Chapter Organization:
A ten member
Executive Committee was established. The Executive meets on a
monthly basis to organize Chapter activities and initiatives.
The Executive is drawn from CPF members with children at French
Immersion schools across the City and also includes two elementary
school teachers.
The first Executive
meeting was held January 17, 2002. Copies of Executive meeting
minutes are sent to all Hamilton FI schools with a letter asking
that they be posted for a month and then kept in a binder (provided
by the Chapter) for parents to view.
The CPF Contact,
Treasurer, Membership Secretary, Special Events Coordinator and
Newsletter Editor were selected from the Executive Committee.
A Mission Statement
and Goals for the Hamilton-Wentworth Chapter were developed.
A bank account
was opened at Hamilton Community Credit Union with signing authority
by the Treasurer and Membership Secretary.
An e-mail address
was set up for public inquiries.
A Chapter logo
was developed, to be used on all correspondence and the web site.
A Chapter Web
Site was developed. The Chapter applied for and received free
server space from the Hamilton-Wentworth Community Net.
French Language Activities:
A Parent Information
Night was held on March 19 at Norwood Park School. The Information
Night was to tell parents about French Immersion students' performance
on Grade 3 Provincial tests, and provide homework tips &
resources. The guest speaker was Claudette Sims, French Language
Consultant from the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
Refreshments were provided by the Norwood Park School Council.
Door prizes were provided by Ms. Sims and by the Scholar's Choice
Book Store. The session was attended by approximately 60 parents.
The Chapter
held a French Book Sale on May 14, 2002 at Earl Kitchener School.
Books, videos, computer games and teacher resource materials
were sold by the Libraire Champlain bookstore. The event was
publicized to parents, teachers and librarians at the public
and separate School Boards. Hamilton Francophone schools were
sent a French translation of the book sale poster. Approximately
$5,000 worth of products was sold. CPF materials were displayed
and membership applications provided at the sale.
Membership Outreach:
CPF Hamilton
Wentworth has grown from 13 memberships in November 2001 to a
total of 42 memberships in May 2002 as the result of the activities
below.
The first Chapter
newsletter was produced in February 2002. 1900 copies were printed.
The newsletter was sent by School Board inter-office mail to
all FI students & teachers, and to Board staff and school
trustees. Copies of the newsletter were also distributed at various
school events. The February newsletter provided an introduction
to the new Chapter, a CPF application form, an update on the
School Board's FI Review, listed upcoming FI kindergarten information
nights and advertised the Chapter's EQAO Information Night.
The Chapter
web site was updated frequently and the URL was listed in the
newsletter.
As new members
joined the Chapter, the Membership Secretary phoned them to welcome
them to CPF, confirm their contact information and tell them
about Chapter activities.
An e-mail list
of all members was complied. This list was used to remind members
about Chapter events and to notify them of School Board meetings
related to the FI Review.
Fifty copies
of the "Keys to French" were provided to the Chapter
by CPF Ontario. This publication was sent to both new and existing
members, with a "thank you for joining" note.
The Membership
Secretary contacted members from unrepresented FI Schools to
invite them to join the Executive Committee. This initiative
is ongoing.
Recruitment
of new members took place at several FI schools. The Chapter
display was set up and copies of CPF pamphlets were distributed
at Chapter events as well as other school functions (such as
the French Café held at Norwood Park School, and the open
house at Earl Kitchener School). Pamphlets and posters were provided
by CPF Ontario to use in the membership drive.
Chapter members
provided CPF media kits to local newspaper, radio & TV stations.
Radio stations Oldies 1150, K-lite FM, and CHAM Country played
the CPF PSA once daily between March 4 and April 30 (a total
of 171 times and total value of $12,825).
A second newsletter
was produced in May 2002. 1800 copies of this newsletter were
printed and it was distributed to all FI students and teachers,
as well as Board staff and Trustees. The May newsletter contained
an invitation to the Chapter's French book sale, an update on
the Board's FI Review, a report on French language events held
by local schools, information about local French summer camps
and a CPF application form.
French Language Education
Advocacy:
Chapter members
attended the five Kindergarten Information nights held by the
public School Board. The CPF display was set up and Chapter members
answered questions about parent involvement in French Immersion
education and encouraged parents to enrol in the program. The
information nights took place as follows:
· February 18 Waterdown High 30 parents
· February 19 G.R. Allan 40 parents
· February 26 Janet Lee School 25 parents
· February 27 Glen Echo School 50 parents
· March 4 Norwood Park 40 parents
The Chapter
provided written comments to the Hamilton Wentworth District
School Board in January 2002 in response to its review of Hamilton's
French Immersion Program. The Chapter also made presentations
to the Board on February 11 and April 15, 2002. Peter Kenwood
from the CPF Ontario Board of Directors also appeared at the
April 15 meeting to provide a Provincial perspective on French
Immersion. The Chapter spoke in support of the French Immersion
Program and requested that the School Board consider providing
bus transportation, increase funding for French Immersion and
increase the promotion of the FI Program. The Review is ongoing
and the Chapter will continue to address the Board and update
its members as required.
In May 2001,
the Chapter submitted an application nominating Claudette Sims,
the French as a Second Language Curriculum Consultant for the
Hamilton Wentworth District School Board for CPF Ontario's W.R.
McGillivray Award.
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