“You could tell they were pretty shaken up.”

One F.H. Collins Secondary School student (who wishes to remain anonymous) recalled the reaction of her host family and others in Arras, about an hour from Paris, on Friday after multiple attacks in the city which killed 129 people.

The student, interviewed by the Star early this afternoon, noted the shock and grief around her.

She was one of 10 F.H. Collins students and two staff members who were on a trip to the country at the time of the attacks.

As she recalled in the interview, she was just going to bed and checking her phone when she received a message asking if she was all right.

It was only after looking at social media that she noted the numerous “Pray For Paris” notes people were publicly posting and learned what was happening.

She soon sent messages to family members and friends back in Canada to assure them she was OK.

It was clear the family hosting her was in shock as news continued to come in of the attacks.

Plans to go to a town just outside of Paris the next day were understandably cancelled due to safety concerns, the student said.

She recalled a day spent in Arras, where numerous displays of candles, flowers and the like were put on display by many who were grieving. Comments about potential war could be overheard, the student noted.

As the conversation turned to the reaction of the international community, she said it seemed like all eyes turned to the F.H. Collins delegation to find out what Canadians were thinking.

As she noted, by that point, she and others were anxious to get back home and, with the borders closed, it wasn’t clear exactly when that might happen.

As host families dealt with the realities in their own country, they also continued to welcome the Yukoners, making arrangements for them to stay extra days until flights could once again take off.

Fortunately for the group, they were able to leave Sunday morning in part because they were in a group.

“It was a relief,” the student said, noting there is a big difference being in Canada and hearing about such attacks and being just 45 minutes away from such a calamity.

As she recalled, there was heightened security at customs and throughout the airport north of Paris, and the flight was one of a number to be delayed.

The student said she and others were happy to arrive home in Whitehorse late last night.

As for whether the experience will keep her from travelling again, she said: “It won’t stop me.”

She added it has made her more aware for when she does make travel plans in the future.

While the students were waiting in France to find out when they could return home, many of their families were using social media to keep up to date on the situation.

Stephen Dunbar-Edge was among those parents, noting that as a parent, when your child is away on a trip, you always wonder about their safety.

“My fear was very short-lived,” he said.

After learning about the attacks, he was able to quickly get a message to his daughter, who soon informed him that she was fine via social media.

“It was instant-relief,” he said.

Had this happened a decade ago, the situation would have very different with parents awaiting word from the Department of Education on the status of the group.

As for whether this will impact whether he would permit his daughter to take any similar trips in the future, he noted she will soon be out of the school system, and it will be entirely up to her whether she travels and to where.

He was quick to note though that the situation would not impact those decisions as a parent as he “subscribes to the belief terrorism wins when it instills terror.”

He pointed out bad things can happen anywhere, and there have been people who have lost their lives after travelling to the Yukon on river trips and such.

Meanwhile, officials with the Department of Education expressed their thanks to the host families and others in France who “took such good care” of the F.H. Collins contingent as they also dealt with the tragic events in their own country.

Department spokeswoman Holly Fraser noted the department and school remained in contact with those in France over the weekend with the school’s vice-principal updating families on the situation.

Fraser said while there aren’t any international trips booked for the coming months, there are also no plans by the department to suspend such excursions in the future.

As she noted, there’s value in students experiencing other countries, and while there are risks, they can often be managed.

Meanwhile, L’Association Franco-Yukonnaise (AFY) is organizing a minute of silence for 12:15 p.m. Tuesday.

The location isn’t known yet, but AFY will provide an update on its Facebook page before tomorrow to announce it.

All Yukoners are invited to attend the minute of silence, at the soon-to-be-known location or from their workplaces.

– With files from Pierre Chauvin.

See more on Paris in today’s World and Opinion sections.