 Adapted from: https://cpf.cmail20.com/t/ViewEmail/j/7661389A782E4C0A2540EF23F30FEDED/2540670FCE52AB973EDEEDC46EB9B960 VICTORIA - Students are joining in French immersion Celebration Week events from Feb. 4-10, 2019, marking 50 years of the education program helping students in B.C. to become bilingual. “As we celebrate 50 years of French immersion in the province, let’s reflect upon how incredibly positive it is that so many B.C. families see the benefits of bilingualism, and that French immersion is growing tremendously in popularity,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Education. “This week is a great chance to shine a bright light on the educators and school staff who are creating innovative French language programs that empower kids throughout British Columbia.”  Above: Parents from Greater Vancouver and the Island meet in 1978 to discuss joining forces to advocate for French immersion in B.C. The group would later become CPF BC & Yukon. Learning French can connect kids to Franco Canadian culture and enriches travel experiences to countries where French is spoken. Studies show bilingualism has a positive impact on children’s intellectual development, giving them a better aptitude for learning new concepts, problem solving and multi-tasking. Being bilingual also opens more job opportunities. “With the growing popularity of French Immersion, it becomes even more important to have programs and services available in the province for people who speak French,” said Adrian Dix, Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs in B.C. “It is very gratifying to me to know that French language and culture in our Province are strong and continue to flourish in large part because of our French Immersion students, teachers and families.” “We want to thank all the parents and educators who have given so many hours over the years to promoting and supporting bilingualism in communities all around the province,” said Glyn Lewis, executive director of the Canadian Parents for French – B.C. & Yukon. “Thanks in large part to their efforts, hundreds of thousands of young British Columbians have been enriched over the years by learning our official languages. What an incredible milestone to celebrate!”  Above: Skating with Bonhomme Carnaval is a popular activity put on by many CPF BC & Yukon Chapters to celebrate French-Canadian culture. Students, teachers and families throughout the province will participate in French-inspired events organized by the Canadian Parents for French. Many schools will host events, and some are open to the public, including:
  Above: Storyteller Anne Glover performs with a Grade 12 student at École Pitt River Middle School, February 5th 2019.  Above: Mr. Henri Roy (left), student in the inaugural French immersion class at Alderson Elementary in 1968-69 along with lifelong friend, and Coquitlam district language coordinator, Mme. Sophie Bergeron (right). Quick Facts:
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 The extremely popular Explore program has expanded! There is now a three-week option for students aged 13-15 to participate in this enriching immersion experience all in French at one of three sites: Jonquière, Que., La Pocatière, Que., and Moncton, New Brunswick. There is a registration fee of $275 and students pay their return transportation to the site. Participants in Explore can receive funding that covers tuition fees for the program, instructional materials, meals and accommodations, workshops, and other activities. The program will be offered twice in 2019: July 1 to 22 and July 22 - August 12. Visit the website myexplore.ca and choose the youth option for more details. Students need to have completed their application by February 15, 2019.
 Tuesday, February 5th, 2019 marks the first day of the year of the Pig, according to the traditional Chinese calendar. According to the Chinese astrology, 2019 is a great year to make money, and a good year to invest! 2019 is going to be full of joy, a year of friendship and love for all the zodiac signs; an auspicious year because the Pig attracts success in all the spheres of life. Just in time for the big day, your French students can learn and discuss the cultural similarities and differences with these activity worksheets we have created. Gong hei fat choy! 
Adapted from: https://www.surreyschools.ca/NewsEvents/Posts/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=659
The Dhahan Prize Youth Award is the only one of its kind in B.C.. It aims to encourage storytelling and experience-sharing by students, not only to promote literacy and strengthen the Punjabi language among Canadian-born youth, but to foster tolerance and understanding. The contest invites senior secondary students from across the province to submit their Punjabi-language stories. This year, 41 short stories were submitted and translated into English. An independent jury judged the writing and winners were selected. Students won a $500 cash prize and their stories are published in an anthology that will also be distributed free to Surrey schools. Five of the eight Dhahan prizes were awarded to students from Surrey School District's Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and L. A. Matheson secondary schools. The other winning students were from North Delta Secondary and two students from Abbotsford's Dashmesh School. The awards were handed out at a ceremony on October 21 at the University of British Columbia. Submissions for the Dhahan Prize 2019 are now being accepted online. It has been ten years since BCATML has bestowed a Lifetime Honorary Award. This prestigious award recognizes the outstanding contributions an individual has made to BCATML and its members, as well as promoting the teaching of second languages in British Columbia. At this year's Celebrating Languages Conference, BCATML's Executive Committee decided to honour two outstanding educational leaders who have clearly demonstrated an unwavering commitment towards second language education, not only in British Columbia, but also across Canada. This year's recipients are Diane Tijman and Dr. Wendy Carr. Both Diane Tijman and Dr. Wendy Carr served on BCATML's Executive Committee in a variety of roles, including president between 2004-2006 and 2006-2008, respectively. They each have also served with the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers (CASLT), as well as Canadian Parents for French (CPF). While neither could be in attendance at this year's Annual General Meeting, both expressed their gratitude and heartfelt thanks for this award and were with us in spirit through the day tweeting from the Canadian Parents for French national convention. Congratulations and felicitations!
 Members of BCATML's new and old Executive Committee. From left to right: Cindy Lister, Antonella Garcia, Tanya Campbell, Jacqueline Alvarado Cruz, Angela Kleine-Buning, Wendy Yamazaki, Stacia Johnson, Kindra Harte, Andrew McFayden, Ping Li, Stacey Sveistrup, Amandeep Chhina, Grace Ho, Trish Kolber, Rome Lavrencic. Friday, October 19th, 2018
BCATML's signature event - Celebrating Languages - brought together over 400 Second Language Teachers, Educators, Retirees, TTOCs, Pre-Service Teachers, Exhibitors, Publishers, and Ministry representatives from différents parts of BC, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, the United States, and Saxony, Germany! This was a truly international second languages conference. At the Annual General Meeting, the BCATML membership voted in its new Executive Committee for 2018-19. They are: Rome Lavrencic (President), Stacey Sveistrup (Vice-President), Wendy Yamazaki (Treasurer), Antonella Garcia (Secretary & Membership), Tanya Campbell (Elementary & Middle Years Rep.), Trish Kolber (French Rep.), Angela Kleine-Buning (German Rep.), Grace Ho (Japanese Rep.), Ping Li (Mandarin Rep.), Andrew McFayden (Other Languages Rep.), Amandeep Chhina (Punjabi Rep.), Kindra Harte (Spanish Rep.), and Cindy Lister (Web Manager). President Rome Lavrencic gave special acknowledgement to this year's Conference Co-Chairs, Stacey Sveistrup and Kindra Harte, as well as the other members of the Conference Committee for their outstanding leadership and tireless commitment towards hosting an incredible day of learning and inspiration for all. Special thanks and acknowledgement were also given to this year's Executive retirees. Stacia Johnson has served on the Executive Committee for the last four years in the roles of Japanese Rep and Other Languages Rep. Jacqueline Alvarado Cruz has served on the Executive Committee for the last two years in the role of Spanish Rep. BCATML thanks both of these incredible women for their volunteerism and commitment towards improving second language education for all of British Columbia. ^RL The Ministry of Education has recently updated its website and provided a number of resources and tools for teachers, parents, and students to use aligned to the redesigned curriculum. The Ministry has committed to providing new supports for classroom assessment over the next two years. One of the materials in the recent update includes the Assessment Literacy in B.C. video as well as several Kindergarten to Grade 9 classroom assessment supports.
Visit https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/classroom-assessment-and-reporting for more details. BCATML will vote its new Executive Committee at this year's Annual General Meeting at the Richmond Executive Airport Plaza Hotel on Friday, October 19th, 2018. Nominations from the floor will be called three times. All contested positions will be voted by a single slate ballot. Nominated names may only be submitted for a single position. Only active BCTF members in good standing with BCATML may run for office and vote. This year's list of nominees are as follows: Table Officers: President: Rome Lavrencic Vice-President: Stacey Sveistrup Treasurer: Wendy Yamazaki Secretary & Membership: Antonella Garcia Other Members: Elementary/Middle Years: Tanya Campbell French representative: Trish Kolber German representative: Angela Kleine-Buning Japanese representative: Grace Ho Mandarin representative: Ping Li Punjabi representative: Amandeep Chhina Spanish representative: Kindra Harte Other Languages rep: Andrew McFayden Web Manager: Cindy Lister For a full listing all Executive roles and responsibilities, please visit our website (www.bcatml.org) under the About tab or download the summary in the file below.
BCATML's Executive Committee regularly reviews its constitution and makes necessary amendments as needed. At this year's Annual General Meeting on Friday, October 19th at the Richmond Executive Airport Plaza Hotel, BCATML will present an amendment to its constitution.
Motion: That Article 5 – Committees be amended to remove all co-positions as per BCTF recommendation and policy, and to add the role of Web Manager to the Executive. The Executive Committee shall not exceed 14 members. The proposed amendment will read as follows: Article 5 - Committees 1. The executive committee shall consist of the Past-president and the following members in good standing, all to be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the BCATML, for a term of one year. The executive committee shall not exceed 14 members. a. Table officers: b. Other members: i. Past-president i. Elementary/Middle Years Rep ii. President ii. French representative iii. Vice-president iii. German representative iv. Secretary/Membership iv. Japanese representative v. Treasurer v. Mandarin representative vi. Punjabi representative vii. Spanish representative viii. Other Languages representative ix. Web Manager The constitution may be amended by a 75 percent majority vote of members present at the Annual General Meeting. Only active BCTF members in good standing with BCATML are eligible to vote.
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How to post:BCATML's Executive members can add news items here. Please email BCATML president at psac51@bctf.ca or your Language Rep with a news item or pro-d opportunity that you would like to share. Archives
February 2021
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BCATML is the BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages, a Provincial Specialist Association of the BC Teachers' Federation.
Website last updated February 11, 2021. |
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