Grade six, Late Entry French Immersion students from Grande Prairie, researching their family histories while visiting the Société Historique at Généalogique de Smoky River in Donnelly, February 12.
Tom Henihan
Express Staff
@SmokyRiverExprs
In a partnership between Grande Prairie Public School District and the Conseil de Développement Économique in Falher, fourteen Grade 6, Late Entry French Immersion students visited the Peace Region to experience firsthand French Canadian language and culture here in Alberta.
“The idea is to show the kids that people here in Alberta live in French and that you don’t have to go to Quebec for that experience,” says G.P. teacher Chantal Gallant, who accompanied the kids.
“They are all Anglophone students who started French immersion last year in Grade 5 and are now in their second year.”
Prior to visiting Carnaval St. Isidore for Friday and Saturday, February 12 and 13, other scheduled activities for students were visiting Maisonneuve farm in Guy, Girouxville Museum and the Société Historique at Généalogique de Smoky River.
While visiting Société Historique et Généalogique the students took the opportunity to research their family history in the region both through the extensive onsite records and with assistance searching online.
The Grande Prairie School Division’s French coordinator Ginette Pelé, and Diane Chiasson, of the Conseil de Développement Économique worked out the details and the itinerary for the first of such French language and cultural field trips for Grande Prairie students coming to the Peace Region. The objective is to expand the program and to hold it annually.
“Late Entry French Immersion is a new program that the G. P. Public School District started last year,” says Gallant. “This is our first trial group. I call them my pioneers because they are kind of paving the way