APE NEWS COMOX Oufff... back to school already-it doesn't seem possible! This is a very special event in Comox, because it's our first return to this particular school. We began last year at the Airport School and moved to Robb Road School on September 17, 2001. The Robb Road School program is a pilot project. We are the first francophone school in the province to physically share a school with an immersion program. Since September 2002, one other school, Deux Mondes School in Campbell River, also houses both programs. One benefit is the sharing of common areas, such as library, gymnasium, and music room, while maintaining our autonomy in the classroom. This poses a significant challenge for the APE! As you might imagine, considerable extra logistical effort is required to ensure that the respective goals of the two APEs don't interfere with each other. Two examples that come to mind involve fund-raising, and the proportion of expenses allocated to each program for activities that benefit all students in the school. Last year was one of adjustment and we will make an extra effort to resolve these issues this year. Like our program, our student numbers continue to expand. We have record enrolment at Robb Road School, with 85 "little angels". We believe that our association with the immersion program raises our profile in the community, and helps the francophone program to grow. At the Aspen Middle School, we offer two courses for students: humanities and French as a first language. We are working extremely hard with all players to stabilize this level in order to promote the francophone program in the Valley. I would like to conclude this report with thanks to all of last year's APE parents for their dedication to the francophone program. Your efforts were greatly appreciated! Rock Fortier, APE President VICTORIA The 2002-2003 school year is off to a great start at L'école Victor-Brodeur in Victoria. The return to school went very smoothly, the students were all placed in their new classes on the first day back and were hard at work the next morning. The Association des parents has been busy already, hosting a Welcome Back Barbecue (Barbecue de la rentrée) on September 6. Groups from the community eg: the Francophone Scouts, Educacentre, la Société Francophone and the Military Family Resource Center were invited to promote their activities and services. The barbecue was very well attended and was a fantastic way to begin the year. In September we also had our AGM. To attract more parents to the AGM, we hosted a movie and popcorn evening for the chil- dren. This worked well, as we had more parents at the AGA than ever before and consequently had 15 parents volunteer to be part of the APE executive. With this group of parents we plan to have a busy and productive year, working towards becoming a non- profit society, lobbying the government for a new school, fund raising and continuing our socio-cultural activites. Pam Pigeon, APE Parent PAGE 12 INFO-PARENTS —— ROSE-DES-VENTS & On September 3, Rose-des-Vents School ae ee proudly inaugurated its brand new school na daycare facility, V'la I'bon vent. This eagerly awaited service is a first for western Vancouver! Polling of Rose-des-Vents School families last spring showed a real need for this in-school service among the parents and francophone community. APE V'la l'bon vent took immediate steps to initiate the project. Once the necessary permits had been obtained and the needed renovations finished, the new teachers, Pascale Debbane and Emmanuelle Burelli, and site were finally ready to welcome some twenty students on school opening day. The service cares for children from 3 PM until 6 PM and also operates on professional development days. There are still several openings for the fall of 2002. For information, contact Anne-Marie Lascelles at (604) 708-4777 or call Rose-des-Vents School, (604) 267-9022. The APE will also open its new nursery department next October at Rose-des-Vents School. For more information, contact Michelle Marsan at (604) 731-5925 or by email: mmarsan@telus.net. Michelle Marsan, APE Secretary SECHELT APE Ecole du Pacifique This year bring many new changes and positive events. Our parent committee is active and full of energy to support our school community. Our enrollment is over 104 students at both the elementary and secondary levels. Thanks to extraordinary efforts by one of our members: we are well-placed to fund numerous activities for the year including bursaries for grade 12 graduates, gifts for grade 7 graduates, Christmas concert/award ceremony, Year end concert/award ceremony, cabane a sucre, field trips, French Speaking festival/awards and music equipment ! We have just completed our annual épluchette de blé d'inde and look forward to an exciting year on the Sunshine Coast. The smiling faces of committee tell the story. We look forward to obtaining our own school facilities for the expanding French speaking community. Our group will form a committee to work toward this positive conclusion. Colin Jacobsen, APE Parent