldest to this boarding school attached to the Visitation. After 1875, Pauline continued her schooling at Le Mans alone. Very intelligent and studious, she was a brilliant student, especially in certain branches such as French, drawing and cosmography. The last year of her stay in Le Mans had been bereaved by the death of her aunt sister Marie-Dosithée on February 24, 1877. In the first days of August, Pauline left her dear Visitation with the hope of returning there. one day, to consecrate his life to God.
Leonie
With the Sisters of Providence: Léonie joined Marie and Pauline as a half-boarder at the primary school run by the Institute of the Sisters of Providence, 5 rue du Pont-Neuf, at the bedside of the Notre Dame d'Alençon church.
At the Visitation: in mid-June 1871, Léonie joined her two eldest daughters at the visitation du Mans, entrusted to Sr. Marie-Dosithée, for a trial. The initial success was cut short and the child was not admitted at the start of the school year in October. She couldn't adapt to a normal class. It seems that in the fall of 1871, she resumed the path of Providence, while benefiting from private lessons by a young lady from Alençon who had her higher patent. At the beginning of January 1874, a new trial at the Visitation of Le Mans...which will end on April 6. Returning to Alençon, she was entrusted to two so-called nuns who gave her lessons in the afternoon. Mrs. Martin realizes that these two people are disreputable and she cannot continue to entrust her daughter to them.
At home : in August 1875, Léonie was entrusted to Marie who had just finished her studies. She gives him lessons by helping him to make up for his serious handicap in terms of studies.
At the Abbey : with the installation of the family in Lisieux, Léonie enters as boarder at the Benedictines of the Abbey, frequented by her Guérin cousins. She will remain there from the beginning of 1878 to the holidays of 1881 and will retain very strong ties with her former mistresses.
Céline
At home : in Alençon, first lessons with Marie, at home, her mother writes that she learns quickly and well, without giving herself much trouble.
At the Abbey : in Lisieux, at the beginning of 1878, Céline entered the Benedictines of the Abbey Notre Dame du Pré, at the same time as Léonie who enters as a boarder. Although placed with older students, she easily rises to the top of the class and will keep this rank until the end. Two of his bulletins have been preserved (see below); Thérèse's had to be of the same model. We also have some stamps of honor reserved for good students.
At the end of the 1885 school year, Céline completed her studies. She leaves the Pension with honor. Released from classes, she will lead a very active life.
In private lessons: To perfect her gift for drawing, she took lessons from Miss Godard, a pupil of the painter Léon Cogniet, then later from Krug.
Thérèse
At home : in Alençon, so as not to leave Céline, she attends the lessons that Marie gives to Céline. In 1877, on August 2 or 3, Marie told her aunt, Madame Guérin, about the ceremony for the distribution of prizes that she organized for Céline and Thérèse. In Lisieux, Thérèse was a pupil of her two older sisters: Marie taught writing, Pauline everything else (reading, grammar, spelling, arithmetic, sacred history, etc.).
At the Abbey : October 3, 1881, Thérèse entered the Abbey as a half-boarder, joining her sister Céline and her cousins Guérin. One year in green class, 2 years in purple class, 2 years in orange class. In fact the last year will be interrupted, probably in March 1886, following Thérèse's poor health; she will now take private lessons.
At Madame Papinau's : from September 21, 1886 until March 1888. This 51-year-old teacher received Thérèse at her home. The lessons last one hour and are spread over the month, rarely several per week. After its Conversion of Christmas 1886, Thérèse wrote in her Manuscript A: “…at that time I was seized with an extreme desire to know. Not content with the lessons and homework given me by my mistress, I applied myself alone to special studies in history and science. The other studies left me indifferent, but these two parts attracted all my attention; also in a few months I acquired more knowledge than during my years of study. »
See here the school notebooks of Therese.
