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FSLAC Newsletter June 2020
In this issue:
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1. Greetings from the FSLAC During this difficult time, we hope that you and your family are well. The parents/guardians who volunteer on the FSLAC thank TDSB staff and Trustees for their enormous efforts of the last few months. We particularly want to thank our FSL teachers for providing support and encouragement to our kids and to us, the at-home facilitators for emergency remote learning in French, a language we don’t necessarily speak. Let’s hope we can return to our schools in September with renewed energy to catch up and move forward.
Have a good, healthy summer!
-FSLAC Parent/guardian Members and Alternates
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2. Update: TDSB FSL Resources for Families
The French program page on the TDSB website has been given a fresh, clean, new look. Check it out here.
French in the TDSB is on twitter @tdsb_fsl
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3. TDSB Summer FrenchElementary: In July, the TDSB is offering remote French Immersion programs from 9 am - noon for students in grades 3-8. Space is limited. Details here.
Secondary: A small selection of remote e-learning credit courses for secondary students will be available. Some spaces may still be available for grades 11 and 12 Core French for the month of August. Details here.
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4. Immersion Application DatesEarly French Immersion applications will be accepted from November 2-27, 2020. This is for students entering SK in September 2021.
Middle French Immersion applications will be accepted from January 4-29, 2021. This is for students entering grade 4 in September 2021. This new program replaces grade 4 entry Extended French.
Application information is here.
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5. Toronto Public LibraryThe Toronto Public Library offers dial-a-story in French at (416) 395 5400 for kids up to age 12.
E-books in French are available from Toronto Public Library through OverDrive. If you do not have a library card, temporary digital ones are available. Children under the age of 13 access OverDrive e-books and materials via a parent’s library card. To find French e-books, click on ‘Kids’ or ‘Teens’, select ‘Search’ and then ‘Advanced’ where there is a ‘Languages’ option, and pick ‘French’.
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6. IDÉLLOIDÉLLO offers resources in French for students and parents, like videos and webinars, that are based on the Ontario curriculum. Student resources are searchable by age of the student and by level of French proficiency according to the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference). For example, A1 is a beginner and B2 is high intermediate (usually grade 12 French Immersion students). IDÉLLO parent information is available in English and French.
Boukili is an app affiliated with IDÉLLO which helps students learn to read in French.
IDÉLLO is part of Groupe Média TFO, our publicly funded French educational broadcaster in Ontario. It works with the Ontario Ministry of Education to provide electronic resources that support French Second Language teaching and learning. It offers video capsules with teacher guides and supplementary activities for students that help them create digital stories and podcasts.
TFO online is here and TFO TV, all in French, is on cable: Rogers 13 and Bell 145/1145.
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7. Online in FrenchICI Radio Canada offers Zone Jeunesse online in French. For younger children, this site has Zone Petits, which has shows, videos and activities and for teens, the site has MAJ which has news and videos for teens. Ici Radio Canada is the French part of our national, publicly funded broadcaster, CBC.
TV5Monde has shows, videos and activities in French for students. TV5Monde is a collaborative effort of French speaking countries, including Canada.
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8. Toronto Radio in FrenchListening to French music and native speakers on the radio helps when learning French. ICI Radio Canada is on AM radio at 860 and FM radio at 90.3. Station CHOQ FM is at 105.1.
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9. CPF Support for FamiliesCanadian Parents for French is providing support for FSL students in grades 1-8 with free socio-cultural events in French online during June and July. Find book club, story time and art/literacy workshops here.
Online resources that support learning French as a Second Language are posted here.
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10. Summer French Programs in TorontoThe Alliance Française is offering on-line French classes of 1.5 hours per day for ages 7-17 in July and August. The Alliance Française is a not-for-profit organization that promotes French language and culture. Info here.
Camp Tournesol is offering a variety of programs for ages 4 and up, including virtual morning or afternoon camp, virtual French classes and in-person summer day camps in select locations. Info here.
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11. Concours Virtuel
The annual Canadian Parents for French public speaking contest Concours Oratoire became Concours Virtuel this spring. Instead of classroom and school board events, students independently submitted videos about their Covid experiences. Entries came from St. John’s, Iqaluit, Victoria and all points in between.
The TDSB had 4 national winners from grades 6/7 Core French, grade 7 French Immersion, grade 8/9 Core French and grade 12 French Immersion. The charities chosen by the winners for a donation are: Brain Canada Foundation, World Animal Protection, Food Banks Canada and Doctors Without Borders. Check out this amazing, insightful collection of student reflections in French on video here.
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12. Update: French ReviewAt the June 17, 2020 regular Board meeting, Trustees received the third progress report from staff on implementing the French Review decisions made in June 2019. The FSL Recommendations: Interim Report states that all Grade 4 Extended sites may offer Middle French Immersion in September 2021, and that applications will be online in January 2021. There will be a public online survey over the summer about factors to consider in the redistribution of Early French Immersion sites, with a report on that going to Trustees in the fall.
At the May 27, 2020 regular Board meeting, Trustees adopted recommendations made by the FSLAC to maintain longstanding procedures for French immersion as the Board moves forward with changes to programs and entry points. These procedures are: to place every on-time applicant to immersion; to add spots/sites as needed to meet demand; to give priority placement to siblings; and, to report annually on FSL programs including enrolment.
The French Review was announced in 2017, public consultations took place in 2018, and the detailed consultation report came out in early 2019. In June 2019, staff recommendations on changes to French programs were shared with the public and Trustees. Trustees passed staff recommendations that included phasing out the Extended French program, moving the entry point of Early French Immersion from SK to JK and creating a new, system-wide Grade 4 Middle French Immersion program. Trustees added an amendment to the recommendations to provide for broad consultation on the implementation plan. Trustees received progress reports from staff on implementation of the French Review Recommendations in October 2019, January 2020 and June 2020. All of the reports are available here.
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13. OLEPThe Official Languages in Education Protocol (OLEP) for 2019-2023, an agreement between the federal government and provinces/territories to support official language learning has been announced. Ontario will be receiving $24 million in federal government funds annually to support French as a Second Language instruction. This is unchanged from the amount Ontario has received since 2009. Ontario’s Ministry of Education contributes at least the same amount. This funding is allocated to projects that will increase the number of students taking Core, Extended and Immersion French until grade 12 graduation, to support FSL teacher professional development and to support student opportunities for French cultural activities.
OLEP funds that flow from Ontario’s Ministry of Education to school boards must be spent on FSL projects that meet the Ministry guidelines and federal/provincial objectives. In 2019-20, the TDSB received an estimated $531,000 in OLEP funding. OLEP and the forthcoming Ontario Action Plan support the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages.
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14. Update: FSLAC The TDSB cancelled April, May and June 2020 community advisory committee meetings due to Covid-19. FSLAC parent members/alternates met informally online. Any FSLAC business that requires approval by the members with a vote is on hold until the next formal meeting of the FSLAC. Votes are taken to approve minutes, make recommendations to the Board, elect the parent co-chair and approve the FSLAC Annual Report. The 2020-21 meeting schedule is not yet available. We anticipate that we will meet again in September, on the second Tuesday of the month as usual. When meetings resume, information will be posted here: www.tdsb.on.ca/fslac If you need to contact the FSLAC, please do so at fslactoronto@gmail.com .
The FSLAC is seeking new parent members and alternates. Parents who are interested should email fslactoronto@gmail.com. The Terms of Reference, outlining the mandate and information about the FSLAC is here.
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15. Share this NewsletterHelp us share TDSB French news and parent tips with parents 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 go to our TDSB webpage. It just takes a minute to get connected and start receiving this once/term newsletter and occasional breaking news.
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