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Local Chapters’ News

Abbotsford

On November 18 a meeting of 75 parents with school trustees heard Andy Talmanis
and Leon Lebrun discuss dual track and unilingual French immersion schooling. A
questionnaire is to be used to determine the preference of parents as to the type of
program they would like established in a French immersion school.

The Fraser Valley Regional Library will be having a puppet show and story hour on
Saturday mornings beginning in January.

Fraser Valley College is planning a French Language Program for parents of French
immersion children. Contact: Dr. Alan Cameron Phone 853-7441.
Lynda Lightfoot

Richmond

There are now 570 students enrolled in Early French Immersion grades K-4 and
Cadre. The program has expanded to four schools and the R.P.F. representatives in
each school report that the school year is progressing nicely. Our fall began with
R.P.F. sponsored Coffee Parties in each school with an emphasis on parents “‘get-
ting to know one another” and also acquainting them with Parents for French. This
was a most successful venture resulting in many new members and will become
an annual event.

We are pleased to report that Richmond School Board has appointed a French Im-
mersion Advisory Committee who will meet regularly to plan and facilitate future
developments with regard to French Immersion. There is a PARENT member on this
committee and at present it is Diane Rosenberg our local Chapter President.
BRAVO!

Richmond was well represented at the C.P.F. National Conference in October with
10 members attending. There have been two follow-up meetings where those who
attended reported on highlights and happenings to other interested parents.

On December 13th, David Kaetz (musical animator) and Cirque Alexander (pan-
tomime artists) will entertain families at our biggest and best Xmas Party yet. It
promises to be a festive and fun-filled occasion.

C.P.F. Richmond is interested in helping parents to get Late Immersion started in
our district. Any parents who have a child interested in starting Grade 6 late immer-
sion in September ’82 please call Lavonne Koskitalo 273-3259.

Penticton

The School Board in Penticton voted in October in favor of implementing late im-
mersion in the district for 1982-83 as per Ministry Guidelines.
On November 5, the Carmi School Parent Consultative Committee held an infor-
mation evening with 52 people in attendance. Featured was guest speaker Florence
Wilton from Modern Languages Services Branch with a local administrator, high
school and college French teacher and the CPF area representative. We are hopeful
of finding the prerequisite 24 children to enrol although registration will not start
until March-April 1982.

Sylvia Ghaed