Toronto, April 2, 2020 – While the Ministry of Education and school boards rollout platforms for virtual participation, Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) is announcing online extracurricular resources to assist close to 1 million students in French Second Language programs.
“We know parents are looking for ways to help their children maintain their French while schools are closed. As such, we have put together a list of movies, music, tutoring services, and activities on our Canadian Parents for French (Ontario) website for parents and educators. The more parents can continue to immerse their children in the French language and culture during the closure, the better,” said Denise Massie, president of Canadian Parents for French (Ontario).
Last week Canadian Parents for French also launched a virtual French public speaking competition called Concours virtuel – Ensemble à distance. The project invites students to record short videos, en français, sharing what life is like right now while schools are closed. Students are then encouraged to share their videos online. The contest is also a fundraiser for Food Banks Canada, which has been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The longer schools are closed, the more parents will be looking for ways to help immerse their children in experiences – any experiences – where children can practice their French,” added Betty Gormley, executive director, Canadian Parents for French (Ontario). “Our mission in the coming weeks and possibly months is to provide online resources and ongoing support, as best as we can.”
Contact: Betty Gormley, Executive Director
Canadian Parents for French (Ontario)
bgormley@on.cpf.ca