French Immersion

Maple Ridge Secondary's French Immersion program offers students the opportunity to learn subjects in an immersion context and to be able to attain a high level of fluency in the language by the end of grade 12.  The program intends to offer the best available courses and curriculum to compliment the studies of a student who would like to graduate one day with a bilingual provincial Dogwood certificate. 

Students in this program will take four courses in French during their grade 8 year.  During grade 9 and 10, students will take three courses in French.  Over the grade 11 and 12 years, students will take a total of three courses in French spread over two years. 

French Immersion teachers include: Mme Beaudet, Mme Nielsen, Mme Terrillon, Mr. Toupin and Mme Wiebe.

Core French teachers include: Ms. Beckmann, Mme Burns and Mme Jensen.

Recommended websites:
French for the Future is a not-for-profit organization that supports and motivates high school students on their path towards bilingualism. www.french-future.org

Language Portal of Canada: www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca:80/index-eng.php

Government of Canada Translation Bureau: www.termiumplus.gc.ca/site/termium.php?lang=fra&cont=042

Upcoming French Language Exchanges/Trips

SD42 Spring Break 2012 France Trip:
This trip is open to all Grade 11 and 12 SD #42 students.  Even though the primary curriculum aspect of the trip is to explore some of the culinary diversity in France, it will also include some history, cultural and language components. No culinary experience is necessary to participate in the trip. Please visit the following website for itinerary and travel highlights and details: http://web.me.com/lesgau/Spring_2012_France/Welcome.html

OSEF France Canada
This trip offers 3 month reciprocal home and school exchange programs for students aged 13 to 17. Visiting exchange students arrive in BC in mid-August and depart 3 months later. BC students are in France between February and May to continue their education in a French secondary school and to share the life of a carefully selected host family.

• Click here for more information about their 3 month summer program.
• Click here for more information about their 1 month exchange.

http://www.cpf.bc.ca/site3/attachments/162_3%20month%20exchange%20poster.pdf

Encounters with Canada
Encounters with Canada is Canada's largest youth forum. Every week of the school year, 120-138 teens from across Canada (ages 15-17) come to Ottawa, Ontario.  There, they discover their country through each other, learn about Canadian institutions, meet famous and accomplished Canadians, explore exciting career themes, develop their civic leadership skills, and live an extraordinary bilingual experience. Over 78,000 youth have lived the EWC experience so far!   If your student (Gr. 10-12) is interested in experiencing one of these fantastic weeks in Ottawa and for further information including space availability and cost this year,  please contact MRSS Career Planning Assistant, Ms. Val Huber, by email at val_huber@sd42.ca

CPF-Encounters Bursary
CPF is delighted to announce a partnership between our branch and Encounters with Canada, a dynamic cultural organization aimed at building cultural awareness in Canada. Encounters with Canada runs a one-week, bilingual, Canadian studies program at The Terry Fox Canadian Youth Centre, in Ottawa. From September through May, more than 130, 15 – 17 year olds attend the youth forum each week. Encounters aims to bring young Canadians of different backgrounds and regions together for an opportunity to learn about one another, to discover their country through one another, and to gain a better understanding of Canadian institutions.

While Encounters with Canada covers the travel and accommodation costs, students are required to raise the $625 registration fee.   Each year, CPF has awarded twenty $100 bursaries to youth delegates from BC and Yukon to help subsidize the registration fee. Only children of CPF members are eligible for the bursary. Bursaries will be allocated to members on a first come, first served basis.  Please visit the CPF website to apply for the bursary: www.cpf.bc.ca

Attention all French Immersion/Core French Students

Business Administration Bilingual Bachelor Program:
There is a bilingual Bachelor program in Business-Administration at Laval University in Quebec City. It is aimed at students that do not fully master the French language.

First year students have a choice of taking courses in French or English and  will receive French courses along the way.  

Program started September 2010. Further Information available on this link:
http://english.fsa.ulaval.ca/sgc/programs/bbaenglish

French for the Future's National Essage Contest has launched
This contest is open to students in grades 10-12. A total of $222,000 will be awarded in scholarships, giving winners the chance to pursue their post secondary studies partially or completely in French. The scholarships, valued between $2,000-$20,000, are offered in partnership with the University of Ottawa, Universite Sainte-Ann (Nova Scotia), University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean, Laurentian University (Ontario) and Glendon College of York University (Ontario).

It's easy to take part. Students write and submit a 1,000 word essay in French in this year's theme, How do you see the world in 15 years from now?, for a chance to win one of the schoarlships. The deadline for submissions is January 9, 2012.

Essay Language Catergories include French Second Language (FSL) for those students enrolled in FSL programs (Core, Immersion, Extended) and French First Languagel (FFL) for francophone students or those with franocphone equivalency. For more infomration, please visit the following website: http://www.french-future.org/fr/que-fait-on/concours-de-redaction-general

Canadian Parents for French

Our meeting has been rescheduled due to poor weather conditions. We will meet on January 24 at 7pm at Pitt Meadows Secondary School - All parents are welcome. The CPF Ridge Meadows Board would be grateful for more volunteer participation.  Help us to maintain quality French programs for our children.Our chapter contributes to Grade 12 CPF Scholarships, Cultural Exchange Grants, Welcome Kits, French Book Fairs, French Film Festival, Verbathon, Concours D'art Oratoire, preschool story time, parental representation on the French Advisory Committee, teacher appreciation and French summer camp. .

Be sure to check out the latest addition of CPF's monthly newsletter by clicking on the following link: CPF Newsletter

Concours d’Art Oratoire 2012 Is Coming!
CPF’s annual Concours d’Art Oratoire is a French public speaking competition that provides elementary and secondary students with an excellent opportunity to develop valuable writing, reading, and public speaking skills.  Participants have the chance to win one of hundreds of prizes including university scholarships, trips to Ottawa, books, medals, merchandise, cash and more.ALL MRSS  French Immersion and Core French students in grades 8 - 12 should consider joining hundreds of other secondary students by representing MRSS at the 2012 Provincial Competition.  Prizes will be awarded to all participants from each secondary school grade level and winners from SD42 heading to the Provincial Competition will receive a significant prize from the local CPF RidgeMeadows Chapter! Registration for the Provincial Concours will begin February 28, 2012 and closes April 18th, 2012.   Final rounds of the provincial competition will be held on Saturday, May 5, at SFU-Surrey Campus. Winners will advance to the nation level.  For questions and up to date announcements, please refer to their website:
http://bit.ly/CPF2012Concours

Membership Drive 2011 Winners!
The 2011 Membership Drive is now over. Thank you so much for helping CPF RidgeMeadows expand our membership and our community! Remember, 80% of your membership fees come back to our local Chapter. Thanks to you, this means more fun events in schools, more resources for parents, teachers and students, and more extra-curricular activities in French!Congratulations to Riley Haslinger of Maple Ridge for winning a Collins bilingual French Dictionary & Grammar Guide provided by Chapters Robson.  For a full list of winners visit: http://bit.ly/2011MembershipDrive

Shoot a Movie (en français) at GIFTS!
The Gulf Islands Film and Television School (GIFTS) on Galiano Island is entering its second year of offering youth the opportunity to write-act-direct-edit short films mentored by French filmmakers in French! GIFTS has a number of classes coming this Spring and have added a Spring Break Immersion focus. Check out this unique extra-curricular opportunity at http://bit.ly/GIFTSfilmmaking. Please remember to check the French Immersion page at www.mapleridgesecondary.ca for updated news and information.

Free Rosetta Stone French-Language Courses Available
Are you a parent who would like to improve your knowledge and understanding of French? For adults who would like to take an introductory French-language course, the Central Interior Distance Education School (CIDES) offers free Rosetta Stone online learning courses.Rosetta is a fun, interactive and proven way to learn. CIDES partners with Rosetta Stone to offer BC Ministry of Education language courses for credit. Please visit the CIDES website http://bit.ly/CIDESRosetta for more information or to learn more about Rosetta Stone™, visit http://www.rosettastone.com/

MRSS CPF Rep: Linda Maroney

For further information please visit our websites at:
www.cpf.bc.ca
www.cpf.bc.ca/ridgemeadows

Francophone Events Across BC

La Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique has kindly provided  a list of Francophone events taking place across BC. You can download the list at:

http://www.cpf.bc.ca/site3/index.php/events/81-partner-events/1578-activities-occurring-in-the-francophone-community-october-2011