The message below is copied from an email from the French as a Second Language Advisory Committee (FSLAC).
June 2011
Bonjour from Trish Murphy, 2010/11 Parent co-chair
1. Planning for 2011/12 – FSLAC needs you!
New parent members and alternates are needed – especially extended and core parents - to represent their wards at the FSLAC. Contact fslactoronto@gmail.com or your local trustee to get involved.
2. New Sites & Classes for Sept 2011
Applications for SK French Immersion (SKFI) were up 16% this year. To meet demand, additional classes are being added at several existing SKFI schools. Five new SKFI programs will be opening at these elementary schools: Humewood (Bathurst and St Clair), Rockford (Bathurst and Steeles), Topcliff (Jane and Finch), Corvette (Kennedy and Eglinton) and Lord Lansdowne/King Edward (College and Spadina). As of Sept 2011, there will be 52 elementary schools with SKFI.
Extra classes are also being added to meet demand at two Grade 4 Extended schools. The Grade 7 Extended program at Arlington is being re-located to JR Wilcox in Sept because Arlington is being closed.
3. Report on French Teacher Hiring & Retention
The Human Resources and Professional Learning Committee received a staff report on March 23, 2011 on the hiring and retention of elementary French teachers. There are 1853 teachers who are qualified to teach French and 1560 of them are in the classroom teaching in French. In 2010/11there were 115 French vacancies for which there were 250 candidates and all positions were filled. To read the full report, go to: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac under Staff Reports.
4. Congratulations Outstanding Students
Congratulations to our Concours d’art oratoire winners: Jeremy Wang (Core grade 10) took first place in the annual Canadian Parents for French public speaking event for Ontario. Safia Fakim took 2nd place (FSL +): www.cpfont.on.ca
Congratulations to Alessia Kazakova, Richview CI student who was selected to as a French for the Future ambassador: www.french-future.org
5. Franco-Fête June 24-26
The annual French music and culture festival will be at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queen’s Quay on June 24-26. Check out Mystéric et la Mathémagie for kids age 4-12, Mike Ford who tells the adventures of Étienne Brûlé on the great lakes and Nathalie Choquette who shares the joys and humour of opera for kids age 4-12. For details: www.franco-fete.ca .
6. Toronto Public Library
The Toronto Public Library is offering free children’s programming in French with music, theatre and dance at selected branches across the city all summer. Children can also join the TD Summer Reading Club by reading French books. For details, check at your branch or call Céline at 416 395 576 or go to: www.torontopubliclibrary.ca ,click on Programmes, search French.
7. FSL Annual Report
Trustees received the FSL Annual report from FSL program staff on June 3, 2011. The report provides data on French programs including enrolment, retention and professional learning. As of October 31, 2010, there were 21 448 students enrolled in Immersion and Extended French. New to this year’s report: enrolment by school/ward and graduation projections for core, extended and immersion. To read the full report, go to: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac under Staff Reports.
8. PARCs in Progress
The FSLAC is participating in the on-going Pupil Accommodation Review Committee (PARC) in ward 14 (downtown). The local SK French Immersion school, Winchester, is part of this process which includes consideration of how to accommodate the growing program at this school. The ward 1 (north Etobicoke) PARC is not yet underway.
Note: The group doing a public assessment of student accommodation in a particular area was previously called an Area Review Committee or ARC. The name has been changed in consideration of provincial guidelines and is now called a Pupil Accommodation Review Committee or PARC. Further details are available on the TDSB website under Pupil Accommodation Reviews: http://www.tdsb.on.ca/_site/ViewItem.asp?siteid=10267&menuid=15172&pageid=13444 .
9. Awesome Student Story
I’m in grade 10 at Humberside. I started Extended French in grade 7 and have continued in high school. Early in grade 9, we heard about an exchange some of the older kids had gone on to France. My French teacher encouraged us – what an opportunity to improve our French skills - and six of us applied through the Canadian Education Exchange Foundation (www.ceef.ca). In late May, I got my exchange partner, Gabby. She arrived in mid-August from Nantes, France. It was a little hard having her here because what I didn’t realize was that she would be with me all the time. She would become friends with my friends and also the other French exchange partners who were here.
In October, she went back and in February, I went to her home in Nantes. At first, I was very homesick but as I became closer to the family I got less homesick until I wasn’t homesick at all. I made a big effort to talk in French with everyone in the family to get to know them. They became like a second family to me and I still Skype with them once a week. It also really improved my oral French. It was three months I’ll never forget. I learned a lot and I made friends that will last a lifetime - Julia
10. FSL Symposium – October 29
Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) is hosting a one day symposium for parents, educators and researchers to celebrate over 40 years of French Immersion. Hear from leaders in the field about new developments. TDSB’s own Alison Pearce is part of the panel discussion on FSL Best Practices. The event is at the Marriott at 90 Bloor St East and space is limited. For more information and to register call 905 366 1012 or visit www.cpfont.on.ca .
11. FSLAC Meetings – All Welcome
Parents, students, trustees, teachers and staff are invited to attend and participate in FSLAC meetings. Meetings start at 7 pm at the TDSB offices at 5050 Yonge St., ground floor committee room A or B. Meeting notices, reports and minutes are posted on the TDSB website: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac
Upcoming meeting dates: Monday, September 19; Tuesday, October 25; Tuesday, November 22, 2011.
Have a great summer!
Trish Murphy
Parent co-chair
French as a Second Language Advisory Committee, TDSB
