Newsletter June 2023

•    Save the Date
•    Free CPF Summer Virtual Programs
•    Toronto Public Library French Fun
•    TD Bilingual Summer Reading Club
•    TDSB Elementary Programs in July
•    TDSB Secondary Core French E-Credits
•    French Summer Day Camps
•    July 15 is Bastille Day in Toronto!
•    FREE French Resources
•    Help Us Build this List!
•    Fall Committee Meetings & Membership

You are invited to join parents/caregivers, community members, staff and our Trustee for the first meeting of the 2023-24 school year on Tuesday, September 19th. We meet on a regular basis to discuss French programs at the TDSB. Everyone is welcome to attend in person or via Zoom! Meeting time and details will be posted here in early September. Parents who are interested in becoming members/alternates of our committee should email us at fslactoronto@gmail.com .

Our 2023-24 parent co-chair, Lynne Leblanc and vice co-chairs, Charles Zhu, Lisa McAvoy, Sharlene Henry and Bahira Abdulsalam were elected at our June meeting. 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.

We are excited for the 2023-24 school year. We will be welcoming JK students into the Early French Immersion (EFI) program at 77 schools including these new sites: Kingsview Village Jr PS (Ward 1 - Etobicoke North), Gracedale PS (Ward 4-Humber River–Black Creek) and White Haven PS (Ward 21 – Scarborough North). Fraser Mustard Academy’s lead EFI class will be welcomed into grade 1 at Thorncliffe Park PS (Ward 11 -  Don Valley West). In grade 4, we will be welcoming Core French and Middle French Immersion students in schools across Toronto. 

Wishing everyone a good, healthy summer! Bon été!

- Lynne

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) 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.  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 10. Information is posted here. 

CPF Virtual Programs are funded by the Ministry of Education and are led by new French teacher graduates or teacher candidates. Programs offer the students the opportunity to practice their French skills with other students from across the province!

For upcoming FREE French events for pre-school – 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 24, kids/caregivers can register and pick up reading kits at local library branches or sign up 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 2,200 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 elementary learning programs that run from July 4-28. Programs are free of charge and may be full or half day. 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 6 for grade 11 or 12 Core French ( FSF3UE or FSF4UE) via e-learning summer school. These credits run from July 31-August 25. Information is available here. 

Space may still be available at Camp Tournesol or Alliance Française Toronto.

Camp Tournesol offers virtual camp, four in person day camp locations in Toronto for ages 4-12 and a counsellor in training program all in French. Information is here. 

Alliance Française Toronto has two in person French day camp locations in Toronto for ages 5-11. Information is here.  

Head to the Distillery District on Saturday, July 15 for FREE French music and activities for the whole family from 11 am to 7 pm. Details 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 your 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 for more info on Mauril.

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 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 once/term newsletter and occasional breaking news.

The French as a Second Language Advisory Committee (FSLAC) will be meeting on Sept 19, Oct 17, Nov 14, 2023 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 members/alternates 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 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. Email us at fslactoronto@gmail.com !  

Best regards - cordialement,

Lynne Leblanc

FSLAC Parent Co-chair