January 2012 Newsletter to French Immersion Parents
Happy New Year to all FI parents from Canadian Parents for French.
Start off the New Year by joining CPF, if you do not belong, to show your financial support and your political
support for the organization that brought FI to Salmon Arm so that your child could have a true bilingual
education. Sign up at www.cpf.ca for $20.00 per year.
You do not have to be a member to go to the www.cpf.bc.ca site and read about the news in FI around the
province. You even find Salmon Arm mentioned as well as many districts who are struggling with FI issues. On
this same site you can find the latest Newsletter which includes 10 reasons to join CPF.
While you are on this site you will want to watch for news on the Family French Camps that have registration
starting in January. Look under Events and pull down to Camps for the site. At his point 2012 is not up. As
noted earlier the Okanagan Camp is coming to the Shuswap. Talk to the many parents whose families have
participated in past years. There are 3 locations around the province and all have the same high quality
leaders who are mostly from Quebec so you get an authentic French experience.
This summer we also hope to see Martine Dollack offer her Circus program again. We have been fortunate to
have Cathy Steeves or Martine offer these review weeks since FI started in Salmon Arm. CPF will help in any
way it can.
I am sorry to note that Greg Kitchen, Principal at SAS, has accepted another job at the Sunshine Coast. We will
miss Greg as he has been a strong supporter of French Immersion, but wish him well in his new job.
Last year we started a contact group for the new Kindergarten FI parents and the Grade 6 parents who started
Late Immersion. They will forward information to your email if you contact them. Kristy Liebich for
Kindergarten parents at kristi.liebich@gmail.com and Heather Lessard for Grade 6 Late Immersion parents at
hshuswap@hotmail.com
Watch for the information meetings and registration dates for this coming year as it will be here soon! Watch
the School District 83 website for the dates and information on FI programs.
Bastion, SMS and SAS websites also have information including CPF Newsletters and Minutes. Bastion
Website has changed so look under Parents for CPF information.
Our first meeting of the year is at Bastion Library, Wednesday, January 11 beginning at 7:00 pm. Please
attend and help us decide whether the CPF scholarship for Grade 12’s should only be open to sons or
daughters of CPF members or open to all. Find out the response to our letter to the Ministry about scholarship
exams and what is happening in the various French programs around the District. Come and help organize
something you would like to see happen for your children. Alan and Isabelle will be there!
Don’t forget to use the CPF CO-OP number, 97179, when you purchase fuel and help CPF to provide programs
for your children.
For more information contact bcarson@sunwave.net or 250 833 4008