Latest news with #FrenchImmersion
Hamilton Spectator
28-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Prince Albert French Immersion teacher receives Second-Language Champion of the Year Award
Ecole St. Mary High School teacher Rémi Joncas has been recognized for his contributions to French Immersion in the province of Saskatchewan. Canadian Parents for French (CPF-Saskatchewan) recently named Joncas as one of their French-Second-Language Champion of the Year Award winners for 2024-2025. The award recognizes the work of staff members at the school or school division level. Joncas said he was nominated for the work he does behind the scenes. 'We do a lot for French Immersion,' he said. 'In my class and outside, I've done lots of volunteering for CPF and it doesn't seem like I do a lot like in front of the scene, but I do a lot behind the scenes for their organization, getting a lot of their web page and publicity and E-mail and preparing all the documents and all this stuff. It's a lot of work.' The CPF said recepients are positive advocates for and contributors to the French-Second-Language learning environment. They also inspired students of all abilities and backgrounds to learn French. Joncas said he doesn't do the work to win awards, but being recognized is still special. 'It's always really heart-warming to know that people appreciate what you do,' Joncas said. The organization says that Joncas is an outstanding French immersion teacher at École St. Mary High School in Prince Albert. His nominators mentioned his advocacy for all high school students regardless of where they attend school, whether it is where he teaches, at Carlton Comprehension Public High School or École Valois. As well as his approachability and positive attitude, he is a great mentor and role model for all students, the nominators said. He coordinated French events for French immersion students, particularly for younger students. Joncas continually promotes French in all areas of his life as he proudly shares his Acadian heritage. His passion for French reaches back to his time at university, as he is a former assistant teacher and translator at Unversité de Moncton and worked as a museum guide at Dalhousie University. Sonia Mollison and Jara MacFarlane nominated Joncas for the award. 'We work as a really great team, Jara MacFarlane and Sonia they are the nominators and they were just awesome,' Joncas said. 'They believe in the cause and it (French Immersion) is just something that we want. We want the French kids to have more French opportunities and we're trying really hard.' Joncas said supporting French Immersion is important because French is an official language in Canada and there is a vast French heritage in Saskatchewan. 'When the Metis people came here. That was one of the languages they spoke,' he said. 'Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont, they spoke French and Michif as well. (In) Bellevue and a lot of communities in Saskatchewan, it's tied to the history of our country. 'French is a world language,' he added. 'You'll find French on all five continents of the world.' Joncas himself comes from another French speaking sub group in Canada as he is of Acadian decent. He encourages parents and students to continue on the path of French Immersion, 'I would tell students and parents, 'I know sometimes French it is hard. You don't hear a lot of French in Prince Albert, but keep going, It's worth it totally, this will open the world to you and it creates your identity.' I've seen so many people saying that that even after they have this tie to the French language or even French media, French songs, French movies, it's a whole different world of opportunities and it's so good. Keep going, it's working.' Canadian Parents for French is a nationwide, research-informed, volunteer organization that furthers bilingualism by promoting opportunities to learn and use French for all those who call Canada home. The other winners in Saskatchewan were Danielle Brûlé-Lundgren of École Lakeview School in Saskatoon and Bonnie Pendleton of École St. Michael's School in Yorkton. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
25-06-2025
- Science
- Hamilton Spectator
‘It meant something': Ecole St. Mary Class of 2025 celebrates success
Ecole St. Mary High School celebrated the Class of 2025 as they walked across the stage at the Art Hauser Centre on Tuesday. Oliver Hunter-Providenti was named valedictorian. He said the news came as a surprise. 'I'm still kind of processing it,' he said. 'I wasn't really expecting to be named. 'It kind of proves to me that all the hard work I put into high school paid off, it meant something,' he added. Hunter-Providenti described the St. Mary graduating Class of 2025 as a strong one. At times during his high school experience, he wondered how much it would really matter. He said being named Valedictorian put high school into context and made him realize it was important. 'My best friends are all from elementary school, so I don't know, I always expected that to be kind of more defining for my life, but I was surprised,' he explained. 'Like I said, I think it really just showed me that this was something (important) and that my work paid off.' During his speech on Monday, Hunter-Providenti said that his best memory of Ecole St. Mary was his first day. 'I came here in Grade 10,' he remembered. 'I started in Ecole Valois, a small school right. I went from having four people in my class to probably over 200 in my grade. I guess it seems kind of daunting. I had no idea what to expect. 'On my first day I was kind of scared, and within like five minutes of me sitting down in my first class on my first day of school in Grade 10 at St. Mary I made a friend and that friend stuck with me for the next three years. That's like probably the thing I remember most about the school,' he said. 'It's pretty special, right? (It was) not at all what I expected. It is a nice surprise.' Hunter-Providenti has already enrolled in Arts and Science at the University of Saskatchewan. He'll be attending classes in the fall. 'I'm planning on doing chemistry right now just because that was the high school class that interested me the most, so why not try that in university too, but obviously it's Arts and Sciences. You have to take a bit of whatever and we'll see if something else is interesting. Then I'll switch into that,' he said. Eventually he wants to transfer to a university in Quebec, his sister is studying at Concordia, and he does not know whether it will be an English or French university. Hunter-Provendti began working on his Valedictorian speech weeks before graduation. 'I had no idea what to say because … I wasn't planning on this. I have a small social circle, and because I'm also in French Immersion that also kind of compounds that. I don't know how many people actually know who I am, besides the people I know. It's strange because I don't really want to ramble or just be like, oh, who's this guy talking? I'll try to keep it short and sweet but we'll see what I can do.' Tuesday's graduation also included an awards ceremony. Hunter-Providenti won the second academic award and Sadie McFarlane won the third academic. Arwa Kondi, who was unable to attend, received the Governor General Scholarship, the Governor General's Medal and the First Academic Award. After the diplomas were handed out and before the official part of the ceremony, Bishop Stephen Hero and others performed the Liturgy of the Word which had the Spiritual Theme 'Living Christ's Mission'. Mayor Bill Powalinsky brought greetings from the City. Board of Education chair Suzanne Stubbs brought greetings on behalf of the board of education. The emcees for the graduation were Michael Edet and Denis Orsar. McFarlane gave the Salutary Address. The day concluded with an address from principal Dwayne Gareau. Hunter-Providenti did have a final message for students: try to have fun in school. 'In my Grade 11 year I was a bit of a workaholic,' he said. 'I didn't really have any time for myself and it was draining. It didn't just affect my mood at school. It was at home and everything.' He said that in Grade 12 he tried to take it a little bit easier and it made a difference in his mood and he was much more content. 'Last year was just the same grind every day and I didn't have much fun and it definitely affected my Grade 11 experience,' Hunter-Providenti said. 'Grade 10 was fine because it was grade 10 and the novelty, I guess of high school was still a thing or this high school anyways, and it's Grade 10. You're not as busy and obviously it gets harder as you go on. Just make sure you have fun, but don't take things too seriously because like I said, it's high school, but it can still be worth something, so just live.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
Grade 5 student from Sault Marie on being Mayor for a Day
Northern Ontario Watch Taylor May Brown, a Grade 5 French Immersion student from Sault Ste. Marie outlines the changes she would make as a "Mayor for a Day."
Hamilton Spectator
13-06-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Stouffville to Unveil New Baker Hill Park on June 17
A long-anticipated park in Stouffville's growing Baker Hill neighbourhood will be officially unveiled next week, offering residents a wide range of outdoor amenities and inclusive play spaces. The Town will host a grand opening event for the new Ward 4 park at 4 p.m. on June 17, during which its official name will be announced. The 1.2-hectare green space, located at 401 Baker Hill Blvd., is already open to the public and forms part of a broader subdivision development. Positioned adjacent to York Region District School Board's new French Immersion school , Spring Lakes PS, the park is expected to serve both local families and students. Spring Lakes PS will open this September, offering French Immersion programming to students from across Stouffville. The park's final design was shaped in part by community input gathered during a public meeting held on Jan. 25, 2024. Additional considerations included budget limitations and long-term operational needs identified through the planning process. The project was led by Northern Lights Landscape Architects, with the Town providing project oversight. Amenities include both junior and senior playgrounds with accessible features, a full basketball court that doubles as a seasonal skating rink, a tennis court, four pickleball courts, a pavilion, seating areas, and walking paths. Accessible playground elements were made possible through donations from the Stouffville Lions Club and For Little Monkeys Charity, an organization supported by the Whitchurch-Stouffville Legacy Fund. The charity hosts fundraising events and supports initiatives benefiting neurodivergent children and their families. 'The Town gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Stouffville Lions Club, as well as For Little Monkeys Charity with funding from the Stouffville Legacy Fund,' Town spokesperson Glenn Jackson said in comments to Bullet Point News. 'Their generous donations supported the installation of equipment specifically designed for neurodivergent users and children with accessibility needs.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
La. Legislature passes bill clarifying gun laws at parades
BATON ROUGE, La. () — A bill awaiting Gov. Jeff Landry's signature has passed clarifying that paradegoers, but not riders, may carry concealed weapons. provides for a person to carry a concealed weapon as a spectator at a parade or demonstration. (R-Bossier City) explains that the bill is a clarifier, it doesn't rewrite the current law. 'Once again, we got into a little bit of debating about whether or not you should be able to, but that really doesn't have to do with HB393,' Bamburg said. 'I mean, it's just really clarifying what the word 'in' means. Because even when they were discussing it in committee they had to use a person in or at a parade; so 'in' or 'at' would mean that if you're a participant 'in' the parade you would be prohibited from carrying a weapon.' Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Bamburg adds that the law reads those who are 'in' a parade are not allowed to carry. Concerns have been raised about public safety with armed bystanders in a crowd. 'As you know, many of the people that go attend the parade either in a parade, on a parade route, or at a parade plan on going and having a few drinks,' he said. 'Those people should still keep their weapons at home because they are not legally carrying a weapon if they are intoxicated while they are in these situations or any situation for that matter.' Bamburg said he expects Gov. Landry to sign the bill into law. 'I think he'll be supportive of this bill because it clarifies it for law enforcement, it clarifies for the citizens of Louisiana, it clarifies for people that are in a parade,' Bamburg said. 'Although many of the people have to sign a waiver saying, 'Hey, our liability doesn't cover you to carry a weapon while you're in a parade regardless.' So, this is simply a clarification of current law.' The bill provides that the law applies to all parades or demonstrations for which a government entity has issued a permit. Sluggish start to Atlantic hurricane season | Tracking the Tropics Former LSU football player arrested after motorcycle crash kills Texas woman Lafayette High graduate wins award for French Immersion education Louisiana Senate adds $1.2 billion to budget for one-time projects Bannon calls for special counsel probe of Musk Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
