srta newsletter march 2013

7/30/2019 SRTA Newsletter March 2013

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/srta-newsletter-march-2013 1/13

March

Volume 8President

Suzanne Moore , DTS

Vice-President

Pat Liss , DTS

Secretary

Jenn Seesahai, ESNI

Treasurer

Chantal Tytgat, CLC

Collective Bargaining

Pat Liss, DTS

Professional Development J

onathan Waite, ARB

Health & Wellness

Colleen Kachur-Reico, EIDCS

Equity & Social Justice

Rebecca Sheffield, DO

Education Finance

Jason Sparling, CSNC

Resolutions

Suzanne Moore, DTS

Employee Benefits

Wendy Chase, SAC

Public Relations

Rebecca Brown, EIDCS

Workplace Safety & Health

Kathy Dubesky, CSNC

Contact Information

204-270-0215

[email protected]

http://seineriverta.weeb

Not sure if you need help?

Give me a call or send me an email and I will help

find the proper resources unique to your

situation. Don’t wait until the situation worsens;

be pro-active. Have a great

spring break everyone!

My Dear Colleagues:

Provincial Report Cards:

The senior high schools have finished semester one report car

and we are in the midst of round two of the provincial report c

for the elementary schools. I would love to hear from you how

time was different – was it smoother, or was it just as onerous

Are there recommendations you would like to pass on to the

provincial government that would streamline the whole proce

Please let me know...

PD Overnight Staff Retreats:

The SRTA council and executive, after lengthy discussions and considerations have agre

on a policy regarding PD Staff Retreats. As is usually the case, these retreats usually be

with booking into a facility in the evening, followed by PD Sessions the following morni

The intention of these retreats is to bring staff together in an environment that is mean

be more relaxed and enjoyable. This becomes problematic, however, when venues are

hour or more away from the school, necessitating staying overnight or travelling at leng

in the morning to arrive on time. Issues of child care, pet care, hotel and meal costs,

travelling time, loss of family time and dicey road conditions also add to the mix.

The council agreed that it could support PD Overnight Staff Retreats if:

a) mileage were paid from the school to the venue and back to the school, at

divisional mileage rates

b) hotel and meal costs were totally covered

c) members had the option of staying overnight or travelling in the morning

d) the agenda had built-in travel times to avoid extra child care costs, etc.

Elections:

It’s election time again w

members decide if they h

time to devote to the

betterment of their

colleagues. Please consid

letting your

name

stand for a

position on

the SRTA.



ort Term Disability Plan Premiums

e SRTA was successful in negotiating an EI rebate

emium from the Seine River School Division because

are implementing our own Short-term Disability Plan.

s the intention of the SRTA that the rebate will find its way back to the

embers to help offset the plan premium costs. It will take up to a year to

termine the approximate amount of the EI rebate. In the meantime, we

e offering May as another month free of membership fees. By the end

2013, a permanent decrease in member fees is anticipated to offset the

n premiums in subsequent years. We appreciate your patience as we

plement this new plan.

Diversity in Seine River

Rebecca Sheffield, our Equity and Social Justice Chairperson

her committee, along with Elaine Lochhead, Assistant

Superintendent for Student Services, hav

been working with the Seine River Schoo

Division to create a proactive diversity po

Seine River School Division that would

recognize and safeguard all children

staff, regardless of their sexual identity,

or racial identity, etc. Kudos to all part

involved in this endeavour.

Health & Wellness

Thanks to Colleen and her committee who are planning

some activities for SRTA members. If you haven’t subm

your school’s Health & Wellness

activity for 2012-2013, you still

have some time. Remember,

each site has an extra $100 to

work with! Other things

sponsored by Health & Wellness

this year:

a. Pizzas for the SRSD Volleyball tournament on

February 1

b. Social Event at Dawson Trail Motor Inn bar on M

21st (see poster, page 6)

c. Texas Scramble, May 23 at Southside Golf Cours

Job Readiness Seminar, February 20

The job readiness seminar on February 20

was attended by 10 members, who were

led and guided by Eddie Calisto-Tavares

of Options for Success in a 2-hour

workshop. Resumes, interview skills,

portfolios, and personal marketing skills

were the key components that were

reviewed by all present. It proved to be so beneficial t

one of the term teachers present wondered aloud why

term teachers did not take advantage of this opportun

RTA Scholarship

scholarship committee led by Wendy Chase has implemented

hanges to the SRTA scholarship, which were adopted by the SRTA

ouncil. Students will be required to apply for the SRTA scholarship

nd preference will be given to students in the following order

1. those pursuing a career in Education

2. other careers working with youth

3. other careers

cholarship has

een set at $500 per

udent; 1

holarship per high

hool and the

oney will be

edited to student’s

niversity account

nder his/her

udent number.

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

At the Manitoba Teachers’

Society’s Annual General Meeting

(AGM) at the end of May,

delegates will be debating and

voting on the issue of paying $1.5

million for the naming rights to a

classroom at the CMHR.

Unfortunately, the issue was

played out in the press before

presidents had an opportunity to bring it back to councils. S

council reps were asked to go back to their schools to discus

issue. They are then to bring the feedback to the next coun

meeting to help direct our vote at AGM.



What if my supervisor (principal) sayshat I cannot submit a violent incident

report?

Your supervisor (principal) cannot prevent you or

dissuade you from submitting a report, according

o the Workplace Safety and Health Act of

Manitoba. He/She must receive the report andespond in writing within 30 days. Submit the

eport, and keep a copy for yourself. Send a copy

o [email protected] for safekeeping. You also

have the right to contact Workplace Safety and

Health at any time during this process.

Violence is against the law – The WorkplaceSafety and Health Regulation, M.R. 217/2006 and

Canada’s Criminal Code require workplaces to be

ree of violence.

How do I report violence in the workplace?

What will happen if I do?

Under Sharepoint, go to the Workplace Safety & Health Tab, and complete GBECB_Violent Incident Report

Form. Make sure to keep a copy and send one to [email protected] for safekeeping.

According to the Manitoba Workplace Safety & Health Act, if a principal receives a violent incident report,

e/she shall respond in writing to the complainant no later than 30 days after receiving the report.

The response of the principal must

) include a plan for implementing changes to mitigate further violence

b) contain a timetable for implementing the changes

) give reasons why the principal disagrees with any possible recommendations that are given in the repor

f no agreement can be reached regarding the response of the principal, you may refer the matter to SRSD’

Safety and Health Officer, Rob Beal.

Nothing in this section limits the right of a worker to refer any matter respecting safety and health directly

o a safety and health officer, either at the Divisional Level, Rob Beal 204-422-6222, or at the Provincial

evel: Marty Danielson, 204-945-6848.

Who gets a copy of the Violent Incident Report form?

When an employee submits a violent incident report,

principals will send copies to the Workplace Safety aHealth Committee co-chairs, the Human Resources

office, and the Superintendent-or designate.

For your own record-keeping, be sure to keep a copy

and send one to [email protected] if you wish.



Can I write up a Violent Incident Report if a

student hurts me or threatens me?What if he/she is funded?

All acts of violence have to be reported. It is part of our

responsibilities as employees of SRSD. Examples of violence

can be, but are not limited to:

� Direct, conditional or implied threats of assault

� Deliberate insults through offensive pictures, practical

jokes that could cause embarrassment or physical harm

or injury� Property Damage, Vandalism of personal property

� Use of or threat to use a weapon

� Shouting

� Intimidation

� Sarcasm

� Sexual Harassment

� Scratching, pinching and hair-pulling

� Stalking or Loitering

�

Groping� Slapping

It does not matter if the student is funded or on an IEP, the

act of the violence must be reported. An investigation will be

nitiated and a report processed within 30 days. Steps can

then be taken to adjust the student’s plan to prevent or

mitigate further violence.

What is considered a “seriouincident” in the workplace?

"serious incident" means an incident

(a) in which a worker is killed;

(b) in which a worker suffers

(i) an injury resulting from electrica

contact,

(ii) unconsciousness as the result of

a concussion,

(iii) a fracture of his or her skull,

spine, pelvis, arm, leg, hand or

foot,

(iv) amputation of an arm, leg, hand,

foot, finger or toe,

(v) third degree burns,

(vi) permanent or temporary loss of

sight,

(vii) a cut or laceration that require

medical treatment at a hospita

defined in The Health Service

Insurance Act , or

(viii) asphyxiation or poisoning; or

(c) that involves(i) the collapse or structural failure

of a building, structure, crane

hoist, lift, temporary support

system or excavation,

(ii) an explosion, fire or flood,

(iii) an uncontrolled spill or escape

of a hazardous substance, or

(iv) the failure of an atmosphere-

supplying respirator.

What will happen if the violent incident is considered serious?

incipals will notify the SRSD Safety and Health Officer. Principals, in consultation with the SHO will notify

anitoba Workplace Safety and Health Division and secure the scene without delay.

the situation has or is likely to escalate into a major act of physical violence, contact the police immediately

lling 911 (i.e. fire arms and weapons use).



We Are All Treaty

People

Sandra Turcote

“We are all Treaty People”. I am sure

we have all seen the posters or heard

the message on television, but do we

really know what that means or

believe it to be true. I had an

opportunity, as many of our teachers

in the division have had, to attend a

Treaty Education workshop. This MTS

workshop was focussed on

administrators and how they cansupport teachers to infuse aboriginal

perspectives into our curricular

outcomes.

This idea is not new to us as teachers

in the Seine River School Division. It

has been a priority divisionally for

years. This initiative for Treaty

Education was developed to support

the implementation and education of

Manitoba and Canadian Treaties into

our educational system without itbeing the” flavour of the day” or

another add on. It truly brings an

authentic awareness to our countries’

history by giving the perspectives of

our First Nations People and the

treaties that were signed in good faith

to share the land and resources with

the settlers.

The resource kit that has been put

together as a comprehensive

collection of lesson plans, the

treaties, historical accounts of th

time, hands-on activities, poster

maps, DVD’s, interviews, timelinlearning outcomes, and their dir

connection to the Manitoba Soc

Studies curricular outcomes. It h

resources for early years, middle

years and high school classroom

continually evolving and being

updated. They can be contacted

bring speakers, elders, historian

deal with a variety of different t

to support students learning. Th

are working diligently to make s

that teachers are supported in away they need.

We are all Treaty people becaus

land we have settled on belonge

First Nations People. With the si

of the treaties, they agreed to sh

the land and the resources with

settlers. Therefore, if we live on

land and we prosper from the

resources that come from that l

then we have all benefitted from

treaties that were signed. This is

“we are all treaty people” mean

important that we all understan

history so that we can move forw

peacefully with empathy, respec

and appreciation for each other

an I reschedule my personal leave day

if our schools are closed due to

inclement weather?

Seine River School Division, any pre-planned

ves remain in effect whether the school is

sed or not. If you had planned a personal

day and schools

were closed for

the day, you

would still use up

one of your two

personal leave

days.

How many personal days does aterm employee have?

erm employee will have 2 personal leave

ys per year, pro-rated to the percentage

rked. If the term teacher works all year at

0% employment, 2 personal leave days are

owed. A term teacher working 50% every

y, is entitled to two half day personal leaves.

erm teacher working 50% every other day is

titled to 1 full day of

rsonal leave. For

her instances, please

ntact Chris Huppe,

man Resources

rson at the Divisionfice.



1. As of July 1, 2013, what will the base allowance of aK-8 principal be?

a) $1642.37

b) $5933.77

c) $7252.40

d) $4732.57

2. What is the maximum number of sick days a

teacher may accumulate?

a) 20

b) 95

c) 125

d) 200

3. What is the minimum grant amount a teacher

taking a year’s sabbatical can expect to receive?

a) $7000.00

b) $7650.00

c) $5000.00

d) there is no such thing as a sabbatical grant

4. A part-time teacher who is requested to participat

in a school activity outside of his/her regularly

scheduled teaching time is entitled to receive:

a) 1/200 of his/her salary, or portion thereof

b) time in lieu

c) substitute rate, or portion thereof

d) either a or b

5. How many days must a substitute teacher work

consecutively before he/she begins to accumulate

sick leave credits?

a) 10 days

b) 5 days

c) subs cannot accumulate sick days

How Well do You Know the SRTA Collective Agreemen

Send the answers to the following questions to Pat Liss at DTS [email protected] and be entered fo

chance to win one of four $25.00 Visa gift cards. Deadline: March 20, 2013. Draw will be ma

during our Spring Into Spring event at Dawson Trail Motor Inn on March 21, 2013.



Volleyball Announcement to DTS

Students, February 3, 2013:

Last Friday night, teachers from this school

achieved something quite remarkable. A

group of six guys and four women attended

the annual volleyball tournament in St.

Norbert, with an eye on taking home the

big prize. The evening started off well, with

pizza and sodas and the group thought

“Hey, this is pretty good… they’ve got

pepperoni and mushroom!” Little did they

know what glory

awaited them.

One by one they

beat every

volleyball foethrust into their

path. Teams from

all over the

division tried their

best to push this

group of DTS’ers

off their path, but

none were fully

up to the task. In

between games,

the players fueled up on more pizza and

veggies and dip, to try to keep their energyflowing. As the night wore on, it seemed

like they could do no wrong. One could say

it was destiny.

They went 5-0 in the round robin games

and entered the playoffs full of confidence

and Mountain Dew. Before game one of

the playoffs, an opponent

was overheard saying

“Who or what is DTS?”.

They won’t soon forget

that name.

With some clutch playsand superb serving, we moved past tha

team and on to the finals to face a hung

Ste. Anne’s team (they were hungry

because all the pizza was gone by that

point in the evening). This final was a

fought a

with bot

sides bat

back and

forth. Bu

at the enthat grue

thirteen

minute

game, th

team fro

DTS pulle

off and w

the who

darn thin

you see a

teacher in the hallway, ask if they know

this event from last Friday night; they m

just get a tear in their eye and say “Yes…

was there”.

David Roy,

Proud DTS staff member

SRSD VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTSRSD VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTSRSD VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT



Workplace Safety & Health

he Seine River School Division is making strides in implementing

overnment legislation in the areas of Violence and Harassment

n the Workplace. Workplace Safety Officer, Rob Beal has met

with the administrators in the division to educate them about the

olicies and the reporting forms. He has also created two quick

heets that cover both those areas and these can be found on

his page.

eport forms can be found on Sharepoint under the heading,

Workplace Safety and Health:



By Georgina Dyck-Hacault

This fall, I had the opportunity to

rticipate in the master’s level course

ucational Administration as a Field of

udy and Practice, which focussed on the

ain intellectual traditions in educational

ministration and on the analysis of the

rces which shape administrative

actice. During the past twelve weeks,r class looked: 1) at the theoretical

meworks which guide research, 2) how

ucational practice is affected by theory,

the strengths and weaknesses of the

eories studied, and 4) the processes

ministrators use to accomplish their

ork.

Perhaps the most beneficial part of

s course was the opportunity to

alogue with and learn from my

lleagues. In small groups, we each

taught part of the course, which allowed

us to research, digest, and present ourunderstanding of the topic. For example,

my group explored the concept of schools

as instruments of domination. We

researched the theory of domination,

applied it to the school setting, and then

examined the effect the theory had on

staff/pupils and the health statistics

behind it. Each theory examined by the

groups, contained language which, when

applied to the school, shaped our

understanding of the school, as well a

our individual and collective behaviou

within the organization. An

understanding of our individual behav

is key to working effectively with

students, staff, and community.



he SRTA PD Fund has been accessed by many teaching

rofessionals in our school division this year, to the tune of 74

pproved applications. There has been $44337.18 allocated to

rofessional development so far this year, with $18398.28

llocated in Term 1 In-Area and Out-of-Area PD, $15,322.66 (so

ar) in Term 2 In-Area and Out-of-Area PD, $9106.24 allocated

or University Coursework, and $1500 allocated for group

rojects. Term 3 In-Area and Out-of-Area applications can beent in starting March 15.

This semester I completed the

online course Mental Health in

Schools through NipissingUniversity. This course was very

good as it allowed me to

complete projects based on my

location rather than generic

assignments that do not

connect with my work.

The first project that we had to

do was to

research the

Mental Health

services in ourregion. This was

very interesting as I was able to

learn a lot about the services in

the area and have been able to

use that knowledge to support

students in our school.

The second project was to

develop a Mental Health week

plan for our school. The

flexibility of the project allowed

me to focus in on specific a

that are important in our sc

today and look at how toprovide information and

develop skills in our studen

The area I chose to focus on

was developing understand

and strategies in dealing wi

stressful situations for stud

Hopefully we can give the p

try this year.

Overall I enjoyed th

course although I m

the online discussiothat usually accomp

the courses I have previous

taken in this way. I felt this

more of a correspondence

course model than an onlin

course. The information th

was interesting and applica

to my work.

Teresa Yestrau



An Introduction to

Curriculum

by Derek Marvin

n Introduction to Curriculum

as a Masters’ level university

ourse that covered a basic

verview of all aspects of

urriculum development,mplementation, and

valuation. The course

xplored philosophical,

eoretical, and psychological

terpretations of curriculum.

also included a brief history

the evolution of curriculum,

hich helped bring to light

ow curriculum is used today.

hrough various assignments

nd course readings, Iflected on my own

xperiences and

nderstandings of curriculum.

made connections between

hat I was learning in

niversity, what I observed and

articipated in at Parc La Salle,

nd what I was practicing as a

acher.

When approaching the core

cademic curriculum, myhool’s administration is

ommitted to an adherence to

e formal Manitoba

urriculum as outlined in

pproved curricular

ocuments. These official

ocuments provide a

framework that outlines

specific content that is to be

taught at each grade level and

learning outcomes to be

assessed. Furthermore, the

school division mandates a

vast array of programs that are

intended to assist teachers in

implementing the formal

curriculum. Although Parc La

Salle recognizes the formal

curriculum as being

foundational for defining

learning goals, it is clear that

the school's administration is

continuously striving for

supplementary learning

outcomes that extend beyond

the formal curriculum.

At Parc La Salle, the primary

function of curriculum is indealing with the learners’

experiences. Outside of the

core academic

curriculum, our

school places a

strong emphasis on

outcomes such as

character

education, identity

building,

community-

building, and

cultural empathy. Additionally,

our school has introduced

programs such as "Roots of

Empathy" and peer-mentoring,

in order to facilitate

meaningful learning

experiences. As a teacher, I

am encouraged to approach

curriculum from a humanistic

perspective. I use centers,

group work, peer-mentoring,

field trips, and inquiry-based

projects that encourage social

interaction and self-realization.

These experiences allowstudents the opportunity to

engage in and explore valuable

learning experiences that

facilitate learning objectives

that are unplanned and

informal.

“At Parc La Salle, we take the

high road. We care about

ourselves, each other, our

school, and our community.

We show respect by using kind

words and actions, listeningthoughtfully, standing up for

our beliefs, and taking

responsibility for our actions

and learning. This is who we

are, now and in the future,

even when no one is

watching.” – Parc La Salle

This statement of philosophy is

reflected in the curriculum in a

number of ways. Character

education, classroom

democracy and citizenship,

and community-based lear

opportunities are seen as

school priorities and are

integrated throughout the

curriculum. Character

Education journals areincorporated into the litera

program of every classroom

Students are asked to write

and present their work at

monthly character educatio

assemblies. Students assum

important responsibilities a

roles in and out of the

classroom. Examples of th

roles include conflict mana

and bus patrols. Older grad

participate in cooperative

learning opportunities with

younger grades to encoura

peer-mentoring and schoo

community building.

My understanding of how o

school defines and utilizes

curriculum is in line with m

own philosophy. It endors

the foundational role that a

formal curriculum providesdirecting student learning,

it also acknowledges that

through spontaneous,

unscripted experiential

learning, a multitude of

valuable unplanned curricu

objectives can also be

achieved.



troduction to Education Research

DUA 5800

his course focused on the study of

ientific inquiry in the field of education.

allowed students to get acquainted with

e nature of disciplined inquiry and to

ok at the value of research on a

atistical level, the value of research on a

ractical level, and how this applies at a

hool level. Introduction to Educationesearch provides the background insight

to all aspects of the research process.

here are many steps necessary when

ompleting a research project including:

entifying the research problem, a

erature review, specifying the purpose

f your research, determining research

uestions and hypotheses, collecting data,

analyzing and interpreting data, reporting

and evaluating research.

Work in this course allowed students to

look at educational articles and reviews

with a critical eye. It is important for

teachers to pursue important aspects

validity, reliability, ethics, and practic

when talking about educational resea

reaching the classroom. Students wo

in small and large group settings to s

their ideas and grow through a

collaborative approach. It was intere

to work with teachers from many oth

backgrounds, as we all brought differ

viewpoints based on our day to day

experiences. We were provided withchance to conduct our own research,

becoming aware of the more commo

used procedures (both quantitative a

qualitative) that may be applied to

different types of research studies an

guidelines used in selecting appropria

research methods. Laird Lalu

Psychology of Human

Relationships

Erin Playfair

This past fall I was enrolled in

sychology of Human Relationships at the

niversity of Manitoba. This course is an

ective for completing a Guidance

ertificate in Manitoba. The course

rimarily focuses on communication in a

ariety of relationships. The relationships

nalyzed are mostly within families,

endships and work relationships. In

ddition, the course provided some

formation about deception and

ncertainty in relationships. The course

quired weekly chapter reviews, a term

aper and a photo essay.

The element of the course that I

und particularly interesting is the role

ew technology is taking in modern

ommunication. Since this was the area

at I believed to be the most relevant to

y role as a classroom teacher I decided

focus my research paper and photo

ssay on this topic. Most of the research I

d was on the use of cellular phones,

rimarily texting, in the school

nvironment. This is an issue that can be

ontroversial.

During my research I discovered

at psychologists have aptly named

enagers desire for extensive use of

xting and social media is ‘constant

ontact’. Some research shows that this

type of communication can have benefits

as it allows people to think about their

communication before they engage. Of

course, there are also negative elements

of ‘constant contact’ communication via

text messaging. Many psychologists have

identified the fear that this upcoming

generation will lack empathy as their

preferred communication is not ‘face to

face’. Throughout the research I searched

for some type of balance where students

are taught how to use new media and

technology as a tool for learning and

effective

communication ratherthan a way to

communicate

negatively. The result

is to find a balance

between personal and

technological

communication. Both

types have value and it

is critical to ensure

that each is done

morally and ethically.

Finally, the course

required an artisticinterpretation of inform

As an English and Drama

teacher I often make the

demands on my student

was initially unhappy wi

requirement as I did not

to represent my

understanding in a phot

essay. However, I took several pictu

and was able to show my understand

modern communication and the

expediential changes of communicat

our society. The experience of being

required to complete a project out o

‘comfort zone’ allowed me to unders

some of the feelings of my students

ideally, remember their perspective

the work they are given.



Introduction to Research in

ducation – Motivating students

in French Immersion

By Francine Lepage-Lemoine

st January I took my first course toward

y Master’s Degree in Education. This

all, I have taken my fourth. What an

nlightening journey it has been so far!he course I just completed was

ntroduction à la recherche enducation” . It is a mandatory course that

rovides the basic knowledge of all

pects of the research process. The steps

ecessary to complete a research project

e: identification of the research

roblem, literature review, specifying the

urpose of research, determining specific

search questions or hypotheses, data

ollection, analyzing and interpreting theata and reporting and evaluating

search. The course content enabled me

prepare for my eventual

omprehensive exam.

he course load was heavy: 6 critical

nalyses and one final project. For the

nal project, we had to develop all

pects of the research but not follow

rough with it.

he topic of my research was themmersion Program: specifically what

ctors motivate French Immersion

udents to speak French at the Grades 5

8 levels.

the Literature Review section of my

roject, according to Turnbull, Hart and

pkin (2001), on the Ontario English

rovincial exam, French Immersion

udents had similar or better scores than

e anglophone students in English

demonstrated higher reading levels than

other students not in French Immersion.

According to Lazaruk (2007), students

who are taught all subjects in French have

similar or better results than students in

English schools even in Math, Science and

History. Baker (2006) states that bilingual

children benefit from cognitive

advantages. They possess a developed

linguistic awareness, a great flexibility of

reflection and a greater internal capacityto examine language.

The Immersion program, however, is not

without its’ challenges. Only 10% of

eligible students are registered in the

Immersion program. The

greatest dropout rate from

the Immersion program

occurs at the Grade 8 level.

Some Immersion high

schools have difficulty

offering their students

certain courses due to lack of

enrollment in those courses

or lack of qualified French

speaking specialists.

The purpose of the project was to see if

something could be done at the junior

high level that would inspire students to

continue their education in French. I

elaborated a survey whereby students at

the Grades 5 to 8 levels would have to

rate the importance of certain activities in

motivating them to speak French. Lucille

Mandin, professor at the University of

Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean, gives a course

entitled “Moi comme apprenant delangue” in which students must complete

a portfolio identifying key moments in

their academic experience that influenced

their choice to continue in French. Here is

what some of her students reported as

being instrumental factors: participating

in student exchanges to Québec and/orFrance, a good Immersion program, the

fact of having a job where the student

needed to be bilingual, and having the

opportunity to interact with

Francophones.

The students also reported where

improvements could have been made:

having pronunciation corrected more

often, having many occasions to learn

more vocabulary, having a safe place to

chances for oral communication. Fina

the students revealed that the ultima

decision to continue studying in Frenc

belongs to the learner.

These students were in University wh

they came to this realization. It is

imperative that all junior high French

Immersion teachers stay the course.

Together, students, teachers,

administrators and parents, must com

to creating a rich academic milieu whthe French language and culture is

perpetuated and where students bec

impassioned and inspired to continue

lifelong learning of a second language

srta newsletter march 2013

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