CHAPTER NEWS - September 2010

Virginia Chapter, Fabrice Teulon, President

• We organized a number of sessions on the teaching of both language and culture at the annual meeting of the Foreign Language Association of Virginia (FLAVA).  We also held our chapter’s annual business/lunch meeting. We were particularly honored by the visit of Nicole Yancey, the Consul honoraire de Virginie. After lunch, French film director, Françoise Marie, showed and discussed an ingenious series shorts entitled Les Disputes. These shorts sparked the pedagogical imagination of our teachers, and there was a very fruitful sharing of ideas about how to use them in the foreign language classroom. The Board is working on ways to make them available to teachers in the future.

• The Chapter again funded passes for member teachers to attend the three-day long Virginia Commonwealth University French Film Festival. This is a unique film festival in that the actors and directors accompany their films to Richmond,  and the audience can both ask questions after the showing or talk with the actors and directors outside the theater one-on-one.

• 2,400 Virginia students participated in the National French Contest this year with one student from Norfolk Academy (teacher, Warren Warsaw) winning a gold medal at level 3A and 131 others winning bronze and silver medals. Many of our Virginia students also received Certificats d’ Honneur and Certificats de Réussite. We applaud both our excellent students and the teachers who have brought out the best in them.

• We continue to work on the creation of a mini French film festival for young people. If we are successful finding funding, locating a good venue, and getting a sizeable number of attendees, we will then share the model with other parts of the state. Wade Edwards of Longwood University is taking the lead on this project.

• At our annual chapter meeting we held a drawing. Teachers who had recruited a new member were eligible to participate. The prize was free lodging for a week in the Loire Valley in the picturesque city of Loches [http://www.loches.com]. Marsha Newman from Midlothian High School won the drawing and should be off for her vacation fairly soon. Pictures of the town and the house will soon be available on our site.

• President Fabrice Teulon continues to update our Web site and provide important information about teaching resources, cultural happenings, jobs, etc. to teachers through our AATFV listserv. Also, we are moving into the 21^st Century with the creation of an AATFV Facebook page.

• Dr. Susan Dixon, Visiting Professor of French at Washington and Lee University, has agreed to become Editor of our Chapter newsletter, Les Nouvelles.

Submitted by Amy deGraff
Chapter Past-President

Susquehanna Valley, PA Chapter, Marie-Claire Spittle, President

• PSMLA/In-Service Conference at Millersville University discussing "Addressing Pivotal Strategies for Language Learning."

• Angela Rossi and jazz group C'est si bon. Dr Gaudry-Hudson organized this public performance which 50 people
  attended.

• Viewing and discussion of the movie Entre les murs

• Lecture: France under the German Occupation: Resistance and Collaboration under Vichy France. Millersville University organized this special event, which was co-sponsored by the Chapter. Participants became familiar with
  documentary films and first accounts of those who lived through the dark years of Vichy France. Joanne S. Silver and Barbara P. Barnett, were the speakers.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Chapter, Margaret Corgan, President

• Some students whose schools are at a distance participated in the National French Contest at their schools. The rest took it at King's College in Wilkes-Barre.

• We had our annual dinner for both chapter and national winners at King's College on May 18 with 135 people in attendance.

Maryland Chapter, Karen Campbell Kuebler, President

• The Chapter continues to be the leader in FLES for the National French Contest. We also boast overall enrollment in the top 15 states in the nation! Bravo to our wonderful contest administrator Lorna Wingate who continues to provide outstanding leadership for this monumental task.

• The Chapter offers grants to schools that participate and share their National French Week activities. Every year more schools provide super Francophone experiences to their students and communities. We also love that preschools through universities are represented...well done!

Philadelphia Chapter, Rita Davis and Susan Ledieu, Co-Presidents

• A summer 2009 meeting was held to organize local pre- and post-convention activities for the national convention.  Emphasis was placed on advertising early and making the event part of a family vacation.

• Our fall meeting held at the Agnes Irwin School. Paris Granville presented a program on an interactive thematic unit, "Au café français," giving us a fresh approach to teaching the French café.

• National French Week was celebrated by a group of members at a new French restaurant in Philadelphia.

• A small group of AATF members took dance lessons from the lively and youthful Feufollet Cajun Band at a local venue in Conshohocken.

• The winter meeting was held at Strath Haven Middle School where Vice President Christina Kimball-Kelly hosted an engaging presentation by Michel Kline from Dickinson College, entitled, "Bleu blanc, rouge,noir: La France et ses soldats de couleur." The topic covered colonialism, French notions of égalité, and the French need to come to grips with collective memory, particularly concerning Algeria.

• Students turned out in record numbers for the Grand Concours (over 3,000) superbly organized by Sister Mary Helen Kashuba. She increased the participation by 3.5%. An impressive Remise des prix was held at Chestnut Hill College. Plaques, medals, trophies, pins, book gifts and certificates were awarded to our many winners.  The Friend of French Award was presented to Dr. Priscilla Sands, Head of School at the Springtide School in Chestnut Hill.  Dr. Sands was commended for preserving French in her school’s curriculum and recognizing its importance as a vital language in the global community.

• The Chapter held its spring meeting in conjunction with the Modern Language Association of Philadelphia and Vicinity. A fascinating lecture and PowerPoint presentation on a current exhibit, "Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris," at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, was given by Sara Bajus, one of the museum’s educators. All members were given a beautiful teacher guide as part of the program.

Delaware Chapter, Lea Wainwright, President

• Julie Finley O’Connor of Caesar Rodney High School and Andea LaCombe hosted students from French schools in the Académie de Créteil with which the state of Delaware has signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The exchange with William Penn high School was just as successful although the departure of the group was delayed by a couple of days because of the sudden explosion of the Eyjafjallajokul volcano in Iceland. All are looking forward to the visit of the American students next fall.   The exchange efforts are multiplying with Lea Wainwright planning to welcome a French group in April. This seems to be yet another way to effectively retain and recruit students while creating an environment that is friendly to things French.

• Participation in the Grand Concours has experienced a drop in numbers although those who participated performed very well earning regional and national awards.

• Debbie Supplee, the Chapter Secretary-Treasurer, was named Teacher of the Year of her school.

Central Pennsylvanie Chapter, Gilbert Darbouze, President

• We held we held a fall meeting at Bloomsburg University where we discussed the future of the Chapter.  It was not possible to elect new officers because of insufficient attendance. Some of the members had lunch after the meeting.

• The Colloquium for the Teaching of World Languages at Bloomsburg University took place in This year’s topic was: “A Concept Based Approach to Foreign Language Teaching.” Dr. James P. Lantolf of the Pennsylvania State University presented his ideas and conducted discussions about Sociocultural Theory and its application to teaching world languages. Act 48 credits could be earned for attending the colloquium.

• Theodore Kendris was elected Chapter President. Nathalie Cornelius remains as Vice-President. Peggy Schmouder remains as Secretary-Treasurer. We are planning to invite a guest speaker at our Fall 2010 meeting.

Western Pennsylvania Chapter, Jean Mercier, President

• This Chapter boasts a Web site that is updated on a monthly basis and the creation of a Facebook page[http://www.facebook.com/people/Western-Pennsylvania-Aatf].

• Monthly French Diners at Pittsburgh’s newest French bistro.

• In conjunction with Dr. Bonnie Adair-Hauck of the University of Pittsburgh’s European Studies Center, the Chapter organized the following conference/workshops:

  • "Mieux connaître la Tunisie" by Hédi Guediche

  • "Le Siècle de l’Afrique: renaissance, humanisme, et le nouvel ordre mondial" by Dr. Jean-Jacques Sene

  • "À la découverte des Iles Mascareignes" by Dr. Anne-Marie Morsi

• A $500 grant was given to Dr. Susan Crampton Frenchik, professor at The University of Indiana, South Fayette
  Campus, in order to help her celebrate National French Week. The festivities were held on November 2, 2009.
  A Cocktail-Rencontre evening for Chapter members was held at the President’s home on November 6 to celebrate
  National French Week.

• 816 élèves se sont inscrits au Grand Concours plue 54 en FLES=880

Lehigh Valley, PA Chapter, Kimberly Sanborn, President

• The Chapter is in the process of restructuring and electing new officers. The only activity reported is the Grand Concours. The future is, however, bright since an enthusiastic group of teachers has stepped forward to assume the leadership.

Northern Virginia Chapter, Margaret Kassen, President

• At the Chapter meeting Chapter members first celebrated Chapter Secretary Libby Schollaert’s retirement. Then Laura Walker, the Grand Concours Administrator, gave a report. There were lots of participants again this year, and a lovely award ceremony.

• Geneviève Delfosse, the Chapter Vice-President, reported on two other major events:

  • More than hundred French students participated in the Modern Foreign Language Tournament held in Fairfax County. French students recited poems or acted scenes from the French repertoire or performed original skits.

  • The French Embassy organized a presentation centered on the European Community, historical perspectives, institutions, and current challenges at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. All the French students at the school received an informational dossier before the event and were well prepared to ask questions at the end of the presentation. Students in the AP European History classes also participated.

• The chapter proposed two initiatives:

  • In order to increase membership, the officers will contact local universities to connect with the licensure department of those institutions, in an effort to reach new French teachers and convey the importance of joining the AATF at the very beginning of one’s career.

  • The officers will work diligently to renew ties with the French teachers in DC, maybe contacting the deputy in charge of World Languages in the DC public Schools. Some participants will try to connect with colleagues in various DC private schools.

Submitted by Geneviève Delfosse

Created: November 3, 2010
Last Update: November 3, 2010

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