CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2007 · C.V.I. in Oshawa, Ontario, are the grand prize winners of a 10-day trip to France for being the winning team of the Embassy of France

Five senior high school studentseach won a grand prize of a$20,000 scholarship at the

Canadian Parents for French (CPF)National Concours d'art oratoire 2007,held at the University of Ottawa inOttawa on Saturday, May 26, 2007. Thescholarships were donated by theUniversity of Ottawa.

The contest included 42 senior highschool students from across Canadawho were eligible to compete as final-ists in the national competition. Eachfinalist delivered the French speechthat won them first prize at the school,regional, and/or provincial/territoriallevels. There are five language cate-gories at the national level: core French(basic), core extended, early French

immersion, late French immersion,and Francophone.

The winners of the core French category are:1st Place- Marissa Constand, Toronto,ON (York Mills Collegiate Institute)2nd Place- Hayley Miloff, Chelsea, QC(Philemon Wright High School)3rd Place- Richard del Rosario,Vancouver, BC (Burnaby SouthSecondary School)

The winners of the core extended category are:1st Place- Kyle Gamble, Regina SK(Thom Collegiate)2nd Place- Shaundel Leamon, CornerBrook, NL (Corner Brook RegionalHigh)

3rd Place- Maneesha Rajora, Halifax,NS (Halifax West High School)

The winners of the early French immersion category are:1st Place- Hazem Shoblak,Yellowknife, NWT (Sir John FranklinHigh School)2nd Place- Sarah MacVicar,Hammonds Plains, NS (Halifax WestHigh School)3rd Place- Seharish Noor Khan,Pierrefonds, QC (PierrefondsComprehensive High School)

The winners of the late French immersion category are:1st Place- Honzer Chen, Langley, BC(Walnut Grove Secondary School)2nd Place- Vanessa Doering, Winnipeg,MB (Westwood Collegiate) 3rd Place- Gary Hood, Sydney, NS(Riverview Rural High School)

The winners of the Francophone category are:1st Place- Alexis Soha, Scarborough,ON (Earl Haig Secondary School)2nd Place- Danielle Migeon, Victoria,BC (Mount Douglas Secondary School)3rd Place- Jessica Monnaie,Yellowknife, NWT (Sir John FranklinHigh School)

www.cpf.ca 1

NO. 104 Spring/Summer 2007 Promoting opportunities for young Canadians to learn and use French ISSN 1202-7384

IN THIS ISSUE

National Concours d’artoratoire 2007 photos page 10

CPF Promotional Campaignpage 6

CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2007

CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2007 participants visit the Parliament Buildings.

2 Canadian Parents for French Promoting opportunities for young Canadians to learn and use French

Senior students at R.S. McLaughlinC.V.I. in Oshawa, Ontario, are thegrand prize winners of a 10-day

trip to France for being the winningteam of the Embassy of France Allonsen France contest, offered in partner-ship with Canadian Parents for French(CPF).

With the support given by Earth DayCanada, CPF and the Embassy ofFrance presented the first place win-ners their award at the Earth DayOttawa celebrations in the nation'scapital on April 21st, 2007.

The winning team from Oshawaincludes students Kyle Simpson, JuliaNguyen, Lauren Langille and teacher,Linda Ross. The group will travel toFrance this summer as part of an inter-national event called Allons en Francewhich brings together about 200 stu-dents/teachers from around the world.

The contest, entitled “Stand up forYour Planet - What can you do for yourenvironment?” was open to all seniorstudents enrolled in a French-second-language program. Teams of four wereasked to submit a public awarenesscampaign in French that included aposter and a fact sheet on a subject

that has grasped the attention of theworld—the environment.

"The Allons en France contest is a won-derful opportunity for youth studyingFrench to use their skills outside of theclassroom," said Anna Maddison, pres-ident of Canadian Parents for French."We commend the students fromacross Canada who participated in the

Published ByCanadian Parents for FrenchCPF reserves the right to edit all submissions for length, style and content.

Mission

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is the national network of volunteers which values French as an integral part ofCanada and which is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French second language learning opportunities foryoung Canadians.

Thanks to CPF Branches and partner groups for their submissions. All submissions are welcome.

The purpose of CPF National News is to carry a balance of news and opinion in support of learning French as asecond language and to inform members about CPF and its activities. CPF receives and distributes news andadvertisements from many sources which may be of use to students in French-second-language programs, theirparents and teachers. Publication does not imply endorsement.

CPF CONTACTSPresident: Anna MaddisonVice-President: David BrennickBoard Members: Paul Castonguay, Rosa V.Cipparone, Evy Millan, Mary Reeves, Leonard QuiltyExecutive Director: James Shea

NATIONAL OFFICE310-176 Gloucester Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0A6Tel: (613) 235-1481 Fax: (613) 230-5940E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.cpf.ca

BRITISH COLUMBIA & YUKON203-1002 Auckland Street, New Westminster, BC V3M 1K8 Tel: (604) 524-0134 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpf.bc.ca

ALBERTAKingsway Postal OutletBox 34094Edmonton, AB T5G 3G4Tel: (780) 433-7311 E-mail: [email protected]

NORTHWEST TERRITORIESBox 11033Yellowknife, NT X1A 3X7Tel: (867) 669-7247 E-mail: [email protected]

SASKATCHEWAN115-2nd Avenue N., Suite 303Saskatoon, SK S7K 2B1Tel: (306) 244-6151 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpfsask.com

MANITOBA199 Provencher Blvd, 2nd Floor Winnipeg, MB R2H 0G4Tel: (204) 222-6537 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpfmb.com

ONTARIO2055 Dundas Street, East, Suite 103Mississauga, ON L4X 1M2 Tel: (905) 366-1012 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpfont.on.ca

QUEBEC3285 Boulevard Cavendish, Suite 565Montreal, QC H4B 2L9Tel: (514) 487-1414 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpf.qc.ca

NEW BRUNSWICKP.O. Box 4462 Sussex, NB E4E 5L6 Tel: (506) 432-6584 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpfnb.com

NOVA SCOTIA8 Flamingo DriveHalifax, NS B3M 4N8Tel: (902) 453-2048 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpfns.ednet.ns.ca

PRINCE EDWARD ISLANDP.O. Box 2785Charlottetown, PE CIA 8C4Tel: (902) 368-7240 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpfpei.pe.ca

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADORP.O. Box 8601, Station ASt. John’s, NL A1B 3P2Tel: (709) 579-1776 E-mail: [email protected] www.cpf.nfld.net

This newsletter is funded in part by the OfficalLanguages Support Programs Branch of theDepartment of Canadian Heritage.

Ontario Students Win Trip to France byPromoting How to Make Canada Greener…en français!

1st place poster

“ONTARIO STUDENTS”…continued on page 4

www.cpf.ca 3

President’s Message

As we all prepare for the summer holidays our thoughtsdrift off to idyllic settings like sitting outdoors on awarm summer day reading a good book.

So why now, at this time of the year, is it important to thinkabout French-second-language programming or your mem-bership to CPF?

CPF has reached a significant milestone—its 30th anniversary.From 1977 to 2007 this member-driven group has worked toinfluence the French-second-language education landscape inCanada. Many Presidents who have come before me, includ-ing founding president Pat Webster (see profile on page 7)and CPF National Alumni, have played a significant role in thesuccess of CPF since its establishment in 1977.

On behalf of our members, we continue to advocate for qual-ity FSL programs and equality of access to FSL programs in allareas of Canada to maximize opportunities for our youth. It isimportant that we continue to work toward these goals.

As we celebrate 30 years, we can also celebrate the more thantwo million youth enrolled in FSL programs across Canada,including approximately 300,000 in French immersion.However, we know we cannot take anything for granted. Evenin regions where programs seem firmly established French-second-language programs, and immersion programs in par-ticular, have been threatened with reduction and even elimi-nation as school districts have suffered budgetary cutbacks orfalling general enrollment.

If parents like you have been effective in bringing aboutchange in enrollment figures and FSL education in Canada itis partly a reflection of the strength of our growing member-ship: 25,000 voices make a difference! Through its advocacyactivities and the research it has initiated and published, CPFhas gained credibility for its members and earned the respectof educators and decision-makers across the country.

But CPF is always seekingways to enhance the workthat we do. Following thelast national AnnualGeneral Meeting last fall,CPF established theInclusive Policy Making Committee.

Its purpose is to explore ways for you to have input into poli-cy making and position statements that set the course of CPF’sfuture. We are encouraging all members to participate inanswering the questionnaire which is available online atwww.cpf.ca. Your responses will assist us to shape the futurepolicy of CPF. The questionnaire may also be used to enhanceand inform the work of other National committees.

Members started this organization, set the path for its growthand, 30 years later, continue to move the organization for-ward. It is only through members—each and every one—thatCPF will continue to grow and, through its advocacy work,increase access to quality FSL education in Canada.

Anna Maddison

INCLUSIVE POLICY MAKING QUESTIONNAIRE

Do you want to have input in policydecisions and position statements affecting the future of CPF?

If yes, please go to www.cpf.ca


contest for their effort and commit-ment to learning French a second lan-guage," added Ms. Maddison.

In second place is the team fromCharlottetown Rural High School(Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)and in third place is the team fromParkland Secondary School (Sidney,British Columbia).

"Each year the French governmentestablishes a theme for the contest andwe are pleased to see that Canadianyouth clearly have the environment ontheir minds and are willing to expresstheir views in French," said OlivierBoasson, Cultural Advisor with theEmbassy. "Our primary goal is to fos-ter an appreciation of the French lan-guage and culture and to promote andsupport teaching French. We arepleased to do so by offering this con-test and awarding a trip to France,"added Mr. Boasson.

CPF would like to thank the followinggroups for offering their experienceand expertise in French-second-lan-guage education to select the top threeposters: the Canadian Association of

Second Language Teachers (CASLT),the Canadian Association ofImmersion Teachers (CAIT/ACPI) andthe Embassy of France.

2nd place poster submitted byCharlottetown Rural High School(Charlottetown, PEI)

3rd place poster submitted by ParklandSecondary School (Sidney, BC)

Ontario Students cont’d from page 2

www.cpf.ca 5

Reflections from the Executive Director

Another school year has come to anend. For many of you this may be atime to reflect on the year that

passed and set goals with your child forthe upcoming school year. You may havediscovered how important it is for you towork in collaboration with your child’steacher. Often, we are reminded thatthere are others—including teachers—who have our child’s best interest at heart.

CPF has long appreciated and recognizedthe important role a teacher plays in stu-dents’ French-second-language (FSL)acquisition but as well we recognize thatthe teacher’s role often extends further. Inmany communities the FSL teacher is theone and only advocate for French pro-gramming in the school—they are theperson parents turn to for answers and toget resources to help in their child’s suc-cess.

This is one reason why CPF has beenstrongly urging the Government ofCanada to establish a national French-second-language advisory committee thatwould identify CPF and other non-gov-ernment stakeholders as a true voice inFSL education. Who best to represent ouryouth – parents and teachers? This recom-mendation was stated in The State ofFrench-Second-Language Education inCanada 2006 research report

I am pleased to report that recently theGovernment of Canada’s Department ofCanadian Heritage officially recognizedthe French Second Language (FSL)Partner Network which was established asan ad-hoc network about a year ago.

This national network of FSL stakeholdershas been established as a collective voiceto promote and advance FSL education inCanada. The FSL Partner Networkincludes: CPF, Canadian Association ofSecond Language Teachers (CASLT),Canadian Association of ImmersionTeachers (CAIT/ACPI), French for theFuture (FFF), and the Society forEducational Visits and Exchanges inCanada (SEVEC).

After 30 years of research and advocacywork at all levels, CPF has gained credibil-ity for its members—you / parents—andestablishing this network is one more

step in ensuring that we continue to playan active role in the promotion of FSLlearning opportunities for youth.

The FSL Partner Network is an ideal part-nership for each of our organizations.Individually, and in partnership, ourmember organizations have demonstrat-ed the ability to coordinate and deliverprojects to inform stakeholders of thebenefits of: language learning, participa-tory youth forums and events that recog-nize student achievement in official lan-guage learning, as well as professionaldevelopment aimed at enhancing linguis-tic and pedagogical competence in sec-ond language teaching. CAIT, CASLT, FFFSEVEC, and CPF are committed to help-ing improve results in FSL education inCanada and to ensuring accountabilityfor the funds allocated to their delivery.

I believe that this group is positioned tobecome an important resource in helpingthe Government of Canada meet the offi-cial language goals outlined in the ActionPlan for Official Languages. Meaningfulconsultations are required to achieve theFSL education goals set for the year 2013.Recognizing this national network as oneof the groups to engage in these consulta-tions can only bring forward the imple-mentation of positive change.

The FSL Partner Network acts as aresource to the Government of Canadaand other stakeholders by:

· Supporting a pan-Canadian strategyto feature the benefits of learningFrench as a second language and thevariety of in-school and extra-curricu-lar learning opportunities available.

· Encouraging the creation of a pan-Canadian process to define, track andrecognize student achievement inlearning French as a second language.

· Initiating and encouraging researchand disseminating this research toinform the development of innova-tive practices that revitalize FrenchImmersion and Core French method-ology and programs.

· Advocating for ongoing professionaldevelopment opportunities for FSLteachers (Core French, IntensiveFrench, and Immersion).

· Advancing the expansion of experi-

ential learning opportunities andcommunity involvement for youth intheir second official language.

· Promoting the creation of a pan-Canadian program providing teach-ers with an opportunity to participatein flexible teacher exchange andlearning opportunities.

· Supporting opportunities for FSL stu-dents to explore a career in FSLeducation.

These points fall in line with many of thekey evidence-based advocacy positionswhich drive CPF. Having met and volun-tarily collaborated to establish a nationalnetwork which outlines many of CPF’scurrent advocacy positions can only serveto increase French-second-language learn-ing opportunities for our youth—after allthis is our goal.

Your feedback is important. Please feelfree to contact me at [email protected].

James Shea

CPF Research and Resources available on-line at www.cpf.ca

The following are some of theresources found on the CPF web-site in the Resources Section.

Peer Tutoring Literacy Program forFrench Immersion Schools: A Parent-Teacher Collaborative ApproachCPF is proud to sponsor a new peertutoring program! This exciting initia-tive is now available across the countryto CPF members. The program isaimed at fostering literacy in Frenchimmersion and is designed for almostindependent Grades 2 and 3 readers,with no major learning difficulties,who would benefit from extra readingsupport.

Math and English-Language Skills:Making Choices About Your Child'sEducationParents want to make the best educa-tional choices for their children. Manywould like their children to have theadvantages of learning both ofCanada's official languages, but theyhave some questions:

Will my child develop strong English-language skills in a French-immersionprogram? Will my child be taught thesame math skills as students in the reg-ular English program? Will my childunderstand math courses taught inFrench?

WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO:A Guide for Bilingual YouthThis guide contains information forbilingual high school students who areinterested in using and improving theirFrench-second-language skills aftergraduation from secondary school. Italso offers information about a widerange of opportunities for secondaryschool graduates such as universityprograms, summer educational experi-ences, employment positions or gov-ernment-sponsored programs for bilin-gual youth.

French Second Language Resourceand Research DatabaseThis searchable catalog helps you toaccess research on FSL issues.

CPF French Software and InternetAddress ListLinks to a variety of French languageresources posted on the web.

The CPF Guide to Immersion andExtended Core FrenchThe country's only comprehensive list-ing includes immersion and extendedcore French programs at the elemen-tary and secondary levels.

The CPF Inventory of Post-SecondaryFrench-Second-Language EducationPrograms and Academic Supports forAnglophone StudentsThis inventory provides informationabout French-language university pro-grams and associated academic, socialand financial supports available forAnglophone students interested instudying in French at the post-second-ary level.


CPF introduces new immersion brochure I want my child to be...CPF Promotional Campaign Targets Parents of Preschool Children

CPF is pleased to launch a promo-tional campaign targeted at par-ents with preschool children in

order to increase public awareness ofthe cognitive and academic benefits ofsecond-language learning and official-language bilingualism.

In order to make informed decisions,parents need to know that their deci-sion to enroll their children in Frenchimmersion will not only teach theirchild French but may also strengthentheir English-language skills and offermore employment opportunities.

To deliver that message, CPF developeda new pamphlet and designed newprint advertisements. The print adver-tisements are appearing in nationalmagazines such as Today's Parent,

Canadian Living, Canadian Family, OurChildren, Glow, and Interaction.

The content of the campaign material isbased on a summary of a literaturereview of the cognitive, academic andemployment benefits of bilingualismand second-language learning whichreveals how learning French as a secondlanguage using Canada's world-renowned French immersion modelprovides positive results including theenhancement of English-languageskills. The summary was released in theCPF report The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada 2006.

CPF was established to work toward aneducation system that offered access toquality French-second-language (FSL)programs. At the time there were fewer

than 40,000 stdents enrolled in FSL programming in Canada, currentlythere are approximately two million,300,000 of which are enrolled inFrench immersion.

If you require more information aboutFSL programs or would like to down-load the pamphlet or print advertise-ments, please visit CPF’s website.

www.cpf.ca 7

CPF’s first President takes us back to our rootsOn May 22, 2007 in Montreal, I had the pleasure of speaking with Patterson (Pat) Webster – one of thefounding members of CPF – about CPF and its beginnings, CPF today, and CPF in the future. I also learnedabout the young woman from Virginia who found herself in Oakville, Ontario, raising her children andbecoming the first chair of a group called Canadian Parents for French.

By Antonia Papadakou

Pat Webster has been described asa gifted advocate, organizer, andenabler. She is also, it must be

said, remarkably modest. Rather thantake credit for her accomplishments,she insists that she was only oneamong many whose collective energyturned a vision into reality.

Thirty years ago, Mrs. Webster belongedto a determined group of parent-activists who wanted more for theirchildren. In March 1977, she and herhusband attended a conference withother individuals from across Canada—and during that conference CanadianParents for French was born.

It was not the first such meeting formany of those in attendance. The con-ference marked the culmination of acampaign launched by a few frustratedparents in Oakville, Ontario, and inmany other parts of the country, whowanted their children to learn French asa second language (FSL) but who raninto roadblocks at the local schoolboard. Among those parents were Patand Norman Webster.

“Norman and I felt a huge amount offrustration,” Mrs. Webster recalls,“because we wanted our children tohave a chance to learn French and yetthere was so little information outthere, and so much ignorance on thepart of school board officials. So at firstwe experimented with the idea of grouplobbying.”

While FSL programming was relativelya new idea in Oakville, French immer-sion (FI) was being offered in nearbyToronto. Mrs. Webster took the initia-tive to organize a meeting in her homeof the small group of parents whowanted to start an FI program inOakville. She also invited a number ofToronto parents whose children wereenrolled in an FI program. This provedto be an important turning point.

“We realized how much more theyknew than we knew, and we started totry to make contact with other groupsof parents where there were (FSL) pro-grams in Ontario. We met as a groupand prepared a petition to the board,and we were turned down again. Notmuch luck there and a lot of frustration.”

But the parents had one major advocateon their side: Keith Spicer. Mr. Spicerwas, at the time, Canada’s firstCommissioner of Official Languages.He was also a former editorial writer atThe Globe and Mail, where NormanWebster worked as a journalist. Mr.Spicer told the Websters that in hisposition as Commissioner he had metgroups of parents across Canada whowere equally frustrated by the lack ofFrench-second-language instruction.

Mrs. Webster credits Mr. Spicer withcoming up with the idea for CanadianParents for French. “He really had theidea to get people together, to shareinformation, to try and find out whatcould be done.”

To get the ball rolling, Mr. Spiceroffered to find some seed money—enough to organize a national confer-ence of like-minded parents. The resultwas an event called “Parents’Conference on French Language andExchange Opportunities,” which tookplace in Ottawa in March of 1977. Itwas during the weekend-long confer-ence that CPF was officially founded asa volunteer-based advocacy group.

The founding members of CPF wereasked to form an Executive Committee,or Board of Directors, with representa-tion from the different regions ofCanada. Mrs. Webster was the designat-ed representative from Ontario. “I havealways been the type to say, ‘Yes, I’ll doit,’ and I thought it was really exciting. Ididn’t know if I could do it but I want-ed to, because I really loved what we

had done overthe weekend.”

In recognitionfor her role inhelping tofound CPF, Mrs.Webster has beenawarded an Honorary Degree fromLaurentian University and theUniversity of Prince Edward Island, aswell as France's Ordre National du Mérit.She is adamant, however, that she waspart of a collective effort.

“It was certainly not my idea,” sheinsists. “In fact, I don’t believe it wasthe idea of any one person who was (atthe conference), unless it was Keith. Butthe weekend itself was so extraordinari-ly fruitful in terms of the informationyou learned, the contacts, the sense thatyou weren’t alone; the sense that youcould do it.” As much as anything, itwas that shared enthusiasm that gavebirth to CPF.

The first conference determined a fewthings that are fundamental to the his-tory of CPF. For one, the group outlinedits goals, and two, the group elected itsfirst National Board of Directors. PatWebster became the first Chair orPresident of CPF. The first Directorswere: Judith Madley (BritishColumbia), David Saunders (PrairieRegion), Pat Webster (Ontario),Elizabeth Annesley (Quebec), and MaryLou Morrison (Atlantic Region).

Mrs. Webster describes the atmospherein those early days as idealistic and yettenuous. The first Official LanguagesAct, the cornerstone of institutionalbilingualism in Canada, was less than adecade old, and the terrorist kidnap-pings by members of the Front de libéra-tion du Québec in 1970 were still a relatively recent memory. On top of

“CPF’S FIRST PRESIDENT”…

continued on page 9

Pat Webster


www.cpf.ca 9

that, in 1976 Quebec voters had for thefirst time elected a provincial govern-ment dedicated to sovereignty. Acrossthe country, more than a fewAnglophone Canadians were concernedthat the federal government was spend-ing too much time and attention on lan-guage policy.

“In 1977, a relatively small number ofparents nationally wanted an immersionprogram or some (other) kind of decentFrench program,” Mrs. Webster recalls.“And then there was this huge mass ofother people complaining about Frenchon their cornflakes box.”

As a result, the first Board of Directorsof CPF had to choose its words carefullywhen it defined the organization’s goals.It was important to use language thatclearly articulated that people shouldhave the opportunity to make a choiceand that the best possible FSL programbe offered to Canadian youth.

How exactly did a young mother bornin the United States find herself living inCanada and chosen to be the first Chairof Canadian Parents for French? Mrs.Webster thinks back to 1963, when shewas a student at a women’s college inVirginia.

“I decided while I was still in universitythat I wanted to leave the confines ofthe U.S. South. I didn’t like certainthings. I didn’t like segregation. I didn’tunderstand the prejudices which werebuilt into my life. And yet I lived withthem and I accepted them because that’swhat life was, and I didn’t feel able tochange any of that. I just wanted to getaway.”

So she did. In her second year of univer-sity, Mrs. Webster convinced the dean ofher college, and then her parents, that itwould be a good idea to let her spend ayear at the University of London.

Advocating was clearly a skill she honedat an early age. But her determination tomake a difference may also have derivedfrom her grandmother—a woman whobelieved anything was possible if youput your mind to it. Indeed, Mrs.Webster discovered recently that her

grandmother was international vicepresident of Countrywomen of theWorld, an organization that promotedwhat later became known as home eco-nomics. At some point in the 1920s orearly 1930s, she and her fellow clubmembers were invited to have tea atBuckingham Palace.

“She never really talked about thesethings—that spirit of internationalism,exploration, the desire to do somethingmore than just accept things as they are.”

She credits her father and mother forher sense of adventure and travel. Whilestudying in England, she took everyopportunity to travel. It was during astudent trip to Greece that she met herfuture husband, Norman Webster, aCanadian. They were married inRichmond, Virginia in 1966.

Today, CPF has grown from a circle ofabout 20 founding members to anational membership of 25,000. As CPFhas grown, so too has the availability ofFSL education. An estimated 2 millionyoung Canadians are now enrolled inFSL programs of which 300,000 are inFrench immersion. Still, Pat Websterwould be among the first to say thatthere is still a significant need for CPF inCanadian society.

“Early on, there was a sense that if wewere successful, we would do ourselvesout of existence. But I don’t believe anyof us ever really believed that. I actuallybelieve that CPF is about social change;the way in which you can affect your lifeand your community. Clearly it is lan-guage-based, and that’s what it willalways be. But I see it in the context ofsomething broader than CPF itself. It’sabout societal change and that’s notsomething that happens in 30 years.”

“CPF has come a long way and has beena really, really big player in helping todefine what it is to be a Canadian.Thirty years ago, the idea that a politi-cian had to speak both French andEnglish in order to become prime min-ister didn’t exist. Yes, it was acknowl-edged as a nice idea but it wasn’t seen asa necessity.”

Many other things have changed, aswell. Four decades after the first immer-sion pilot program was introduced in St.Lambert, Quebec, the word “immer-sion” has become part of the Canadianlexicon. The immersion model has beenexported around the world, supportedby research which demonstrates thatlearning a second language reinforcesfirst-language skills. Thirty years ago, fewCanadians understood this.

“Most parents of children enteringschool today understand what theirchoices are,” Mrs. Webster says. “Theymay not know how to evaluate thosechoices, but I think they have a muchclearer sense – and I think this is ahugely important thing that CPF hasaccomplished.”

In her view, the fact that CPF still existsis normal and natural. Parents willalways ask themselves what they can doto give their children a better start inlife. Education, including second-lan-guage education, will continue to be animportant part of the answer.

She now lives with her husband inMontreal. A very warm and sincere smilespreads across her face when she isasked what makes her most proud. Herfive children have grown and moved todifferent parts of Canada and the world.She has four grandchildren. Her love oftravel is as strong now as it was whenshe was a student.

CPF is certainly among her greatestaccomplishments, but she has beeninvolved with other groups since CPF.She has served as a director on manyboards including Blue MetropolisFoundation and the Society forEducational Visits and Exchanges inCanada (SEVEC) and chaired a cam-paign that raised more than $15 millionfor Bishop’s College in Lennoxville,Quebec.

Mrs. Webster says that she is still moti-vated by the enthusiasm and energy thatcomes from a group of individuals witha collective vision. Clearly her volunteerdays are not over. She may be heard, inthe not too distant future, saying ‘I’ll doit’ and volunteering to get things startedonce again.

CPF’s first President cont’d from page 7


CPF National Concours d’ar

Anna Maddison,CPF President andDr. Sylvie Lauzon,University ofOttawa’s AssociateVice-President,Academic,announcing thewinners during theawards ceremony.

Participants in the Extended Core category with CPF President AnnaMaddison (far right) and University of Ottawa’s Associate Vice-President, Academic Dr. Sylvie Lauzon (far left).

Participants in the Late Immersion category with CPF President Anna Maddison (farright) and University of Ottawa’s Associate Vice-President, Academic Dr. Sylvie Lauzon(far left).

Student volunteers from Philemon Wright High Schooland Polyvalente Delisle.

Radio Enfant-Adoradio personalityFrederic Labelleinterviewing thefinalists live fromthe University ofOttawa.

www.cpf.ca 11

rt oratoire 2007 Highlights

CPF thanks the following organizations for their

contributions toward the

CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2007

Department of Canadian HeritageUniversity of Ottawa

Jos Scott Memorial FundBank of Montreal

Delta HotelsRadio Enfant-Ado

Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface (CUSB) for their con-tribution of $400 for each of the four CPF-Manitoba finalists

eligible to participate in the CPF National Concours.

Participants in the Core French category with CPF President Anna Maddison(far right) and University of Ottawa’s Associate Vice-President, Academic Dr.Sylvie Lauzon (far left).

Participants in the Francophone category with CPF President AnnaMaddison (far right) and University of Ottawa’s Associate Vice-President, Academic Dr. Sylvie Lauzon (far left).

Participants in the Early Immersion category with CPF President AnnaMaddison (far right) and University of Ottawa’s Associate Vice-President,Academic Dr. Sylvie Lauzon (far left).

Dr. Sylvie LauzonUniversity of OttawaUniversité d'Ottawa

Hilaire LemoineUniversity of OttawaUniversité d'Ottawa

Hubert LussierCanadian HeritagePatrimoine canadien

Dominique LemieuxOffice of the Commissioner ofOfficial Languages Commissariat aux langues officielles

Catherine ScottOffice of the Commissioner ofOfficial Languages Commissariat aux langues officielles

Daniel ButeauCouncil of Ministers of Education,Canada Conseil des ministres de l’Éducation(Canada)

Marie Larivière Canadian Association ofImmersion TeachersAssociation canadienne des pro-fesseurs d'immersion

Nathalie Landry The Canadian Association ofSecond Language Teachers L’Association canadienne des pro-fesseurs de langues secondes

Olivier BoassonEmbassy of France in CanadaAmbassade de France au Canada

Joanna CampionFrench for the FutureFrançais pour l’avenir

Jan AdamsSociety for Educational Visits andExchanges in Canada Société éducative de visites etd’échanges au Canada

David BrennickCanadian Parents for French

Paul CastonguayCanadian Parents for French

Evy MillanCanadian Parents for French

Mary E. ReevesCanadian Parents for French

CPF thanks the following individuals for serving as Judges


Partners’ Postings

TeacherResources GoMain-‘stream’:PodcastsImprove

Communication AmongFrench as a SecondLanguage Teachers

The Canadian Association of SecondLanguage Teachers (CASLT) is releasinga series of Podcasts for French as aSecond Language (FSL) teachers. The 5-minute audio programs featureresearch concepts and strategies aimedat supporting FSL programs.

Teachers will benefit from listening toresearch-based ideas applicable in theclassroom. The Podcast series willinclude innovative practices and solu-tions to FSL education issues; recognizeleaders and innovators in the field; sup-port new teacher graduates and encour-age FSL teacher retention. The serieswill also be connected to the CASLTWeb site through related fact sheets,articles and researcher contact lists.

According to CASLT President, MilesTurnbull, communication is one key toimproving FSL programs across thecountry. “The Podcast series is an inno-vative way to improve communicationand access to research-based informa-tion about FSL among educators. Weare giving teachers tools to apply inno-vative FSL practices through an accessi-ble method of knowledge exchange.”

Each monthly Podcast will outline anissue and provide related research-based strategies and recommendedresources from leading Canadian FSLexperts. The series will be available toover 3,000 partners and members.Development of the series was support-ed by a financial contribution by theKnowledge Exchange Program of theCanadian Council on Learning (CCL).Podcasts are available in both Englishand French and will be posted month-

ly in the online newsletter found onthe CASLT Web site at www.caslt.org.

Established, in 1970, the CanadianAssociation of Second LanguageTeachers (CASLT) increases awareness,appreciation and understanding of theimportance of second language learn-ing and teaching throughout Canadaand promotes the advancement of pro-fessional excellence among languageeducators.

For more information, please contact:Nathalie Landry

Website: www.caslt.org

SEVEC“Speaks” toYouth: VicePresident

Roch Carrier giveskeynote speech atOntario ModernLanguage Teachers’Conference

Many of us grew up reading the classicCanadian children’s book “The HockeySweater” by celebrated Quebec authorRoch Carrier. An avid supporter ofyouth learning about Canada, Mr.Carrier joined the Society forEducational Visits and Exchanges inCanada (SEVEC) as a board membersince as an author and leader of variousorganizations he was able to travelthrough most parts of the country anddiscover the rich cultural and linguisticdifference we are fortunate to have inCanada. He hopes that through activi-ties, such as SEVEC exchanges thatyoung people will benefit from similarlearning experiences.“I believe that Canada is stronger whenour young people are encouraged tolive in another part of the country andharness their incredible energy to

explore another culture and language,devote their skills to local communi-ties, and understand the richness of thediversity in our country,” said Mr.Carrier.

Also a dynamic speaker, he mostrecently addressed educators at theOntario Modern Language Teachers’Association (OMLTA) conference onMarch 30, 2007. Providing both seriousand amusing anecdotes about hischildhood and how he learned Englishin a Catholic school taught by monks,Mr. Carrier discussed the tremendousadvantage students have when theyspeak two or more languages. He alsoemphasized how second languagelearning develops creative thinkingskills and instills an understanding andappreciation of diverse cultures.

Following his keynote speech, Mr.Carrier met teachers at the SEVECinformation booth to autograph copiesof his books. More information aboutRoch Carrier and subsidized SEVEClanguage exchanges (whereby groupsof students can travel to another part ofCanada at no cost) is available atwww.sevec.ca.

French for the Futurehosts NationalAmbassador Youth Forumand local forums in 10cities across Canada

Nineteen bilingual student leadersfrom across Canada descended onToronto for four days in April to discusshow learning French has enriched theirlives. French for the Future’s NationalAmbassador Youth Forum (NAYF) pro-vided these students with the opportu-nity to debate the advantages andresponsibilities of living in a complexcountry with two official languages.

The purpose of the NAYF is to bringtogether students from across the coun-try who have bilingualism as one of theirgoals. They come as ambassadors fromtheir local communities; after their expe-rience at the NAYF, they return home asambassadors of linguistic duality. JoannaCampion, Acting Executive Director ofFrench for the Future, praised the stu-dents by saying that she was confidentthat “such motivated, dynamic, andintelligent people are ideal ambassadorsof bilingualism.”

The visiting ambassadors took fulladvantage of the opportunity to discoverToronto through visits to the ROM, CNTower, and the Ontario Science Centre,where they received Francophone-ledtours and were further exposed to thebilingual face of the city through otherextra-curricular activities includingattending a French-language play and astop at the Alliance Française. They alsoplayed a leading role in French for theFuture’s Toronto Local Annual Forum,held April 24, at Glendon College.

Local French for the Future forums werealso held in nine other cities acrossCanada, from Vancouver to Halifax.

Approximately 1900 students from 130high schools attended these events. Mostof the students were from Grade 11 andGrade 12 immersion programmes.

These ten forums, together with theNAYF, also served to mark French for theFuture’s 10th anniversary. The organiza-tion was launched as a grass rootsresponse to the 1995 Quebec

Referendum’s razor thin vote. Its man-date is to promote linguistic duality inCanada by highlighting its positivesocial and career benefits and by forginglinguistic and cultural links among sec-ondary school students.

www.cpf.ca 13

CPF Annual General Meeting 2007

October 19-21, 2007Held at:

Marriot Vancouver Airport7571 Westminster Highway

Richmond, BC

During the meeting, a new slate of directors will be elected to theNational Board along with proposed changes to the Bylaws, and theAudited Financial Statements for 2006-2007 will be presented.

CPF’s Annual Report will be made available online at www.cpf.ca byAugust 1, 2007.


Call for Nominations to the National Board

AArree yyoouu uupp ttoo tthheecchhaalllleennggee aanndd rreewwaarrddooff bbeeiinngg aa CCPPFFNNaattiioonnaall BBooaarrdd mmeemmbbeerr??

The National Board of CanadianParents for French is responsiblefor the governance and strategic

direction of a national network of vol-unteers – currently at 25,000 membersand growing!

Are you a person who values French asan integral part of Canada? Are youdedicated to the promotion and cre-ation of FSL learning opportunities foryoung Canadians? We need individu-als with a genuine interest in languageacquisition, an awareness of issues

related to second language learning,and a willingness to promote FSL andliaise with our partners and stakehold-ers.

You have volunteered in your commu-nity, and may have experience onboards, in business, in education, man-agement or legal settings. You are a self-directed problem-solver and a life-longlearner. You understand that there aremany possible solutions and are willingto work as a member of a team to findthe best solution for complex issues.Effective communication and leader-ship skills, and the ability to participateactively in discussion and deliberation,are essential. If you are currently servingon a Branch or Chapter board, or youare receiving remuneration for workcommissioned by CPF, you will berequired to resign from your positionupon your election to the NationalBoard of CPF.

Candidates for the National Boardmust be CPF members. Board positionsare voluntary, and travel is required. Alltravel, meals, accommodation and rea-sonable out-of-pocket expenses will becovered. Your time commitment willvary based on the board’s needs, a fewdays per month is likely, in addition toattendance at all board meetings(approximately five times per year).Training sessions for board membersare set up in conjunction with theNational Board meetings. For moreinformation, visit our website atwww.cpf.ca.

Any current CPF member can nominateanother person as a candidate. Ensurethat you have the agreement of the can-didate and then forward a resumé witha cover letter to Paul Castonguay,Nominations Committee Chair, by e-mail at [email protected]

www.cpf.ca 15

LettersRencontres Histor!caEncounters!

My brother and I both attended RencontresHistor!ca Encounters, a youth forum at theTerry Fox Centre in Ottawa. Aaron participat-ed in the Sports and Fitness week while Ichose an Arts and Culture theme. This bilin-gual program brings high school studentsfrom across Canada together for an intenseseven days to learn about our country’s capi-tal, different provinces and territories andincrease our knowledge of Canada’s two lan-guages.

The first part of the program centres mostlyon government and Ottawa, including anexcellent tour of the Parliament Buildingsand its beautiful library, a motivating PeaceModule in the Beechwood Cemetery and aninteresting, interactive speech by theHonourable Laurier Lapierre. There is also achance to visit your MP at the ParliamentBuildings, although due to Thanksgiving andRemembrance Day, neither Aaron nor I werein Ottawa while Parliament was in session.However, Denise Savoie, our MP, did bothwrite to us and phone us to wish us all thebest during our trip!

The rest of the week pertains to your theme,which you choose from a variety of topicsfrom Medicine and Health to Journalism toScience and Technology. There are plenty ofoptions and little time or room for disap-pointment.

During my week, I was introduced to a newform of art: mono-printing, which involvesmaking prints from painted glass. I also real-ly enjoyed an improvisation workshop whilethe Sports and Fitness equivalent was anexciting game of Ultimate Frisbee in the rainwith a couple of experienced players.

Aaron and I both really appreciated theoccasion to interact with francophones andstrengthen our French. Whether we were tak-ing a bus tour in our second language, orhaving a conversation with a girl fromQuébec, it was fun to challenge ourselves.The program definitely re-enforced theimportance and advantages of knowinganother language, especially French here inCanada.

A definite highlight of Aaron’s time inOttawa was spent in Gatineau, Québecwatching a Junior’s hockey game betweenGatineau and Rimouski. It was a quick-paced, high-energy match that ended in a 9-

8 victory for Gatineau in overtime! On theartistic side, I also found myself in Gatineau,although not in an arena, but a small, fancytheatre for some French comedy! It was awonderful performance, very funny and agreat opportunity to practice my French!

Another of our favourite events was decided-ly Canada 360, a fantastic evening of presen-tations by the participants from each of theprovinces and territories represented. Eachperformance was very enjoyable and interest-ing – did you know that New Brunswick isthe only province or territory that is official-ly bilingual?

Of course, there are the irreplaceable friend-ships that you share at Rencontres, a veryvaluable part of the experience. It’s incredi-ble to arrive at the Terry Fox Centre on thefirst day knowing no one, and by the end ofthe week be laughing like you’ve knownthose people your whole lives. We wouldboth strongly recommend applying toRencontres Histor!ca Encounters! The appli-cation process is fairly painless, and theweek you will spend in Ottawa is completelyworth any effort!

Laura and Aaron HowVictoria, B.C.


Hockey Terms

Central face-off circle - cercle central

Players’ bench - banc des joueurs

Right wing - ailier droit

Goal crease - zone du but

Goal lights - lumières de but

Penalty bench - banc des pénalités

Win a CPF prize package!

We are looking for book and movie reviews. Submit a review written in French of a movie

you have seen recently or a book you have read lately and win a prize!

HHHHeeeeyyyy KKKKiiiiddddssss................

Le Coin des jeunes is for and by students. Share

events in your classroom, review a book, a movie or

a music video.

Design a new banner for this page.

Submit your contributions by mail to

CPF, 176 Gloucester Street, Suite 310,

Ottawa, ON K2P 0A6

Attn: Heather McLaren.

If we use your contribution, you will receive a

special CPF souvenir!

LE CO IN DES JEUNES

Qu’est-ce qui passe et ne se voit pas?

Réponse : le temps

Qu’est-ce qui est jaune et qui va vite?

Réponse : un banane de course

Ha ha HHeeee hheeee

Why do research in French? Doing research in French, students learn new vocabulary, rather than

translating from English using the French they already know.

http://agora.qc.ca/encyclopedie.nsf - this website contains numerous articles in French divided by art, economics,

geography, history etc.

http://biographie.net - this website contains biographical information on famous people, dead or alive.

www.cpf.ca 17

Les nombres cachés

Les nombres cachés from Anthony Mollica, Activités créatives et motivationnelles 1: Jouons avec les chiffres!© 2001 éditions SOLEILpublishing inc., Welland. ON. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. Further photocopying of this activity is an infringement of thecopyright law


Thank you to our book reviewers!Surréal 3000

par Suzanne Martel

Surréal 3000 est un livre où il s’agitd’un garçon de neuf ans qui rêve d’ex-plorer l’air libre parce qu’il vit sous unemontagne. Il s’appelle Luc et un jour, ilest vraiment allé à l’air libre avec sonmeilleur ami, Eric. Durant une de sesexpéditions, Luc a rencontré une petitefille nommé Agatha et ils ont découvertqu’ils pouvaient communiquer par latélépathie. Ensuite, quand Agatha asouffert d’une terrible maladie, Luc etson frère Paul l’ont sauvée. Eric a aussiaidé son frère d’une attaque. À la fin dulivre, les habitants de Surréal 3000 ontconstruit un lien d’amitié avec ceux del’air libre parce que Luc et Paul ontsauvé Agatha et son peuple de la terri-ble maladie.

Submitted byYifeng WangGrade 5

The Chronicles of Narnia

par C.S.Lewis

Mon livre préféré s’appelle TheChronicles of Narnia, écrit par C.S.Lewis. J’aime ce livre parce que ily adu magique. Il y a un lion dans leshistoirs! Il y a aussi un sorsiere.

Les 4 personas-principaux sont Peter,Susan, Edmond et Lucy. J’aime ceslivres aussi parce que il y a des drag-ons. Il y a un très grand bateau,j’aime ce bateau. J’aime un histoirespecfique, il s’appelle The SilverChair. Deux personnes ont sauvé leprince, il va à leur école avec la mag-ique, avec le lion et des épées, C’estmagnifique!

Submitted byNicholas LendvoyAge 9

Thanks to Madame Konjin’s grade 7late immersion class for the follow-ing writeups based on the theme“Share an event”

Nôtre GâteauJ’adore l’ordorat de la vanille quand ilvient d’un gâteau. J’adore tous les odoratsqui viennent de toutes let nourrituresqu’on fait. A l’école, j’adore les artsdomestiques! Quand moi et ma classefaisons les arts domestiques, nous ne fab-riquons pas des nourritures, nous fab-riquons des créations. Ma recette favoriteest le gâteau qu’on a fait. Quand je l’ai faitavec mes amies, c’était facile et amusant.Mon équipe l’a fait sans erreur, mais il aprit beaucoup de temps. Le gâteau d’uneautre équipe était beaucoup plus joli quele nôtre! C’est vrai que faire un gâteauc’est amusant, quand même la meileurepartie de la manger!

Katrina Siu

www.cpf.ca 19

Merci CPF Donors!

Yvette Adam; Carole Barton; Elizabeth Beck; Leslie Benecki & StevenSalterio; Carmen & Dwight Blade; Oksana Botsvintchouk; DavidBrennick; Stephen & Arikan Broscoe; Helen Bruce & Brian Reddick;Shannon & Lyle Carlstom; Mary Elizabeth & Terry Chiasson; Rosa V.Cipparone; Margaret Colbourne & Bruce Matthews; Mike Daffin; PeterDavid; Annamaria Di Benedetto; Larissa Dorovko & Dino Bavaro;Stephen Edson; Rachel French de Mejia; Paul Gimson; Laurie Gordon;Alexandra Goseltine & Andrew Kemp; Laurie Halfpenny-MacQuarrie &Blaine MacQuarrie; Barbara & Wayne Harrison; Joan Hawkins; Judy &Reid Hodgins; Kathleen Hyland; Mary Innes; Ena Gwen & David Jones;Carolyn & Francis King; Toni & Steve Kisely; Mary & Francis Krizan;Bimlish Kumar; Aleksandra Kuzmanovic; Stephen Langford & DorothySunderland; Catherine Lindley; Bonnie Lo & John Binder; Elizabeth &Michael Marchand; Elizabeth Marshall; Maureen McEvoy; Kate Merry;Anne Michaelis; Evy Millan; Anne Murray & Larry Agnew; HeatherNewman; Sophia Nurse; Margaret O'Brien; Janet Patterson & Don Crane;Dominique Plouffe-Chandler & Tom Chandler; Brenda Poland; Pamela &Robert Porter; Viola & Chris Queen; Leonard & Jane Quilty; Mary E.Reeves; Mercedes & Harold Rose; Daphne & Grant Schmidt; Narcisa &Saud Selmanovic; Marilyn Shaw; Carol Shipston; Kirsten & Cory Siemens;Debra Sloat & Ernest Hawker; Bruce & Gill Starke; Caroline Tymchuk;Gail & Douglas Tricco; Laura van Loon; Joan Veilands; Greg & TanyaWaddell; Pat Webster; Kimberly Wenezenki; Melody Williamson & IanMcAuley; Robin & Ina Wilson; Evelyn Wolfe & Breen Liblong; IreneWright; Liquan Zhu & Shenshu Zhang

La ForteresseIci à Vancouver, tous les hivers sont verts.D’habitude pas de neige qui reste du tout,mais cet hiver on a eu une tempête de neige.La neige était parfaite pour construire, doncenotre petite classe a décidé de construire unegrande forteresse. Chaque jour, après le déje-uner on était d’hors. Tout le monde a travail-lé fort pour créer cette forterese magnifique.Il y’avait quelques gens qui ont apporter destas et des tas de neige et les autre gens utili-saient la neige pourconstruire la forteresse.Apres deux jours on la fini. La forteresse étéforte et grande, si grande que toute notreclasse pouvait aller dedans. La forteresse étaitun travail que tout le monde peut dire qu’ilsont contribuer. On a été fier de cette forter-esse. Ça c’était la meilleure activité qu’on afait cet hiver.

Alex Lund-murray

NEW CPF Early ChildhoodActivity Book

40063218

LOOK

CPF membership application form

CPF allows one or two adults per family as voting members.

[ ] New membership [ ] Renewal membership #____________ [ ] Change of Address

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Name ______________________________________________________________

First Member Surname, Given Name Second Member’s Surname, Given name

Address: _____________________________________________________________

Province____________ Postal Code_________ Home Phone ( )____________

Work Phone ( )___________ Fax ( )___________E-mail__________________

School Board__________________________________________________________

School(s)_____________________________________________________________

Local CPF Chapter / Section_____________________________________________

I understand that the personal information collected on this form is for the purpose of forwarding various newsletters and other mailings related to FSL matters as well as fundraising materials.

Occasionally, the CPF membership list may be made available to other groups/agencies to offermembers special benefits or education-related information. Use of the list will be carefully regu-lated and only permitted under a contract specifying confidentiality and one-time authorization. Ifyou do not wish to receive mailings other than directly from CPF, please check this box: [ ]

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Your gift in support of CPF is also welcomed and appreciated. All donations are

important to us. However due to cost, we will issue tax receipts in January of the

following year only to donors who have made donations of more than $10, unless a

receipt for a lesser amount is specifically requested. THANK YOU FOR YOUR

SUPPORT! (CPF Charitable Reg. No. 11883 5131 RR0001)

For payment by: [ ] VISA [ ] MasterCard [ ] Cheque enclosed

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Return to: Canadian Parents for French176 Gloucester Street, Suite 310, Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0A6

CPF is pleased to present the newly-developed CPFEarly Childhood Activity Book.

The book is filled with activities that introduce Frenchto English-speaking children. Also included on eachpage is a question and an answer about FSL education.

By including frequently-asked-questions (FAQs), par-ents receive information about French-second-language (FSL) education whichwill allow them to make informed and confident decisions about enrollingtheir children in FSL programs. While parents learn about FSL education, youngchildren can have fun with activities that have been designed just for them.

The FAQs are based on a review of the literature by Dr. W. Lazaruk and theactivities were developed by Professor Emeritus Anthony Mollica, Faculty ofEducation, Brock University. Please visit www.cpf.ca to download your copytoday!

Learn French in Ottawa!

• Intensive Summer Programs (Adults)

• French Summer Camps (6 to 18 years)

• Teacher Training – EFLS

• French Training (Govt) – Levels A,B,C

• Accommodation Options

Call now 1-866-557-7705 (613-232-8908)www.nationalschool.ca

Documents

CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2007 · C.V.I. in Oshawa, Ontario, are the grand prize winners of a 10-day trip to France for being the winning team of the Embassy of France