1. TDSB FSL at Home

New at home learning activities for Core, Extended and Immersion French students are posted weekly here.  
Activities are organized by grade and are created by the TDSB French Second Language (FSL) Department. Students work at their own pace independently. Core French and Extended French activities are posted for Grades 4-8 and French Immersion activities are posted for Kindergarten - Grade 8. Resources needed to do the activities are available from the TDSB Virtual French library, and online  from Idéllo and Boukili. Idéllo and Boukili are part of TFO, our Ontario publicly funded French education media organization.

2. April-May Secondary Workshops in French

Glendon College (York University) and Canadian Parents for French Ontario are providing virtual brain boosting workshops in French for secondary Core, Extended and Immersion French students on Saturdays from 2-3:30 pm. Upcoming topics include: Gère tes Projects, L'économie du GIG, La Sociologie en Soi and Leadership. Sign up here.

3. CPF Concours Entries Due April 15

The annual Canadian Parents for French public speaking contest for Grade 11-12 students has gone virtual. Core, Extended and Immersion French students may make video submissions until April 15. Prizes include university scholarships. Information is here.

4. April 21 Canadian Film Day

National Canadian Film Day is on April 21. Family-friendly activities and recommended films in French and English are available here

5. Summer French-Elementary

From July 5-30, the TDSB is offering Literacy and Numeracy Summer School Programs for students in Kindergarten – Grade 8 to address learning gaps and continue student engagement. In-person and virtual classes are available. Virtual students can borrow a computer from their home school.
Spaces are limited. Registration information is here
French Immersion is offered from 9 am to 3 pm at Alexander Stirling.  
French Immersion/Extended  is offered from 9 am to noon at these schools: Beverly Glen, Carleton Village, Ellesmere Statton, Elmbank, Karen Kain School of the Arts, Rawlinson and Tredway Woodsworth.

6. Summer French-Secondary

Registration opens April 19, 2021 for summer e-learning credit courses for Grade 10-12 students. Available in French are:
July 5-29 - Civics/Careers (French Extended and Immersion), Grade 11 Core French and Grade 12 Core French. 

August 3-27 - Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology (French Extended and Immersion), Grade 11 Core French and Grade 12 Core French. 


Information here. Note: if course enrolment is low, it may be cancelled.


Information is coming soon on additional secondary summer school credits and credit recovery for remote or hybrid learning. Check here.  

7. E-books in French

The TDSB Virtual Library in French offers links to these selections of e-books: Destiny Discover, Big Timber Media, Tumble Biblio Enfact, Tab-vue Nonfiction, Storybooks Canada French and Cantook (from Toronto Public Library). 
The Centre de la francophonie des Amériques offers FREE memberships in their organization and that gives you full access to their virtual French library Bibliothèque des Amériques. It has more than 2000 e-books in French for young people that can be downloaded or read online for 21 days. With their partner Radio-Canada, they also provide audio books for young people. 

8. Math Practice in French

The link to Netmath can be found in the ‘Apprendre’ section of the TDSB Virtual Library in French. Netmath is a Ministry of Education funded license. Teachers can make an account for free and set-up student accounts for class work. 

9. It's STIM

In French, it isn’t STEM, it is STIM: sciences, technologie, ingénierie et mathématiques. Let’s Talk Science/Parlons Sciences is a Canadian organization which helps youth build skills they need to find innovative solutions in an ever-changing world.
On their website, you will find resources for STIM/STEM learning at home and in the classroom in French and English for elementary and secondary students. The ‘In Context’ section has links to specific areas of the Ontario curriculum and topics like Creating a Vaccine for COVID-19 in Canada, Digital Citizenship & Ethics and Quantum Mechanics.  

10. Cooking & Planting

Check out these kid-friendly bilingual websites for fun ideas in French and English: P’tits Chefs, Ricardo Cuisine pour enfants - Ricky Le Chef on YouTube and Les Petits Pouces Verts

11. Montréal Podcast Series

‘Francophiles dans la ville’ is a podcast series from Télé-Québec which offers great listening for secondary students. Artists Martha Wainwright, Lesley Chesterman, Gideon Arthurs and others share their experiences learning French and living in Montréal. Find the series here

12. YouTube Sensation

Grade 3 French Immersion teacher Monsieur Steve started creating simple, cute videos for his class during COVID and now has more than 7000 YouTube subscribers. Monsieur Steve says he is “all about teaching French and making sure it is the most fun”. Videos include field trips around Ontario with a supporting cast including his puppet Dex and his cat Puppy. Fun for all French learners not just Grade 3 students! Check it out here

13. Meet our Interim Associate Director

Curtis Ennis graduated from Ryerson University in 1991 with a Bachelor’s in Business Management. He went to work as at a chartered accounting firm and then at one of the large banks. 

But, Curtis had a burning desire to become an educator. So, it was back to university for a Bachelor’s in Education at York. In 1996, he began working for the North York Board of Education which is now part of the TDSB. In 1999, Curtis graduated from York University a second time with a Master of Education degree.

Currently, Curtis is our interim Associate Director, Equity, Well-Being and School Improvement. He is committed to leading through an anti-oppressive lens to a place of excellence in achievement and equity of outcomes for all students. As such, he is excited to be working with the French as a Second language group. He is focused on improving and ensuring support of French programs across the TDSB for everyone – students, educators and parents.

As a superintendent and executive superintendent for the past ten years, Curtis has supervised French programs across the city and always took great pleasure in practicing his elementary level French. This often delighted both the students and the teachers! 

14. Update: French Review Implementation

The new Middle French Immersion (MFI) program begins in September 2021. It is being offered at 40 schools that previously offered Grade 4 entry Extended or Immersion French. Registration took place in January and each school has enough students to open at least one entry class. 

TDSB staff are planning for the double cohort year for entry to Early French Immersion. For September 2022 only, both JK and SK students will be able to start the program. Registration information will be posted on the TDSB webpages for French programs when it is available. Looking ahead to September 2023, the only entry point for Early French Immersion will be JK. 

15. Share this Newsletter!

Help us share TDSB French news and parent tips with parents/guardians/caregivers and school councils by forwarding this newsletter. To join our email distribution list, use the sign up link at the bottom of this email, this link here or click on the organge sign up button on our TDSB FSLAC webpage. It just takes a minute to get connected and start receiving this once/term newsletter and occasional breaking news.

16. Join Us!

The FSLAC is seeking new parent/guardian members and alternates. Interested? Email us at  fslactoronto@gmail.com.
Key information about the FSLAC is here.
Join us on Zoom at 7 pm on Thursday, April 8; Tuesday, May 11 and Tuesday, June 8. The links and the agendas are posted here
Subscribe to our email list.