Newsletter

French this semester has been dynamic and full of energy. Our students are both challenged and supported to progress in all their French skills, and each student finds one form of success in this class. Students are very motivated to learn as they get to experience French beyond the textbook and classroom walls. Here are some highlights of the French year so far:

• Listening to French music artists
• Getting a crepe from the crepe truck to celebrate Francophonie Day
• Year 8s: an expert presentation on the Tintin comics
• Year 9s: getting letters from their penpals, going to the NGV to learn about French art periods, playing through a French escape room
• All students received a jar of Bonne Maman hazelnut spread
• All year levels have completed a different project to learn and think about the Paris Olympics
• Some students have taken the challenge of learning a French poem off by heart and reciting it in front of a judge: the Victoria Berthe Mouchette competition. I look forward to many more exciting lessons in semester 2 with the students. I hope their enthusiasm remains this high.

I would like to share what students themselves have said about their French classes:

During French this semester, I got to learn a lot of things. I learned that objects are always feminine or masculine. I learned how to pronounce things in French, like how "oi" is pronounced "wa." I also learned about the rule where you don't pronounce some letters at the ends of words like s, t, p, or d. Another useful thing I learned is putting an "e" at the end of words if they are feminine. I enjoyed the weekly Quizlet and how fun you made French class.
Jay N, 7D

During this thrilling first semester of year 7, learning French has been one of my highlights. We have enjoyed lots of new learning in class, like listening to French music, learning about French artists, and the upcoming Olympics in France this year. During this time, we have discovered a myriad of places in France, different countries that speak the language (Francophonie), the culture, and famous people and celebrities. Having fun experiences inside the class is not all we have been up to, though. We have been lucky enough to have a crepe truck come to our school and have us place our orders in French, along with every student getting a jar of French hazelnut spread. Overall, French class so far has been a great learning curve and I am looking forward to the coming semester.
Kibunja K, 7C

I have really enjoyed what we have been doing this term. We could have been just writing lines in French, but it was really made interesting and involving with activities like Quizlet and the French mascot project. Both these things brought excitement and involvement into the French classroom. With the French mascot program, we got to learn some new things about a country and design a cool mascot. This year's French has been great, exciting, and involving.
Dulcie B, 8C

French this semester has been a blast! Sure, sometimes it has been quite challenging, but it's very rewarding when you get to learn about French culture and immerse yourself in the language. Some of my most memorable moments were getting the French Nutella, which was incredible, and learning about the Olympics in three enjoyable sections. Overall, French this term has been incredibly fun.
Henry F, 7E

So far this semester in French, we have been learning more about the language and how to conjugate verbs. Recently, we did an Olympic Games group assessment task and my group got Senegal! It was awesome to learn fun facts and make the video as a team. I am so excited to continue with French next term!
Allegra B, 8F

I personally enjoyed learning about French culture and discovering how different their lifestyle is compared to ours. Although learning the language and getting the pronunciation can be a bit hard to get your head around, with a bit of time you sort of get the hang of it as well as meeting new people from different classes.
Eva B, 7E

I enjoy doing the games and quizzes online, and I also enjoyed the French hazelnut spread. I do have difficulty spelling in my French quizzes and exams. I also think that the crepes and hazelnut spread are a good idea for everyone to try French cuisine.
Mia P, 7E

French this semester was really great! I especially loved when the crepe truck came to our school and we got to order delicious crepes with a variety of flavours. Another thing to remember was when we got given chocolate spread; I went ahead and made myself a jaffle with that! It was also great to learn about French culture and food. I learned so much. Did you know the French don't ride their bikes with helmets? Overall, I had a great time in French class as Mr. Bourgault always had a fun lesson planned. I can't wait for next semester.
Emily J, 7D

French has had a wonderful start to the year. By far, it's been my favourite language class due to the activities that have been set out, for example, the crepe station. We were also gifted a chocolate jar from France that was so yummy, which was enjoyed by a lot of students from their facial expressions, just like how they looked when they heard the fantastic music played by Ms. Bourgault, giving us an amazing experience of what France would be like.
Maria L, 7D

I have really enjoyed learning French for the first time this year. In class, I liked working through the activity book, which included reading French comics and audio tasks. However, my favourite part was learning about French culture and ordering delicious crepes from the crepe truck on-site and even getting a delicious hazelnut spread to enjoy. It has been so much fun so far, and I am looking forward to learning more.
Raphael B, 7F

French this term has been going strong. I was offered the incredible opportunity to participate in the poem competition, where we had to memorize a poem and recite it in front of a judge. While it was challenging, it increased my confidence and determination to perform well in French. The Olympics project was also a highlight of the subject since it allowed us to be creative while also learning more about a certain country. Cameroon was the country that I learned about. Receiving a jar of hazelnut spread overall felt like a reward for my hard work and dedication to the subject. French is definitely a subject I look forward to continuing next year.
Holly T, 8C

In French this term, we have covered many interesting topics such as French mascots, the Paris 2024 Olympics, and more. I would have to say my favourite activity so far is the French mascot presentation, as it was an enjoyable way to research Francophone-speaking countries as well as sketch and colour fun designs. The task was to provide research on a Francophone-speaking country participating in this year's Olympics, and draw a mascot to represent the country, as well as a script with information about the country itself. Another great moment this term was when Miss Bourgault gave us French hazelnut spread (Nutella). It was a really nice gift and tasted delicious.
Zera M, 8A

This term in French, we did a range of different activities. We got the opportunity to research a French-speaking country and make a mascot representing the country in the 2024 Paris Olympics. My group and I researched Luxembourg, and we digitally drew a red lion as the red lion is Luxembourg’s symbol. We also added some clothes and flags to show support for Luxembourg.
Jessica M, 8A

This term in French, we learned about many household items, adjectives to describe new terms, new verbs, and many other terms to add to our vocabulary. After this term, I realized I could start to form some sentences in French. It gives me joy when I look at my French sentences and can comprehend and craft responses to them. This term, we also did a project based on the Olympics. We crafted mascots that were based on Francophone countries. The mascot my group produced was a Vanuatu Kingfisher called Bogart, which represented Vanuatu and some aspects of French culture that surprised me. Near the end of our term, we were surprised by a chocolatey gift from our teacher. It was Bonne Maman's chocolate hazelnut spread. It is delicious, and I am very thankful I got to try some food that was made in France. Although I had many fun events in class, I participated in a French poem competition, where I achieved an 85-90% (or a Très Bien) mark. I learned and recited a poem by Orelsan, titled "La Quête." The poem was about Orelsan enjoying the journey to get to his current position in life. This poem competition was fun. I had a lot of fun practising the poems with my friends.
Gregory J, 8C

Alizée Bourgault
French Teacher