cpf-saskatchewan · coeur school in estevan celebrated french-second-lan gua e education week from...

Issue No. 70 Spring 2009

CPF-SaskatchewanNews

CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH SASKATCHEWAN BRANCH

2 Photo Highlights 3 Messages from the President and Vice-President 4-5 Chapter Reports

6 Announcements 7 Jeunes ambassadeurs 8 Employment Opportunities with CPF and Fête du soleil

9 Concours d’art oratoire and Francofièvre 10 Article on Homework 11 Mini Rendez-vous 12 Calendar of Events

In This Issue

L3 TRIPL3 3FF3T!

RENDEZ-VOUS 2009

This was another successful year for the Rendez-vous event “EXPÉRIENCE EXTRÊME DU NORD”, held again at Land of theLoon Resort on Anglin Lake. There were 12 very enthusiasticparticipants from different regions of the province includingRegina, Saskatoon, North Battleford and La Ronge.

Throughout the weekend the youth participated in variouswinter activities: ice fishing, cross-country skiing,snowshoeing and dog-sledding. The sled excursions bySundogs were a highlight for both participants and monitors.This year everyone was treated to a ride on a dog sled.Other highlights included a camp fire where the childrenlearned how to make bush pies, and an astronomy workshopwhere they learned about constellations and how to puttogether a telescope. The participants were also lucky enoughto hold a piece of the meteorite that hit Earth in November2008. Following this, they created wonderful works of artthat will be displayed at the Frances Morrison Library inSeptember in an exposition called “Celebrating the Night Sky.”

As the weekend came to an end, everyone was sad to saygoodbye to their new friends. However, we all look forwardto the next Rendez-vous event. See you at “AVENTUREURBAINE ULTIME’ in Regina in May!

2 Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan 3

Photo Highlights

from the national conference 2008

Back row from far left : Estevan chapter

President Kelli Kitzul, La Ronge member

Bonnie Morgan, Melville chapter

President Amy Novak, Prince Albert

chapter Treasurer Bryan Shier, Nipawin

chapter President Amanda Nickel

Middle row from far left: Chapter

Development Officer Mihaela Giurgiu,

Meadow Lake chapter President

Joy Stang, Swift Current chapter

President Adele Heise, Board Vice-

President Suzanne Rollo, Lloydminster

chapter President Nadine Benning,

National Director Rose-Marie Bouvier

Front row from far left: Prince Albert

member Tristyn Shier, Executive Director

Karen Pozniak, Moose Jaw chapter

President Maureen Young

Suzanne Rollo presents the FSL report

David Brennick thanks Mary Reeves,

Chair of Strategic Planning Commitee

National Volunteer of the Year Award

goes to John Ryan from Ontario

Rideau Hall

Parliament BuildingSuzanne Rollo (SK) and Judy Gibson (AB)

From left: Colin Landry (NS), Claude

Parent (PEI) and Amy Hacala (NWT)

Martine Delsemme (QC) and Richard

Rice (NB)

From left: Terry Cornforth (Parliamentarian),

Anna Maddison and David Brennick

(CPF - National)

2 Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan

CPF national Conference October 2008

“Access to the future”

Volunteers and delegates from across Canada gathered in Ottawa to advocate opportunities for children to learnFrench as a second-language in their school jurisdiction. The theme of the conference, “Access to the Future”,stressed the importance of equitable access to quality French-second-language education where all youth havethe opportunities and advantages that come with being bilingual, such as future career choices. It was also atthis conference that the research report The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada 2008 waslaunched.

Each province sent a delegation of volunteers to the conference. The Saskatchewan delegation included thefollowing chapter Presidents: Maureen Young from Moose Jaw, Amanda Nickel from Nipawin, Amy Novak fromMelville, Joy Stang from Meadow Lake, Nadine Benning from Lloydminster, Adele Charpentier from Saskatoon,Adele Heise from Swift Current and Kelli Kitzul from Estevan. Prince Albert was represented by Bryan Shier, andLa Ronge by Bonnie Morgan. From our CPF-SK office, Karen Pozniak, Executive Director, and Mihaela Giurgiu,Chapter Development Officer, and myself were also in attendance. This conference gave our volunteers opportunitiesto attend the many workshops offered to them, such as ‘Running an effective parent information night’, ‘Effectiveteamwork’, ‘FSL research on students with academic challenges in FSL programs’ and ‘ Tracking of FSL funds’ toname a few. They had opportunities to share ideas with each other as well as chapter volunteers from otherprovinces. This conference renewed their optimism and spirit in their role within the CPF organization.

In addition, we had the occasion to take a tour of the Parliament Building and Rideau Hall. We also attended thePresident’s Banquet held at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec. Truly, this conference was anyyenriching and bonding experience with others who share the same challenges in advocating for equitable accessto FSL education.

Suzanne RolloCPF-SK Vice-President

Dear CPF-SK Members:

It looks like our long hard winter is finally over and spring is on its way. During these last fewmonths, your CPF-SK Board of Directors, with assistance from our Executive Director andstaff, has continued to work on agenda items we had set following the Annual GeneralMeeting in June. We continue to fine-tune our governance skills. At our last meeting, weadopted in principle the Pan-Canadian Strategic Plan 2009 -2013 as presented at the CPFNational Conference in October. At our next meeting, we will approve the changes suggestedby board members to make it our own. In April, we will develop the implementation strategy forthe plan. We will also continue working on how to help chapters benefit their students,parents and schools. Perhaps our most exciting task will be to continue to work on establishinga foundation in honor of a most generous benefactor, Dr. Joyce Booth.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, our CPF chapter member volunteers who have helped withMini Rendez-vous, the Triple Effect, Concours d’art oratoire, information nights and kindergarten registration. You make CPF-SK the success it is. We would like to encourage all CPF members to become more involved withtheir local chapter, either as an event volunteer, a member at large or a member of the executive. Further to this,rif you or someone you know might be interested in seeking election to the provincial board, please contact theCPF-SK Nominations Committee.

We look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the CPF-SK Annual General Meeting in June. Keep up thegood work!

Valerie MillerCPF-SK President

Message from the president

Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan 3

PRINCE ALBERT

The CPF-PA chapter remains strong

and active. On October 4, 2008 a Mini

Rendez-vous was held at Holy Cross

School. This event was very

successful and had a great turn out.

CPF-PA Treasurer, Bryan Shier,

attended the CPF National AGM in

Ottawa from October 16-18, 2008. He

indicated that Saskatchewan has

very strong French immersion

numbers and is not far behind some

of the larger provinces. He also spoke

about a ‘Verbathon’ program which

was demonstrated at the AGM and is

designed to help children learn and

use French verbs. The possibility of

having a Verbathon tournament in

Prince Albert was discussed and a

motion was carried to purchase four

Verbathon kits, one for each French

immersion school and one for CPF-PA.

To kick off French-Second-Language

Education Week, Prince Albert hosted

a winter carnival on February 1, 2009

at the Cosmo Lodge. Tristyn Shier

lead activities and Roger Boucher was

invited to entertain. Another event

organised to celebrate this week was

a performance by Paul Bourgeois. He

performed for students in three

schools from kindergarten to grade

five. To end the week, on February 5,

an appreciation luncheon was held for

the FSL teachers, administrators and

support staff at Amy’s on Second

Restaurant.

On January 15, 2009 CPF-PA tried

something different and offered a Mini

Rendez-vous for grade six intensive

French students at St. Francis School.

The day was fil led with games,

cooking activities and crafts and was

a great way for new French students

to have fun with the language.

Finally, a Micro/Mini Rendez-vous was

held at Vickers School on March 7,

2009 for 36 students. Puppets were

crafted, snacks were prepared and

games were played, all in French! This

was another successful opportunity

for students to have a blast with their

French outside of the classroom.


ESTEVAN

Staff and students at École Sacré

Coeur School in Estevan celebrated

French-Second-Language Education

Week from February 2 to 6.

There was a selection of French songs

played on the intercom everyday for

everyone to enjoy. Prizes were

donated by French businesses in

Saskatchewan, including Canadian

Parents for French - Saskatchewan,

as well as from several companies in

Estevan. There were draws for prizes

every morning which students always

enjoyed.

Core French and French immersion

students joined together in small

groups to do playful activities in

French. Students from kindergarten

to grade four had lunch together and

watched a French video. It was an

entertaining and busy week.

Lloydminster

In February, CPF provided financial

support and volunteers for the

school’s carnival. Despite cold

weather on all three days, the ice

castle making, outdoor games, and la

tire were enjoyed by all. The indoor

activities such as the French

entertainment, music, dancing and

the pancake breakfast were, as

always, a great hit.

All of our immersion students from

kindergarten to grade 12 participated

in Concours d’art oratoire as our

school division considers it an

essential part of our curriculum. This

year, our kindergarten to grade three

parents were able to access their

children’s poems online as podcasts

on the school website to help with

practice at home.

We held a Mini Rendez-vous in March

with 37 students participating and a

Fête du soleil in July with 40 students

participating.

Our School Community Council now

provides most of our fundraising for

cultural entertainment within the

school so we will be able to focus our

efforts more on increasing

memberships this year. So far we

have set up a booth at all of the

school’s parent nights and will be

attending the kindergarten

registration nights to promote CPF

and offer memberships.

YORKTON

The Yorkton chapter of CPF hosted a

one day French camp at St. Michael’s

School on January 28. The day was

well attended with 35 youth from pre-

kindergarten to grade four. The camp

was held on this day because the

students had the day off from school.

We were able to meet child care

needs for parents while providing an

exciting day to utilize the children’s

French language skills. The kids spent

time doing a craft, singing, navigating

an obstacle course, baking and

playing outside. Students from the

French program at the high school

came to help out as assistant

monitors which allowed them to gain

service hours as well as develop skills

which could be included in a résumé.

The Yorkton chapter celebrated

French-Second-Language Education

Week by donating funds for each

French classroom to purchase books

or other educational materials.

We are anticipating taking an active

role in supporting French-second-

language education throughout the

rest of the school year.

REGINA

In November 2008 the Regina

chapter formed a new executive and

has already planned many events for

the year including a winter carnival at

Massey School, a Mini Rendez-vous on

April 26 and a Fête du soleil from

August 10 to 14. Bravo!

The CPF-SK office would like to send

out a warm welcome to President

Diane Nokonechny, Vice- President

Angie Yarnton and Treasurer/

Secretary Guy Marsden.

Bienvenue!

chapter reports


In 2008, the CPF Moose Jaw chapter

held a spring and a fall Mini Rendez-

vous. In April, there was a wind-up

for the French Reading Reward

Program with draws and prizes at

both schools (public and separate). A

total of 10,845 French books were

read by 140 students (grades one to

five) throughout the six month

program. For French-Second-

Language Education Week the

chapter donated CPF merchandise for

school contests and draws.

In Moose Jaw, the 2008-2009 school

year has seen an increase again for

French immersion kindergarten

enrolment which is now up 11% from

last year. For future projects, we hope

to encourage the schools to

participate in a Verbathon.

This past year has been a year of

transition for us. In May 2006 the

French immersion program in Nipawin

was cancelled, but the desire of many

families and CPF members to continue

with their children’s French-second-

language education and support did

not end. As many families began a

new learning course so did our

chapter. We have begun focusing and

expanding CPF’s programs, activities

and support to the community of

Zenon Park. Although the transition

is slow, we are happy to announce

that a Mini Rendez-vous was held in

Zenon Park on February 28. It went

very well and the children had lots of

fun.

As we become more present within

the community, we are hopeful that

the families in Zenon Park, as in

Nipawin, continue to support us in our

quest of providing French language

resources, support and activities to

each parent and child. We would also

like to take this opportunity to

welcome all of our new and existing

families to CPF - Nipawin and we are

especially looking forward to helping

you and your child in your French-

second-language learning journey.

This past year, the CPF Saskatoon

chapter had one Fête du soleil at the

end of August. The monitors had lots

of exciting activities planned during

the week. On the final day the kids

had an adventure with clowns Kari and

Sabryna (show names are Tallulah and

Puddle Jumper), as well as other

activities such as Astro Jump and a

costume party.

A Mini Rendez-vous was held in late

November. Again, the children had a

day full of fun while speaking French.

In 2009 we will be having two Fêtes

du soleil: July 6-10 and August 17-21.

We are also planning two Mini Rendez-RR

vous: one in the spring and the other

in early winter.

We are looking forward to having a

great year full of events for the

children. Also, watch for French classes

offered for parents throughout the

year.

We will be attending Kindergarten

Information Sessions at French

immersion schools to promote CPF. We

welcome anyone who is interested in

learning more about CPF to contact us

and discover what we have to offer.

The CPF-SK office would also like to

extend a warm welcome to the new

Saskatoon executive which now

consists of Adele Charpentier as

President, Raeanne Van RR Beek as Vice-

President, Chantelle Szautner as

Secretary, Jackie de Bussac as

Treasurer, and Christine Regnier-

Gaudet and Shelley Den Brok as

Directors. Bienvenue!

Swift Current

The Swift Current chapter will be

having a Mini Rendez-vous on May 2

and a Fête du soleil from July 13 to

17. Many members within the

community look forward to these

events as they are a great way to

provide opportunities for French

speaking students to practice and

play in French outside of the

classroom and during the summer

months.

chapter reports

MEADOW LAKE

The Meadow Lake chapter is well into

the second year of French immersion

at Lakeview Elementary School. We

continue to receive strong support

and encouragement from both the

North West School Division and

Lakeview Elementary School.

We held a “School’s Out!” BBQ at the

end of June. This was very well

attended by both current students,

students registered to start in the fall

(in all three grades) and their families.

We sold memberships, celebrated our

first year of French immersion, and

welcomed new students and families

to the program.

We had a very successful fundraiser

this fall with our second annual “Nuts

for French!” campaign. We almost

doubled our sales over last year, and

have plans to increase sales again for

next year.

We had our first Mini Rendez-vous on

March 21 which went very well. Now

that we have three grades of

students in French immersion, we are

eager to start offering more French

opportunities to students. To this end,

we are attempting to start an after-

school program twice a week, all in

French, for all students in any French

program from kindergarten through to

grade four.

We are enjoying our successes to

date and are contemplating how best

to overcome our challenges in the

months and years ahead.

NIPAWIN

MOOSE JAWSASKATOON

8 Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan 4 Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan 6 Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan

President - Valerie Miller, Yorkton

Vice-President - Suzanne Rollo, Regina

Secretary/Treasurer - Natasha Vetter,

Prince Albert

Director - Claudette Anderson, La Ronge

Director - Eric Bolay, Prince Albert

Director - Monique Myers, Wawota

Local Chapters

Battlefords Nipawin

Estevan Prince Albert

La Ronge Regina

Lloydminster Saskatoon

Meadow Lake Swift Current

Melville Yorkton

Moose Jaw

Office Staff

Karen Pozniak

Executive Director

[email protected]

Mihaela Giurgiu

Chapter Development Officer

[email protected]

Breanne Curtis

Administrative Assistant

[email protected]

Amanda Girardin

Youth Programming Officer

[email protected]

CPF-SK Office Information

303-115, 2nd Avenue North

Saskatoon, SK S7K 2B1

Phone: 306.244.6151 Fax: 306.244.8872

Or toll free within Saskatchewan:

1.800.561.615111 808000 565611 61615151

e-mail:[email protected]

www.cpfsask.com

CPF-SK Board of DirectorsFrench for Parents classes are offered by CPF–SK chapters toenable parents of students learning French as a second-languageto experience some of what their child is learning. Parents learnbasic vocabulary such as what a child might learn in the earlyyears of a French immersion program. They learn a little grammar,common phrases and become comfortable with the concept oflearning a second language. The classes are interactive and offerthe parent opportunities to practice their oral and written skills.French for Parents is offered in various locations around theprovince. Level 1 is designed for parents who have little or noFrench experience while Level 2 is designed for those who havecompleted a Level 1 French program, or for anyone who isinterested in developing conversational French.

FRENCH FOR PARENTS

CLASSES

CPF-SK’s Nomination Commitee is currently seeking volunteersinterested in sitting on the provincial board. Those interested,please contact the branch office at 244-6151 and we will put youin contact with chair of the Nominations Commitee, Natasha Vetter.

The final of the three weekend camps, ‘AVENTURE URBAINE ULTIME’,will be taking place in Regina from May 8 to 10.This weekend is for students in French immersion from grade sixto eight and will include a guided tour of the CBC radio station,activities at the new RCMP Heritage Centre, a culinary experience,swimming and more! The fee is $90 plus a CPF membership. Theregistration deadline is April 24. Call the office today at 244-6151(toll free 1-800-561-6151) to reserve a spot.

chapter reminder

Preparations for the popular week-long summer day camps, Fêtedu soleil, have begun. Please contact the branch office at yoursoonest convenience to book a week for your camp. Please notethat we can run two camps on the same week, if necessary.

L3 TRIPL3 3FF3T!

RENDEZ-VOUS 2009

iNTERESTED IN SITTING ON

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

FOR CPF-SK?

French for Parents classes Level 1 will be starting in

Saskatoon on April 21 and Level 2 will begin on May

26. Call the office at 244-6151 to register!

JEUNES AMBASSADEURS

The weekend of February 14, I had the privilege of leaving my hometown,Regina, and flying to Winnipeg to represent Saskatchewan at the French for theFuture National Ambassador Youth Forum (NAYF). There, I spent time withapproximately 32 other high school students discussing issues relating to Canadianbilingualism and celebrating French culture. On Sunday, after a morning of group discussion, sharing our opinions andexperiences of French in our lives, we had the pleasure of spending the afternoonat the Festival du Voyageur. That evening, we attended the filming of a televisedconcert featuring Canadian French-speaking bands. Monday, we were visited byMr. John Raulston Saul, who discussed with us the value of multi-culturalism inCanada. We spent most of the remainder of the day working in groups on thepresentations we would give at the banquet later that evening. The self-selectedtopics of our presentations included: the trials faced by Francophones, Frenchimmersion students, and those who have not learned French; the utilization ofFrench in our everyday lives; overcoming obstacles to build a more unifiedCanada, and the qualities of an ambassador that we can take with us to representthe French community in our own lives. It’s unbelievable to me how the number of experiences I had and memories Imade could have been crammed into a single weekend. Although we came fromvery different hometowns all over the country, we found, over the course of ourdiscussions, that we all lived similar realities relating to having our Frenchacknowledged and embraced in our communities and bridging the divide betweenthose who speak the language and those who do not. Coming from a predominantlyEnglish-speaking environment, I was fascinated to listen to some of theFrancophone ambassadors talk about their experiences on the other side of thelanguage gap and to find how much we had in common. The chance to socializeand build relationships in a primarily French environment was also a unique andbeneficial experience for me. I saw how extraordinary a gift my bilingualism is.That weekend, I made the most incredible friends who I would not otherwisehave met had it not been for my ability to speak French. I applied for the forum not knowing what to expect. I left with a strongerappreciation for my culture, my country, and for who I am. To any futurepotential ambassadors, this is an experience you do not want to miss out on!The program coordinators were incredibly passionate, encouraging andinspirational. You will learn so much from them and from each other. Theambassadors in our group bonded in a way that I never would have thoughtpossible after only a few days, and I will always value the support and thefriendship of that community. Not only will you gain a greater sense of who youare and what you can do, but you will have a blast doing it! NAYF was aweekend that I will never forget!

By Laura Hochban


From top: Laura Hochban with Mr. John Raulston Saul, group discussion session, scavenger hunt, new friends,

presentation, group photo, fun in Winnipeg!

Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan is currently looking for enthusiastic and reliable bilingual monitors to

lead the Fête du soleil week-long summer day camps. These camps are for French immersion students entering

kindergarten to grade five and take place in various locations across Saskatchewan. The position is based in

Saskatoon and involves travel within the province.

Main Duties:

* Take part in planning the summer camps

* Help prepare materials and equipment needed for camps

* Animate the recreational activities at camps

Qualifications:

* Must be a returning student to a post-secondary institution or high school in the fall

* Excellent oral French & English

* Experience working with youth

* Excellent organizational skills, initiative and a good work ethic

* Ability to work as part of a team

* Readiness to work a flexible schedule and complete various tasks

* A valid Saskatchewan driver’s licence is an asset

Employment period: 10 weeks (tentative dates: June 29 - August 28)

Wage: $12/hr (40 hrs/week)

This popular one-week summer day camp is offered by CPF–SK in conjunction with local chapters. The week is led

by bilingual university students who are chosen for their experience and enthusiasm as well as for their facility

with the French language. These monitors develop the themes and activities for the week in consultation with the

provincial office. This exciting program is then offered around the province. Games, sports, crafts, music and more

are offered in French for children in kindergarten to grade five who have at least one year of experience in French.

Younger children will be introduced to basic French vocabulary in a fun atmosphere. Older children will have the

opportunity to experience French in a stimulating but relaxed setting outside the classroom.

Each local chapter of CPF-SK organizes their own Fête du soleil. This includes setting dates and fees, finding a

location for the event, as well as planning any field trips. The local chapter also looks after registration. Parents

must provide transportation to and from the event, which usually operates full days from Monday to Friday. Children

supply their own lunch and snacks. Fees are tax deductible as child care expenses. For more information on your

local Fête du soleil, please contact your local CPF-SK chapter.

FÊTE DU SOLEIL


CONFIRMED FÊTE DU SOLEIL DATES:

July 6 - 10 Saskatoon

July 13 - 17 Swift Current

July 20 - 24 Nipawin & Zenon Park

August 10 - 14 Regina

August 17 - 21 Saskatoon

The deadline to apply is May 1, 2009. For more information or to submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae (one

must be in French), please contact us at the following telephone number or address:

CPF-SK, Attn: Amanda Girardin

Youth Programming Officer

303-115 2nd Avenue North


1.306.244.6151 (telephone)

1.306.244.8872 (fax)

www.cpfsask.com

[email protected]

Proud of Two Languages! / Nos deux langues, notre fierté!

Summer Employment Opportunities with CPF-SK

With this in mind, preparations for CPF’s annual public speaking competition are underway. Speeches are being

practiced and presented in schools and school divisions across the country. Grade 6 to 12 students will represent

their schools and school divisions at the provincial final on Saturday, April 25 at Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon.

Grade 11 to 12 provincial winners will receive an expense paid trip to Ottawa to compete in the national finals. As

an added incentive, national winners will be eligible to receive a $20,000 bursary offered by the University of

Ottawa.

In Saskatchewan, information packages have been sent to all schools that have requested them. Dates you

should be aware of are:

March 20, 2009 - School finals should be complete and winners’ names sent to CPF-SK.

April 3, 2009 - Divisional finals should be complete and winners’ names sent to CPF-SK.

April 25, 2009 - Provincial finals for grades 6-12 at Holy Cross High School in Saskatoon.

May 30, 2009 - National finals for winners of grade 11-12 competitions to be held in Ottawa.

Please encourage your local students in both French immersion and core French to participate. For more details

regarding the Concours d’art oratoire competition, please visit www.cpfsask.com

This event is the biggest Francophone youth rally in western Canada. It is a day of French activities combined with

an energetic show featuring well-known musical French artists. This year Francofièvre will be in Regina at the

Brandt Centre on Thursday, April 30 from 10 am until 2:30 pm. The Coalition for the Promotion of the French

Language and Francophone Culture in Saskatchewan would like youth to feel proud of their knowledge of French,

encourage them to pursue studies in the French language and develop a sense of belonging within the Francophonie.

Francofièvre is a venue for Francophone and Francophile youth living in a predominantly English community to

gather and interact in French.

The day will begin with two workshops to allow the group of students to get acquainted. Following this, hip hop

artist Shawn Jobin from Saskatchewan will take the stage to share his honest and passionate lyrics with the

crowd. After a healthy lunch, the group L’Angélus will perform their signature brand of Louisiana roots music that

blends Cajun and Irish rhythms into an energetic mix that speaks of hope, innocence and power. Next up will be

the Saskatchewan group Drisk which was founded in 2005 by a group of musicians from l’École canadienne-

j y g p p p p

francaise and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Juno award-winning Montreal rocker Antoine Gratton will end the day

with funky grooves that are sure to get everyone out of their seats and onto the dance floor.

FRANCOFIÈVRE


“Oyez, oyez braves gens!” The voice of a herald was heard piercing the early hours of a spring morning in the year 1757.

“Chers juges, parents, grands-parents, amis et autres candidats,” the voice of a student filled the classroom during

a spring afternoon in the year 2008. What do these two events have in common? Both are in French and both

exemplify the power of speech.

Just as the herald did centuries ago, the student presents her/his ideas in the form of speech. In this particular

scenario the student presents to an audience in a school during the French Oratory Contest (Concours d’art oratoire).

The herald’s trade has been passed down through the generations, and is still used in the classroom today. A French

Oratory Contest is a way through which students can display their public speaking abilities and continue to learn and

develop skills that will help them repeatedly in day to day life, both in and outside of the classroom. Few people find

public speaking to be an easy task, and this is precisely why developing these skills at an early age is extremely

beneficial in personal development. The entire public speaking process, from forming an opinion, to organizing thoughts,

to presenting to a room full of people, is a great exercise in developing clear thought patterns and confidence. And

to be able to do this in a second language is an additional skill that will benefit students for the rest of their lives! I

do not know a student who has nothing to say. So, say it loud, say it clear and say it in French!

Concours d’art oratoire – 2009

By Board Director Eric Bolay

Good luck to all participants in the upcoming Concours d’art oratoire!

HOMEWORK IS NEVER NEW LEARNING

The intent of homework is to provide practice to strengthen and reinforce the learning begun in the classroom. In

an immersion classroom, homework provides an excellent opportunity for the parent to support and participate in

the second-language acquisition process.

Myth #1 - “My child doesn’t understand what the homework says.” The child understands the cognitive concept

but is working through the transfer process. If he/she is not proficient in reading or completing the homework, that

doesn’t mean that he/she doesn’t understand. Be sure your child has the cognitive understanding of the concept

in the first language.

Myth #2 - “Having homework assigned in the second language is too hard. We are expecting too much from this

child.” Homework, in any language, is an extension of what the child has learned in class. If he/she understands

the concepts, then the issue is how to appropriately transfer the knowledge. It isn’t about unrealistic expectations;

it is about using information and knowledge at an early age. Keep in mind that the child has learned the concepts

in the second language. Having homework in the second language is important to the immersion experience.

Myth #3 - “Don’t worry about [the target language]. Just translate everything.” Translating is a tool. If you begin

with the translation, then the ability of the student to use all their tools/strategies for learning is circumvented.

Besides, translation is difficult - languages don’t function on the basis of word-to-word correspondences.

The ACIE Newsletter, December 1999, Vol. 3, No. 1

Adapted from materials developed by Lezley Lewis, Jacksonville Independent School District, Jacksonville, Texas

APPROPRIATE PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

* Listen, listen listen. It’s important not to interrupt the learning process. Allow your child to work through the

transfer of language without guidance from you.

* Assist the transfer process. Allow the child to explain the concept in the native language and then support him

in the transfer to the second language. Use the first language in a comparative way, not to translate. For example,

identify words that are cognates (similar to words in the native language): “There is a word in English ...”. Talk

about word structure: “In English, I say that this way...”. Discuss pronunciation: “That sounds like...”. Compare

meaning: “In English, that would be used like this...”.

* Use a dictionary, a thesaurus, and books to demonstrate appropriate research skills. Use the following prompts:

“What does this word mean in English? Let’s look it up in a dictionary. If this means ..., then this must mean ...”

* Have your child call a friend for peer help.

* Encourage, praise, and never use intent-defeating language. For example, instead of telling your child that

something is “too hard,” use the word “challenging.” When your child complains about not being able to do the

work, talk to him/her about the high expectations you and the teacher have. If you feel that it is unrealistic for the

teachers to expect your child “to do this in Spanish (or other language),” remind yourself instead how the homework

is meant to be a natural extension of classroom learning. Ask your child, “How do you do this in class?”

* Use tones of voice that are soothing, interested, and sincere.

* Provide enough time to work with other issues that are homework related.

* Write a note to the teacher and then schedule a parent conference if negative behavior around homework

issues persists.

* Be patient, patient, patient.

The process of learning through a second language is challenging and can sometimes be frustrating. But the

benefits and rewards are very real! Creating a learning environment at home where homework acts as friend

instead of foe is an integral part of the process.

Homework in an Immersion Classroom:

Parental Friend or Foe?


Mini Rendez-vous


So far it has been a very busy year for the program.We have had eight Mini Rendez-vous since Septemberand there are seven more to come! They have beenheld in Melville, Lloydminster, Meadow Lake, PrinceAlbert, Moose Jaw, Saskatoon and Zenon Park. Therewas also a Mini Rendez-vous for the grade sixintensive French class of St. Francis School in PrinceAlbert. The programming included a trivia game,origami and a cooking class where they made yummyfruit pizzas.

Also, big news! Meadow Lake had their first MiniRendez-vous with 19 registrants.

With Mini Rendez-vous wrapping up in May, we lookforward to Fête du soleil starting in July. If you areinterested in more information, please contact yourlocal chapter or the CPF-SK office.

One of the activities CPF is proud to offer membersis the increasingly popular one-day French immersionday camps known as Mini Rendez-vous. These campsoccur in chapters across the province and offerworkshops and cultural activities in French forchildren in kindergarten to grade five. Theprogramming is developed by the Youth ProgrammingOfficer at the CPF-SK office and the camps are ledby bilingual monitors. The day includes music, games,sports, crafts, cooking and science activities. Thegoal is for children to use their French in an enjoyablesetting outside the structured classroom, whileproviding opportunities for children to interact withFrench-speaking young people.

Some chapters offer a Micro Rendez-vous forpreschool children at the same time as a way ofintroducing them to the experience of learning inFrench.


Publications Mail Agreement No. 41206512Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:CPF-Saskatchewan303-115 2nd Avenue NorthSaskatoon, SK S7K 2B1

Calendar of Events

APRIL MAY june

JULYAUGUST

18 Mini Rendez-

vous (Saskatoon)

21 french for

parents level 1

(saskatoon)

25 Concours d’art

oratoire

(Saskatoon)

30 Francofièvre

(Regina)

2 Mini Rendez-

vous (swift

current)

8 gala

fransaskois

(Saskatoon)

8 - 10 aventure

urbainE ultime

(regina)

26 French for

Parents Level 2

(saskatoon)

12 President’s

reception

(saskatoon)

13 cpf-sk agm/

chapter planning

meeting

(saskatoon)

24 Fête de la st-

jean-baptiste

6 - 10 FÊTE DU

SOLEIL

(SASKaTOON)

13 - 17 FÊTE DU

SOLEIL (SWIFT

CURRENT)

20 - 24 FÊTE DU

SOLEIL (nipawin)

10 - 14 fête du

soleil (regina)

17 - 21 fête du

soleil

(saskatoon)

13-15 Francophone

pavilion at

folkfest (saskatoon)

CPF allows up to two adults (18 years of age or over)

as voting members.

New Membership : Individual Family

Renewal #

Name

Address

City

Home Phone: ( ) Work Phone ( )

Fax: ( ) Email:

School

Local CPF chapter

Occasionally the CPF membership list will be made available to other groups/agencies to offer member benefits or education-

related information. Use of the list will be carefully regulated and only permitted under a contract specifying confidentiality

and one-time authorization. If you do not wish to receive mailings other than directly from CPF please check this box.

Membership: One Year ($25)

Three year ($60)

Donation

Total

Donations to CPF - SK are welcome and appreciated.

Thank you for you support. (CPF-SK Charitable Tax

#106865231RR0001)

Please make cheques out to: Canadian Parents for

French - Saskatchewan and mail to:

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan

303-115 2nd Avenue North


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