Special All Member Communiqué

Introducing...

French-Second-Language Education Week 2021

February 1-5, 2021

More information will be provided early in the new year.

Looking Back...

French-Second-Language Education Week 2020

February 3-7, 2020

With schools closing in March 2020 due to COVID-19, a Special All Member Communiqué about French-Second-Language (FSL) Education Week 2020 was not sent out as it normally would have been.

So, at this time, we want to highlight the fantastic results achieved by a record number of schools celebrating this important week, proclaimed by the Minister of Education, Government of Saskatchewan. The wide variety of organized activities taking place were creative, inclusive, active, and tremendously fun!

The 2020 theme marked two important milestones, with one being the Regina Catholic School Division celebrating its 50th anniversary of the French Immersion Program and the other being the adoption of the Official Languages Act, making English and French the two official language of Canada.

Schools across Saskatchewan celebrated FSL Education Week with activities held for students, parents and the school community.

FSL schools, with a French Immersion and/or a Core French Program, could take part in the FSL Education Week Challenge to be entered into a draw for one of three grants. To be entered into the draw, a school had to host at least one French cultural activity. Many schools held multiple activities throughout the week with some schools holding events everyday. In total, 16 schools entered the FSL Education Week Challenge. A total of 29 schools held activities throughout the week.

More than 9,272 students participated - with over 129 activities taking place! What a strong showing by Saskatchewan schools!

Schools that participated in the FSL Education Week Challenge included:

École W.S. Hawrylak School, Regina
École St. Thomas, Lloydminster
École Holy Mary School, Martensville
École St. Pius X School, Regina
École Harbour Landing School, Regina
Campbell Collegiate, Regina
Thom Collegiate, Regina
College Park School, Lloydminster
École Mother Teresa School, Saskatoon
École Lumsden Elementary School, Lumsden
Plainsview Elementary School, Regina
École River Heights School, Saskatoon
École St. Anne School, Prince Albert
École Traditions Elementary School, Warman
École Arthur Pechey Public School, Prince Albert
École Henry Kelsey School, Saskatoon

The winning schools of the FSL Education Week Challenge were:

1st: École St. Thomas, Lloydminster, receiving a $500 grant.

2nd: École St. Anne School, Prince Albert, receiving a $250 grant.

3rd: Thom Collegiate, Regina, receiving a $100 grant.

We also extend our gratitude to our funders. Merci beaucoup!

Here is a summary of the activities organized by some of the participating schools:

École W.S. Hawrylak School, Regina

Many activities took place including the creation of this video that highlights the school and its French immersion students and what they like about learning French.

École St. Thomas, Lloydminster

École St. Thomas marked the 35th anniversary of the French Immersion Program in the Lloydminster Catholic School Division. An opening ceremony kicked off their week of celebrating which included a Winter Carnaval, a French-language theatre workshop, a video conference with Mireille Messier, a French Canadian children's author, a pancake breakfast for students and their families, and many other activities.

École St. Pius X School, Regina

Student participated in a variety of activities throughout the week including a Winter Carnaval where 'Bonhomme Carnaval' made an appearance and students got to enjoy 'la tire'. Classroom activities included reading buddies and a French movie. In celebration of Regina Catholic School Division and their first French Immersion Program being at École St. Pius X School, students sang "Happy Birthday" in French and enjoyed cupcakes.

École Holy Mary School, Martensville

Students kicked off Aboriginal Storytelling Month combined with French-Second-Language Education Week as they welcomed knowledge keeper Cecile Smith in to share Indigenous legends and myths. Then students went back to their classrooms and learned the names of all of the main characters (animals) in French. Students added their "J'aime être bilingue parce que..." responses to the tree. A 'camp bilingue' was held were students gathered around a makeshift fire pit to sing English camp fire songs in French.

École Harbour Landing School, Regina

École Harbour Landing School created a Literacy Bingo card of challenges for students to use their French outside the classroom and at home with their parents. Students took part in French reading buddies and outdoor activities with an appearance by 'Bonhomme Carnaval'.

Campbell Collegiate, Regina & Thom Collegiate, Regina

Campbell Collegiate and Thom Collegiate French immersion staff and students worked together to create videos with testimonials from students about being in French.

College Park School, Lloydminster

Core French students did many grade buddy activities where students from lower grades partnered with students from higher grades for activities such as a French Bingo and French reading. Students watched videos and did accompanying activities in French. Students got to enjoy hot chocolate while doing a hot chocolate-themed activity. Students learned about the Winter Carnaval in Québec and did some sledding afterwards.

École Mother Teresa School, Saskatoon

Students took part in a Winter Carnaval were they had a tug-of-war, a potato sac race and went sledding. Daniel Gervais, a French performer, was brought in for a Kitchen Party were students sang French songs, played wooden spoons, learned about la 'ceinture fléchée' and 'la danse du mai'.

École Lumsden Elementary School, Lumsden

The school started off the week with a Spirit Day where staff and student dressed up from the 1970s and a school-wide assembly. Everyday students listened to French music and heard French facts. Student enjoyed poutine and played Bingo in French. A French trivia sheet went home with students so that families could take part in FSL Education Week.

Plainsview Elementary School, Regina

Each day of the week, students began by singing "O Canada" in French. An indoor Carnaval was held were students created sculptures using play dough, played a snow ball toss game, tasted maple syrup and table syrup to see if they could tell the difference, played pin the hat on 'Bonhomme Carnaval', and made Carnaval-themed puzzles.

École River Heights School, Saskatoon

Celebrations began with a Spirit Day where students were encouraged to dress up in either the Parisian-style fashion or the Voyageur-style clothing. A school-wide Bingo game in French was played over the intercom, English and French classes were paired up so that everyone could participate. Students took part in a care partner reading activity, tried 'la tire', watched a French movie, ate croissants, and had an assembly where they sang songs in French.

École St. Anne School, Prince Albert

An assembly kicked off FSL Education Week activities in the school. Students played games and read with their buddy class, watched videos in French, and enjoyed ice cream with maple syrup. Students showcased their French with a talent show that focused on poetry, songs, and theatre. They finished the week with a spirit day and a danse party.

École Traditions Elementary School, Warman

Students took part in many activities including a French movie, a teacher swap for story time, a French Bingo, and a French letter hunt around the school. A bulletin board was created with "50 reasons we love French". A school assembly was held were French immersion classes each presented a song or story and non-French immersion students in grades three to five who are part of the school's "French club" were the emcees and made bilingual posters.

École Arthur Pechey Public School, Prince Albert

The week began with an assembly for the entire school since it is a dual track, French immersion and English, school. At the assembly, older students taught actions of their favorite French songs to the student body. There was a French movie at a local public library, sledding, skating, and a mini-Carnaval with many French activity stations including cartoon in French and hot chocolate. French immersion and English students enjoyed croissants together and French student taught some French words to their English counterparts. The week finished up with a art project in the Métis-style of pointillism - the practice of applying small strokes or dots of colour to a surface so that from a distance they visually blend together.

École Henry Kelsey School, Saskatoon

This single track French immersion school held activities throughout the whole month of February with 'Franco-février' (French February) with even a 'Défi à la maison' (French at home) challenge for over the February Break. Activities throughout the month included French reading, skating, a mini-Carnaval, and a 'Croissant Café' with parents where attendees played Bingo in French.

Canadian Parents for French - Saskatchewan would like to extend a 'bravo' to all the students, teachers, parents, and administrators who participated in FSL Education Week 2020.

The variety of activities done were simply wonderful to see. Well done everyone!