Join us Tuesday, September 10 at 7 pm for our first meeting of the 2024-25 school year. Everyone is welcome to attend in person or via Zoom! Meeting details will be posted here. Parents/caregivers interested in becoming members/alternates for the FSLAC can email us at fslactoronto@gmail.com. 

At our June meeting, Lynne Leblanc (left side of picture) and the committee recognized Ward 14 parent volunteer Randy Samuel (right side of picture). Randy’s child is graduating this year which means she will no longer be a current TDSB parent and has to retire from our committee. Randy started to attend our meetings in 2015 to find out more about the TDSB and to get to know the central staff and Trustees entrusted with her child’s education in French and English. In 2016, she became a member and has always shared her feedback and observations in a warm and kind way with a view to finding collaborative solutions for the many challenges the TDSB faces. Un gros merci to Randy!

In 2024-25, Lynne Leblanc is returning as parent co-chair. Helping out will be vice co-chairs Charles Zhu, Sharlene Henry and Moosa Anwar. We are looking forward to supporting and leading our parent committee and continuing our partnership with Trustees, staff and parents/caregivers to foster growth and excellence in French programs. 

Wishing everyone a good, safe and healthy summer! Bon été!

  - FSLAC 

TDSB had record breaking results at the annual provincial Concours d’Art Oratoire (French public speaking contest) on May 4, 2024 at Glendon College. There were 13 outstanding students from grade 9-12 Core, Extended and Immersion French who placed in the top 3 in their category winning post-secondary scholarships up to $4,000 and cash prizes. First place winners in the traditional category in grade 11/12 go on to the national competition where prizes are full post-secondary scholarships up to $33,000.

Our TDSB 1st place winners:  Uthara Balakrishnan, Victoria Park CI; Charlotte Tapin, Monarch Park CI; Mhanaz Halim, L’Amoreaux CI; Simone Ghosh, Victoria Park CI

Our TDSB 2nd place winners: Daisy Li, William Lyon Mackenzie CI; Isabel Berena-Mojica, Harbord CI; Olivia Rozenberg, William Lyon Mackenzie CI; Reuven Schuster, Harbord CI 

Our TDSB 3rd place winners: Monica Chen, Victoria Park CI; Jack Ginsburg, Northern SS; Mona Jiang, Vicotria Park CI; Aidan Wang, William Lyon Mackenzie CI; Angeline Audoin, East York CI

Congratulations to all TDSB participants and a gros merci to their teachers and central French Department staff for all of their support! Thank you to Canadian Parents for French-Ontario and its partner the Ontario Modern Language Teachers’ Association for 39 years of giving students this opportunity to flex their French skills. Grades 4 and up can participate in classroom public speaking with French program curriculum resources created by Canadian Parents for French and the Ministry of Education. More information here. 

 Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is a national network that supports and promotes French language learning programs for youth across Canada. Membership has historically been fee based. CPF is now offering free membership FREE to ensure that parents, caregivers and supporters from all backgrounds can join without any financial barriers. Membership in the CPF network will give you access to information, webinars, resources and events to support learning French and French-English bilingualism. Sign up here.

Canadian Parents for French is offering FREE French virtual programs this summer for Ontario students in Core, Extended and Immersion French. The programs have 45-minute sessions given daily over 2 weeks and give students the opportunity to practice their French skills with other students from across the province.  Vive La Parole is for grades 7 -12 students. For SK-grade 8 students, there is Franco-Fun and French Reading Circle. Registration is now open for July sessions. Space is limited. If a program is full, be sure to join the waitlist to receive notification if a space becomes available. Registration for August sessions opens on July 8. Information is posted here.

CPF Virtual Programs are funded by the Ministry of Education and are led by recent French teacher graduates or university students in training to become French teachers.  

For upcoming FREE French events for pre-school to age 12 children at branches across the city, click here. Pre-registration may be required. Through July and August, there will be marionette workshops, interactive musical performances, storytelling, science demos and more -  all in French! 

It’s FREE and it’s in English and French! Starting on June 22, kids/caregivers can register at local library branches and receive a free notebook and stickers to track their reading. Or, go digital and register online. Information is here.

Kids can participate in the TD Summer Reading Club/Club de lecture d’été anytime, anywhere by reading recommended books, by connecting and sharing with others across Canada and joining in on activities. This is a fully bilingual program with French and English sites, activities, and recommendations. For English activities, click here. For French activities, click here.

Co-created and delivered by over 2,000 public libraries across Canada, this national bilingual program is developed by Toronto Public Library in partnership with Library and Archives Canada and is sponsored by TD Bank.

Very limited space is still available in some summer school elementary literacy and numeracy programs that run from July 2-26. Programs are half day and are free of charge. Students who are currently enrolled in French Immersion are eligible for those offering French Immersion. Program details and availability are here. 

Registration is open until July 4 for secondary credits via e-learning from July 31- August 27. Core French is being offered for grade 11 or 12 ( FSF3UE or FSF4UE). Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology is being offered for grade 11 Extended/Immersion French students (HSP3U4 or HSP3U5).  Information is available here. 

Space may still be available for summer day camp in French through these organizations:

Canadian Parents for French, Toronto Midtown West, is offering 2 weeks of visual arts in-person day camp for ages 6-12 with Royal Conservatory certified Artist-Educator, Michel Bouchard. Camp is being held at Winchester PS (downtown) from July 22-26 and July 29-Aug 2. Registration and fee information is here.

Camp Tournesol offers in-person day camps at 3 locations in Toronto and a virtual camp for ages 4-12, a counsellor in training program for Grade 7 and 8 graduates, volunteer opportunities for Grade 9 graduates and counsellor jobs for Grade 10+.  Information is here.

Alliance Française Toronto has in-person day camp at their Spadina and Bloor St location for ages 5-11. Information is here.  

Head to Downsview Park for Movies Under the Stars. On June 24, Kung Fu Panda 4 is playing in French and on August 21, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is playing in French. The full schedule and registration information is posted here.  

Head to Harbourfront for Summer Music in the Garden. On July 14, Ménestrel will sing and play ‘The Nine Maidens’, a fusion of old French and English ballads that recount adventure and good fortune in the life a voyageur. Details are here.

Toronto Public Library has French books, e-books, podcasts, DVDs and much more. Check out the collection here.

Idéllo offers videos, apps and much more in educational French content for children and teens. Parents/students/teachers can set up FREE accounts to access the resources that are created and curated by TFO, our Ontario French publicly funded educational broadcaster. Click here for Idéllo. 

Boukili is also by TFO. It is an app for ages 4 and up for reading French books online. Click here for Boukili.  

Mauril is an app for teens and adults to practice French skills. Start with a quick placement test and then, head right into the app and work at your own pace. This app is an initiative of the Government of Canada and the content is provided by Radio-Canada. Mauril is named after the Honourable Mauril Bélanger, the former Ottawa-Vanier MP who championed official languages and French as a Second (Official) Language learning in Ontario and across Canada. Click here. 

Bibliothèque des Amériques virtual French library is available via a FREE membership in The Centre de la francophonie des Amériques. Membership info is here. The English guide for borrowing ebooks is here. The Centre was created and is supported by the Government of Québec.

French radio, here in Toronto: ICI Radio Canada on AM radio at 860 and FM radio at 90.3 and Station CHOQ FM is at 105.1.

French TV: TFO, Ici Radio-Canada Télé and TV5 offer programs for kids.

Streaming and YouTube: watch in French and put sub-titles or closed captioning on to help with listening comprehension. On YouTube, it is possible to slow the speed of the video which can help beginners understand more of what is said. 

Help us share TDSB French program news and tips with families and school/parent councils by forwarding this newsletter. Ask your school/parent council to sign up! To join our email distribution list, use the signup link at the bottom of this email or this link here  or go to our TDSB webpage and click on the orange button. It just takes a minute to get connected and start receiving this newsletter once per term and occasional breaking news.

The French as a Second Language Community Advisory Committee (FSLAC) will be meeting on September 10, October 15 and November 12 from  7- 9 pm. The meetings are in person at the TDSB head office at 5050 Yonge St. For those unable to attend in person, a Zoom link is available. Meeting details and Zoom link will be posted on the FSLAC page on the TDSB website here when available. FSLAC meetings are conducted in English.

New parent/caregiver volunteers are needed to fill vacancies! The FSLAC is a great opportunity to get to know the TDSB and the staff who support our French programs, to share your experiences and hopes for these programs and to provide input into the procedures and policies of the TDSB.

Parent/caregiver members/alternates to the FSLAC must be willing to attend about 8 evening meetings during the school year and support the mission of the FSLAC: “To consult with and advise the Board on French as a Second Language matters. As a Board community advisory committee, the FSLAC will contribute to the work of trustees and staff. This partnership of trustees, staff and parents will foster excellence and growth in FSL programs at the Board”.

Interested? Please connect with us by sending an email to fslactoronto@gmail.com!  

 

Have a happy and safe summer!

Cordialement,

Lynne Leblanc

FSLAC Parent Co-chair