PRESS RELEASE

June 9, 2017

Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador

announces the recipients of its provincial awards

ST. JOHN’S - Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador (CPF-NL) wasdelighted to be at Government House todayto acknowledge the recipients of the 2017 CPF-NL provincial awards.

His Honour, The Honourable Frank F. Fagan, Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador, Honorary Patron of Canadian Parents for French-Newfoundland and Labrador and Her Honour Patricia Fagan presented the 2017 CPF-NL provincial awards to the following recipients:

  • Student of the Year - Andrew Flint(Arnold's Cove);
  • Teacher Graduate of the Year - Ashley Barrett (St. John's); and
  • Teacher of the Year - Lisa MacArthur (Corner Brook).

“We are so proud of the accomplishments of the award recipients”, says Elaine Huxter, CPF-NL president. “By promoting it, learning it, speaking it and teaching it, they have demonstrated a passion for French. We thank and acknowledgethem for helping to advance French Second Languageeducation in the province.”

Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador furthers bilingualism by promoting and creating opportunities for youth to learn and use French. The organisation is working towards universal access so every student has the opportunity to learn French and access French second language from kindergarten to post-secondary.

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For more information, contact:

Francine Couture

Executive Director

Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador

(709) 579-1776

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE PROVINCIAL AWARDS 2017 RECIPIENTS

Student of the Year: Andrew Flint

Andrew Flint is a Core French student, learning French in a virtual classroom. He is the only student taking this course from his school, which is a challenging environment for any distance education student. Andrew has shown very strong skills in the second language. He takes great time and pride in his work.

Andrew is an excellent student overall. He leads by example and his behaviour is remarkable. Andrew has been a dedicated member of his school's sport teams and has illustrated characteristics of determination, exceptional effort and sportsmanship. Students appreciate Andrew's unique perspective and willingness to do whatever it takes to improve his peer group's performance - making him a natural leader.

Andrew is an exceptional volunteer who has made significant contributions to his school's fundraising efforts. He has also given up large amounts of his time to assist others in the community: he worked with soup kitchens, community gardens and food banks. He took part in community clean-ups of public spaces; worked in the Habitat for Humanity Restore; tutored New Canadians and provided maintenance work for Naomie House, amongst others.

The fact that Andrew has opted to take French on his own via distance education speaks volumes to his interest and beliefs in French second language. He has been accepted into the Faculty of Engineering for the Fall of 2017 at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Andrew is an outstanding young man who is an extraordinary role model for those who take that extra step to learn a second language. He is Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador's Student of the Year.

Teacher Graduate of the Year: Ashley Barrett

Ashley is a French Immersion Teacher in Grade 4 at St. Teresa School / École Ste-Thérèse where she strives to create student-centered experiences.

Ashley is super-organized and is excellent at multi-tasking, great qualities to possess in the field of teaching. She is dedicated to her career as a French Teacher and takes advantage of professional development sessions that are offered in the domain of French language and French Education Pedagogy.

Ashley worked diligently during her Bachelor of Education Second Degree French Immersion Program in the Faculty of Education. She impressed her teachers with her work ethic and with the amount of work she took on outside her studies, including:

  • volunteering as a Classroom Assistant throughout her studies;
  • teaching French lessons at the Club du Samedi at l'École des Grands-Vents; and
  • offering private tutoring to students, one-on-one or in small group settings.

Ashley is also involved in the community as a Breakfast Program volunteer and has been involved in environmental and sports volunteer opportunities in the recent past.

She is a very dependable person who can see work that needs to be done and she sees it through. She is Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador's Teacher Graduate of the Year.

Teacher of the Year: Lisa MacArthur

Lisa is a Core French and French Immersion Teacher at Corner Brook Intermediate. Lisa is also the French Department Head at the school. She has been instrumental in the implementation of the Late French Immersion Program at Corner Brook Intermediate.

Lisa has a strong passion for the French language and is a phenomenal second language teacher. She uses many interactive strategies to bring the French language to life in her classroom and is a strong supporter of helping students experience French culture outside the classroom. She recently organized a school trip to Saint Pierre et Miquelon for 40 Core French and French Immersion students.

She is constantly on the lookout for speakers to visit the school and talk about French to students. For example, she invited the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada to the school to talk about the benefits of being bilingual and language rights in Canada, amongst others. These experiences are invaluable and make French real for students.

Not only is she devoted to promoting French programs, she is dedicated to making sure that students are successful in these programs. She offers regular tutorials to her students and has created an incredible website, helpful to students and their parents.

Lisa is also a natural leader who goes above and beyond her classroom duties. As French Department head at her school, she has also taken on the role of mentor to her fellow teachers. She works closely with them and provides help and guidance. She is constantly looking for professional development opportunities for teachers.

Lisa's passion for teaching French, her dedication to students, her collaborative approach to teaching, her leadership in the school and her many contributions to French programs is why she is being recognized as Teacher of the Year by Canadian Parents for French - Newfoundland and Labrador.

10 Austin Street Suite 203 P.O. Box 8601 Station A St. John's Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3P2

Telephone: (709) 579-1776 Fax: (709) 579-2837