31 May 2014

Deja-Nous French Music

Interested in bringing French music to your school? Contact Jean-Jacques Psaute, band leader of Deja-Nous. Here is a letter from Jean-Jacques about the work his group does.

We promote French culture through music and our repertoire includes songs targeted for younger audiences, perfect for schools.
 
We just played at Swanton High School and all the children enjoyed very much our show. They ended up dancing in the library where we performed. It was fun watching that! I invite you to contact the French teacher at Swanton High School, Miss Sarah Tanner at sarahtanner@fnwsu.org 
 
I invite you to visit our website www.teromanceofparis.com and I am pleased to send you 2 references from the Alliance Francaise President and from the Professor at the head of the French Program at UVM.

Travel Scholarships for French Students

Paris by Design Offers Travel Scholarships for French Students


Beginning in September, my small business, Paris by Design, will award $300 in scholarships each year. 
Why am I doing this? 

Discovering the French language and culture as an 11 year old changed my life. I grew up in a small town, and my family rarely traveled. A 6th grade French class opened my view of the world, introducing me to books, music, art, architecture, people and experiences I would never have found otherwise. That discovery led me to live in France, and ultimately, it determined my work.

Now I’m delighted to help young people discover my beloved French culture
Bien cordialement,
Karen
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Karen Kane

http://www.parisbydesign.com
Creating authentic and extraordinary Paris visits - and insider experiences in Montreal!

200 Hammett Hill Road
East Montpelier, VT  05651  USA
tel:  802.456.8770
skype: parisbydesign

Summer Plans

We asked you, our members, what your summer plans are. Here are some of your responses.

-I am attending an Oxbridge Summer Program in Paris, France for eight days, learning about contemporary culture and arts, as I need to renew my teaching license in French and can’t think of a better way to do it! Keri Bristow, Woodstock Union Middle High School

-I will be taking a course, The Role of Assessment and Technology in a Differentiated Classroom, through the Castleton Center for Schools. Natalie Chaput, Woodstock Union High School

-I will be taking a course based on Educational Psychology to compliment the Neurolinguistics coursework that I completed earlier this year. Meghan Kelley, Shelburne Community School

-I am travelling to Bogotá, Colombia for cultural immersion. I will be contacting schools for possible pen pals or collaborations for next year. Olga Saldarriaga, BFA Saint Albans

-For the first time, I will be traveling with students! I am going to the town of Joigny in Burgundy, France, with one other chaperone and 10 students from Hanover High School. Joigny is Hanover's sister city and these 10 students are participating in an exchange. The best part? The whole trip has already been planned! Allison Litten, Marion Cross School, Norwich

-I’m attending the AP Institute at St. Johnsbury. I’ve heard that the courses are just great all-around professional development. Even though I do not plan to teach AP French, I look forward to the different perspective.

Convention 2014


On 21 March, nearly 75 language teachers from around Vermont came together at St. Michael's College for the 2014 Annual Convention.  Our theme this year, "Languages Nourish the Brain," proved to be a dynamic and engaging program led by Dartmouth College Neuroscientist Chris Jernstedt. HIs compelling presentation enlightened the audience with the latest findings in neuroscience as they relate to language learning. Speaking of Chris and his presentation one attendee states, "He was outstanding. His presentation was engaging, relevant and challenging. I feel like I learned important information, and feel inspired to follow up by looking at my practice and incorporating my new knowledge."

Even exhibitors were interested
in what Chris had to share!
We were thrilled to offer our convention this year in a beautiful new space at St. Michael's, the Dion Family Student Center. This state-of-the-art facility is equipped with all the latest and greatest amenities, all of which contribute to both comfort and functionality. One attendee remarked, "The facilities provided to us were excellent...they were clean, bright and comfortable." Three years ago, VFLA connected with St. Michael's College about hosting our convention on their campus. Since then they have welcomed us on the Friday of their spring break when students are not on campus. Additionally, St. Michael's continues to provide the beautiful space for our convention at no cost to VFLA. This is a significant savings, as costs for most university or convention spaces run in the thousands of dollars! So if you have found yourself wondering why we haven't moved convention around the state in recent years, this is the reason! This partnership allows us to organize a high-quality convention at a low cost to our members. Thank you, St. Mike's, for your continued generosity!

This year nearly a dozen vendors joined us as well to showcase their wares and services. Many teachers made connections with student travel companies and other local organizations offering a wide variety of educational products, services, and professional development opportunities.

This attendee's comment sums up our amazing day together: "I have left today's conference with a sincere desire to use the information I learned to improve my teaching. It was fantastic!" VFLA wishes to extended our most sincere thanks to Chris Jernstedt, our vendors, Board members, and most importantly all our our attendees for making the 2014 Convention a truly memorable one!