It’s French Week in Yorkton, and St. Michael’s School is showcasing the value of the French language all week through different programs and activities.
The goal of the week is to show off the French language to people who might not otherwise be interested, says Charlotte Lovequist, teacher at St. Michaels heading up the week. The school itself has both a French Immersion track and an English track for students, but for French week everyone sees a bit of French in their lives, and all of the activities are built around the French language.
“We’re doing a switch, we’re immersing the English students in French.”
The cap of the week is an outdoor festival on Friday, and Lovequist says people of the community are invited to join them.
French is associated with cold weather, and Lovequist says that it’s inspired by festivals in Quebec that celebrate the winter season.
“It just seems like winter is a good time to celebrate being sturdy and tough Canadians surviving winter. French has always been a part of that culture.”
The big showcase everyone can see is the snow sculpture in front of the school, welcoming people with a big Bonjour. Lovequist says that it was a cold and difficult day putting it together, with the variable weather making for a hard day of carving. The parents, teachers and students who put it together deserve recognition for their efforts. Parents in charge of designing and sculpting were Stan Reed and Chad McDowell. Teachers assisting were Lovequist, Breanne Kelly, Darrell Richardson, Christine Richardson, Narom Sing, Liz Chapman, Warren Burrel and Canadian Parents for French president and School Community Council President Marinda van Heerden. The Grade 5 class packed the snow into boxes to prepare for sculpting.
