mardi le 3 septembre, 2013

Bienvenue la classe de franais!

Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s),

"Bienvenue" and welcome back to school! I hope that
everyone enjoyed a refreshing summer. Below you will find
some information about me as the Core French teacher, as
well as a bit about the French program this year.

Who is Mademoiselle Cluff?
In Kindergarten, I was enrolled in the French Immersion
program in Ottawa and later went on to obtain my bilingual
certificate in Grade 12. I continued my French training at
the post-secondary level at Trent University where I
completed my Bachelor of Arts degree. During this time I also took my first steps in
becoming an elementary teacher as part of the Queens-Trent Concurrent-Education
program. I went on to complete my fifth and final year of schooling at Queens University
where I graduated with my Bachelor of Education.

Although I am originally from Ottawa, I have recently moved to Carleton Place. As a
competitive dancer of 18 years, I look forward to teaching both drama and dance to all of
the grades this year. I also enjoy writing and baking!

I am pleased to be returning to North Elmsley for my third year as the Core French
teacher and I am thoroughly excited about being back to work with both new and former
students in the upcoming school year.

The New French Curriculum & The AIM Program
This is an exciting year for French classes in Ontario! The Ministry of Education has
implemented a new curriculum for the 2014-2015 school year. The new curriculum calls for
significant changes in Ontario Core French classes. It calls for a more authentic, action-
oriented approach to provide more opportunities to learn real-world French, and to
speak spontaneously. There is also more focus on exploring French-speaking communities in
Canada and the world. If you would like to have a look at the new curriculum, please visit:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/fsl18-2013curr.pdf

For those new to the French program, I incorporate strategies and tools from the
Accelerative Integrated Methodology (AIM) across all grade levels. This approach allows
language development to be supported and nurtured within the familiar context of stories
that are written in the form of plays. These plays become the focus for a range of
motivating language activities that encourage students to develop confidence and
mardi le 3 septembre, 2013
competence in French as they progress through each story unit. Another component of
this program is the Gesture Approach, a technique that uses hand signs to help students
learn and remember this important vocabulary found in the plays, songs and other
activities. There is an equal emphasis on the development of all four language skills
(reading, writing, listening and speaking) through a program that meets the needs of all
language learners and their learning styles. Activities are varied, so that students have the
opportunity to work individually, in partners, in small groups, and as a whole class.

French Class & Homework
Since French class is often the only time when students have the opportunity to
communicate in a different language, I expect all students to be practicing and speaking in
French. The first few months of school in particular will focus on speaking to communicate
in order for students to get into the routine of using their French during class time. As
the year progresses, I will gradually introduce more vocabulary and incorporate French
culture into the classroom as well!

The majority of the French program takes place in the classroom in order for students to
make use of the language resources available in the French room as much as possible
(dictionaries, word wall, posters, language tools, etc.). However, work that is not complete
during class time will occasionally be sent home.
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As I mentioned above, I am excited about working with your child during the 2014-2015
academic year. If you use social media, I encourage you to follow and like my pages as I
regularly post details about what is taking place inside of the French classroom. I welcome
any questions or comments as they may arise, and am looking forward to a great year!
Please dont hesitate to contact me by phone through the school or by email at any time.


Sincerely,



Courtney Cluff Facebook: La classe de Mademoiselle Cluff
courtney.cluff@ucdsb.on.ca Twitter: @MissCourtneyCee

Useful sites to check out!

French/English dictionary: www.wordreference.com
To correct written work in French: www.bonpatron.com
French radio station -- excellent for listening practice: www.radio-canada.ca/jeunesse/petits
French games and videos: www1.tfo.org/mini/Videos
mardi le 3 septembre, 2013