September 2016



Dear Andrea, Anna, Christine, Lynda, Martha, Melanie, and Sheila,

Bonjour mes collègues de la Région VI!

NATIONAL BULLETIN
Hope that you all saw the most recent National Bulletin with lots of references to and photos of members of our Region VI.

As Minnesota President, Christine Lac pointed out to the Minnesota members, there is Caroline Little's picture and article right there on the front page.  Some of you may remember Caroline as the winner of the Ludwig Award for Excellence in Teaching at our convention in Saguenay.

Then inside the magazine, you probably saw a photo of the Future Leaders at the Austin Covention that included Erin Gibbons from the Chicago/N IL Chapter who is the director of that chapter's Concours Oral and Audra Merfeld-Langston who is the National French Contest Administrator for the Greater St Louis Chapter.  

A few pages later, there was a mention of the 2016 Exemplary Programs that included Glenbrook North High School, in Northbrook, IL and Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, IL.

A few pages later, you'll find Lisa Narug, National French Contest Director, from IL, Andrea Behn, President of the AATF of WI, Margot Steinhart and myself from the Chicago/N IL Chapter, and Justin Frieman, Former President of the AATF of WI in a group photo in Austin.

A few pages later, there's Brandi Pruente from Greater Kansas City who appears as the winner of the 2016 ISE Language Matters award.

Wish we had a photo of our evening get-together after the banquet.  Christine, Martha, Suzanne Hendrickson (GSL), Tammy Andrews (IA) and myself were there.  Did I miss someone?

FRANCE ALUMNI
The French Government has created a new program for young people who have studied in France to take advantage of networking opportunities on their return.  This could be a new promotional tool when recruiting high school students for the upper levels and for continuing to study French in college as well for French students already studying French in college.  This initiative might also be a way for teachers to identify local individuals who might be outside speakers in their classes, especially those who have participated in the TAPIF program.  It really deserves a look: https://www.francealumni.fr/en.  The Mid-West launch of this largely online presence will be Oct 6 at DePaul University's Theater School at 2350 N. Racine, Chicago, IL 60614 at 6:00 pm.


UPCOMING PROGRAMS
So far this year, I've received notice of several Fall events in our Region.

Saturday, Oct 1, Chicago/N IL members will gather for a morning program on the use of film in the classroom.

Coming up, on Friday, Oct 7, in Minnesota is an evening social event for members and recognition of their Teacher of the Year.

Here's the Greater Saint Louis Chapter season line-up of activities. You'll notice that they work closely with other French related organizations such as the Centre Francophone at Webster University and La Société Française de Saint Louis.

·       Fin septembre. Lionel Cuillé, directeur du Centre Francophone à Webster University, nous invite à un apéro/rencontre avec la nouvelle directrice de l'école française d'immersion à St Louis. Détails à suivre. Merci, Lionel !

·       Dimanche 30 octobre : Huis Clos de Jean-Paul Sartre présenté par André Nerman à Priory.  Détails à suivre.

·       « Atelier d’AUTOMNE : Innover avec le français. » Le samedi 12 novembre à Rolla (Havener Center, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Rolla, MO), 9h00 – 2h30. Le petit déjeuner et le déjeuner vous seront offerts. ATTENTION : Il faut que vous répondiez AVANT le 26 octobre. On vous enverra bientôt un formulaire à remplir pour l’inscription. L’atelier est gratuit pour les membres de l’AATF, et il coûte $10 pour les non-adhérents.

Fall workshop for all French teachers (K-12 and higher ed) at Missouri S&T in Rolla, MO. On the agenda: teaching with technology, Missouri's French heritage, Francophone music, blended learning, study abroad. Do you have something you would like to present? If so, please let me know (audram@mst.edu). Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Registration forms will be available soon. Please mark your calendars!

·       La SEMAINE DU FRANÇAIS : 4-10 novembre. C’est le moment de fêter notre belle langue, et d’en profiter pour recruter de nouveaux élèves.

·       Venez TIRER LES ROIS le samedi 7 janvier 2017 à La Bonne Bouchée de 9h00 à 11h00.

·       Nous sommes en train de travailler sur l’atelier de février. Prière de patienter. Détails à suivre.

·       Grand Concours. Prière de lire attentivement les messages que vous recevrez d’Audra Merfeld-Langston.

Have you noticed the new active Twitter feed on the AATF WEBSITE?  If so, you'll see frequent contributions there from Martha Behlow, Chicago/N IL Chapter President.

Have you been following AATF YouTube for videos that correspond to the themes that guide the AP curriculum?Here's one with several "Brain Breaks".  The first features Julie Ringuette teaching a "jazz" dance! Great way for students to hear authentic Québécois French.  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5FDSrGW3QcHrKhF0OrKuQC_E7Aw-03_6












Welcome to the NEW WEBSITE for the AATF of Downstate Illinois that includes a blog for sharing ideas.  http://downstateilaatf.weebly.com/


Take a look at these NEWLY REDESIGNED CHAPTER WEBSITES.  
Chicago/N IL:  http://www.aatfchicagonorthernillinois.com
Wisconsin: http://www.aatfwi.org/


CHAPTER BLOG
Here are some recent posts on poetry activities on the blog that Lynda Lopez, president of the Downstate IL chapter, has created and that is included in the new website. http://downstateilaatf.weebly.com/sharing-ideas.


STATE CONFERENCES
I'm looking forward to doing a session "French is in their Future"with Iowa Chapter President, Sheila Conrad, at the Oct 7-8 Iowa World Language Association conference in Coralville, IA. Sheila has contacted French professors at several post-secondary institutions in Iowa to gather information on opportunities and enrollment trends at their institutions.  We will be encouraging high school teachers to learn about and show their students the opportunities that lie ahead for French students at the college level as a way to increase enrollment in the upper levels in high school and to motivate high schoolers to continue studying French in college.  I'm looking forward to meeting the members at the AATF of IA Business Meeting.

Then in early November, I'll be at the WAFLT conference in Appleton, WI to do a similar session with two professors, one from a small liberal arts college and another at a university.  The long list of French teacher openings n Wisconsin that president, Andrea Behn, was circulating this Fall will, no doubt, be discussed.  Am looking forward to the AATF of WI Business Meeting and hope to win one of the bottles of wine at their traditional tombola!  Meeting French teachers at the AATF of WI booth is always interesting and enjoyable!  The chapter is also planning an AATF-WI Ideas Share session "as a time to get together, share ideas and resources, and support one another."

At the Illinois Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages conference in Tinley Park later in October, there will be another opportunity to meet French teachers at the AATF booth.

The National AATF Office is always ready to send brochures and membership forms for free to any chapter that is having a display or session.

RESOURCES FOR PROMOTION

Teachers know that promotion is critical and yet they are so incredibly busy as soon as the school year starts.  Let's make sure that they know that the AATF has already created for them some very effective promotional tools.

The AATF initiated National French Week for them as a vehicle for visibility. The Société Honoraire de Français and Les Jeunes Amis du Français get the attention of administrators and parents because they are sponsored by a national professional association and give French a certain status among the disciplines and school organizations.  The National French Contest offers teachers the opportunity to publicize student achievement within their schools and in their communities.

It is very exciting knowing that you are out there supporting your colleagues in the challenging, fulfilling, and important work that they are doing to help their students not only learn to speak French  but to also explore and respect other cultures and become involved and informed global citizens. 

Bravo, mes chères collègues!

August, 2016

Bonjour Andrea, Anna, Christine, Lynda, Martha, Melanie, Sheila,

      Bienvenue à une nouvelle présidente de la Région VI !!!
           Melanie Adams, AATF of Greater Kansas City
                   

What a wonderful time of the school year, so full of promise and new ideas! Those fresh faces look to you to help them learn to communicate in French, to be introduced to the Francophone world, and to respect people whose cultures are different from theirs but whose hopes and aspirations are the same. What could be more exciting???

While I no longer get to see those fresh faces coming in my classroom, it is such a pleasure to have recently received Anna's announcement to all the Greater St Louis members of the events coming up for the 2016-2017 year as well as Martha's most recent weekly email message to the Chicago/N IL Chapter and the link to the new webpage that Lynda created for the Downstate IL Chapter that includes an interactive blog: http://downstateilaatf.weebly.com.

Seeing all this great communicating, I want to be sure that you all have each other's contact info so that you can share your member messages with the other chapter presidents.  Here are the names and email addresses of all the presidents of our region:

Chicago/N IL                    Martha Behlow        mbehlow@geneva304.org
Downstate IL                    Lynda Lopez            blues@illinois.edu
Greater Kansas City         Melanie Adams        madams65chs@gmail.com  NEW PRESIDENT!
Greater St Louis               Anna Amelung         annaamelung51@gmail.com
Iowa                                 Sheila Conrad           sconrad@bettendorf.k12.ia.us
Minnesota                        Christine Lac            clac@carleton.edu
Wisconsin                        Andrea Behn            abehn@janesville.k12.wi.us

Advocacy
A real concern that AATF of WI president, Andrea Behn, has brought up is the very high number of openings for French teachers in her state this Fall.  It's a problem that has been creeping upward and that threatens our profession.  How can we address this very pressing need?  Your ideas?  I know that you are already helping fill positions by letting your members know about openings.  The Kansas City chapter has, in the past, organized an event to which members have invited students, both high school and college, who might be interested in becoming French teachers.  Three teachers at various points in their careers talk about teaching French as a career followed by lunch at a local Swiss restaurant.  Might this be a proactive response in other chapters as well?

Another approach could be to try to increase the pool from which those teacher candidates might come and at the same time strengthen college French programs, by encouraging high schoolers to study French in college.  The Chicago/N IL chapter devoted its 2015 Fall program to this topic and organized a video contest last Spring around this theme.  They also feature a local French college program in each of their 3x's a year newsletter and make an effort to ask local colleges to host their events for students.  They are thinking about organizing an Immersion Day for college students.

AATF of Iowa president, Sheila Conrad and I are planning a session "French is in their Future"at the Iowa World Languages Association conference in October and Anita Alkhas, professor at the U of WI-Milwaukee and Pascal Rollet, professor at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI and I will be doing a session with the same title at the November conference of the Wisconsin Association of Foreign Language Teachers in November.

Your thoughts... your ideas?  How can we meet this challenge to our profession?

Austin Convention
Being together in Austin was, as always, an enriching experience.  Our Opening Session speaker and author, Julien Suaudeau, was inspiring and it was significant that he, too is a French teacher and an AATF member. Having taught at the high school level these past couple years in Pennsylvania, he is starting this Fall at the college level.

One session that I attended was by Sarah Glasco, associate professor of French at Elon University, who showed how she used in her beginning French classroom the ideas that she found in Words and Actions:  Teaching World Language through the Lens of Social Justice, a book co-authored by Pam Wesely, an AATF of Iowa member and professor at the University of Iowa.  The book was published by ACTFL and Sarah had won it in a drawing at an ACTFL conference.  In Austin, she described how by including social justice in her course and including it in the course description, she was able to align her course with her school's mission and connect her class to the real world.  The main goal of using this approach is to break down stereotypes that lead to structural inequality and lack of diversity.

She showed how, adaptable to middle and high school, the focus on social justice can start with using a photo of a classroom in Mali and comparing it to the students' own classroom when starting off the year with a discussion of classroom vocabulary. As she introduced the negative and expressions such as "il y a", they were able to discus what is in an American classroom versus what is not in the classroom in Mali. In a unit on the family, she used Stromae and his music to lead to a discussion of what happened to his family and others in Rwanda. In a unit on Daily Routines, Places, and Fashions, she used the "Quai de Seine" vignette from the film "Paris, Je t'aime".  By the end of the session, it was clear that there were many opporotunities to teach Social Justice at the same time as French language!  The book can be found at https://www.actfl.org/publications/books-and-brochures/words-and-actions.

In terms of advocacy at the college level, a round table with AATF President, Catherine Daniélou, Alain-Philippe Durand, and Randa Duvick provided both information and inspiration. Catherine stressed that we need to expand the diversity of the courses taught and avoid the tendancy to hire "people like ourselves."  She also promoted the idea of offering at least one online course.  Alain-Philippe underlined the need to "jouer le jeu" by adopting and speaking the language of the administration.  By referring to the words that are in the schools strategic plan, for example, one can be seen as a team player and gain influence.  By examining the kind of news that appears on the college website, teachers can "package" their offerings so as to get wide circulation.  Having a data base of students who are currently taking French is essential. This will help identify students who have gotten an A or B in their first French class at your school and then show them how they can double major with French.  Randa focused on the importance of colleges reaching out to high schools to invite students and teachers to events on the campus and to send emails to high school administrators about the good work their graduates are doing at the college level.  Sending out college students to talk to high schoolers about the opportunities in college was another important strategy.  She also stressed the importance of collecting and disseminating students' stories for the department websites and also to offer to administrators who need to justify the study of French to their boards of directors.

Another interesting session was the one that Catherine Daniélou and Jayne Abrate presented on

One of the Hotel Bambou cottages

Martinique.  At our 2018 convention, we will again be on the Pointe du Bout where we'll get to stroll among the palm trees between the hotels on our way to sessions. Since our last convention on the Ile aux Fleurs, this area has grown from a primarily tourist area to a more residential neighborhood and so will offer us an authentic island experience with the capital Fort-de France and its market, shops, museums, and library designed by Gustave Eiffel, just across the bay and a ferry ride away. We are promised delicious banana jam, the chirping of frogs, and the fragrance of exotic flowers in the air.

The Bat Cave!
Unfortunately, I never saw in person the bats that famously emerge at dusk from under the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin.  We arranged to have dinner at a hotel that promised in its advertising that we would be able to see from our table the flurry of black creatures as they rose into the sky.  Hélas... it was false advertising!  With much anticipation, we saw all the people lining up on the bridge...the other side of the bridge.  Soon we saw everyone leaving the bridge and realized that we had missed the nightly bat parade!


It was especially enjoyable to get together at the hotel after the banquet with some of our Region VI colleagues.  Christine and Martha were with us as well as Sue and Bill Hendrickson from St Louis, Rebecca Léal and Margot Steinhart from Chicago, Tammy Andrews from Iowa, and former WI president, Justin Frieman.


The 2017 Convention in Saint Louis
Coming up this next year, the 2017 convention will be in our own Region VI in Saint Louis, a city on the Mississippi with a rich French heritage.  I hope that you are all thinking about a session topic that you and perhaps a colleague will want to present.  What is that topic that that you look forward to teaching every year?  Is there an idea that you want to try this year in your classroom and that you're willing to share with others?  How do you promote French in your school?

                                          The deadline to propose a session is December 15.

Thank you for your willingness and your efforts to support and enrich the professional lives of your colleagues and to share with your fellow chapter presidents what you are doing.

                          Bonne Rentrée

P.S.  Feel free to point out items that have been left out and topics that you'd like to see discussed here.   Comments can be left here or sent to me by email.

                                                        

le 15 mai 2016

Bonjour mes collègues!

A special welcome to the new President of the AATF of Minnesota, Christine Lac!

Hope that all is well with all of you and that you have or will find these last days/weeks of the school year to be the most enjoyable yet!

It's also that time of year when I will need to collect information from you for my Regional Representative Report to the Executive Council.  You will soon receive a form as an attachment to an email to pass that information on to me.

Just wanted to pass along a reminder that the Early Bird Registration ($250) Deadline for our AATF national convention in Austin, TX is today.  But I wanted to also point out that the "Full Registration" at $350 which is still available until June 15 is a great deal because it includes the Welcome Luncheon where we sit at tables designated for our Region VI ($55) and includes the Banquet ($75) where the AATF offers the recognition that is one of the very few ways that we have to thank those who do such amazing work for our professional organization.  The "Full Registration" also includes a Workshop ($30).  So the Full Registration of $350 which is only $100 more than the Early Bird Registration is a great deal and is available through June 15.

Wanted to let you know that, I omitted to mention that the Journée d'Immersion referred to in my last blog should have been attributed to the AATF of Chicago/N IL.  The initiative for this event in fact came from a session at the AATF convention in Baton Rouge quite a few years ago by members of the leadership of the AATF of New Jersey including president, Viviane Levy. This is a superb event in IL created for high school students but that in recent years has also included as helpers college French students, some of whom are studying French with the goal of becoming French teachers.  I point this out to correct the error but also to show that the sharing of information at AATF events, small and large, is critical to the continued health and well-being of our profession and of our professional organization.

Looking forward to seeing you in Austin, TX.  We generally find a way to meet informally with Region VI leaders and members during the convention for a glass of wine sometimes in the hotel lobby.  Looking forward to seeing you there and getting a chance to socialize and celebrate our common commitment!

Eileen

avril  2016

Bonjour mes collègues!

SPECIAL MESSAGE

You are already aware that SHF sponsors have been having trouble getting through to the person at the national office who was in charge of the SHF with their questions and orders. As you have learned from our Executive Director, Jayne Abrate, that individual is no longer an AATF employee and the current staff is working hard to expedite the back orders as well as those coming in at this very busy time for SHF chapters.  Several new office policies have been established and a special email address to handle longstanding questions or concerns has been created.  If you know of any teacher who didn't receive an order back in February or March or prior, please direct them to:  aatfpriority@frenchteachers.org  This special address is, however, not for current orders or questions. 

What is so distressing is that the missteps of this individual have caused some members to lose trust in our organization.  For me personally, however, what I find so painful is that this situation could undermine the ongoing efforts of chapter leaders like yourselves who are working so hard to support the members of your chapters and that it is you who are likely to receive the justified complaints. Please feel free to let me know if there is a particularly aggrieved teacher in your chapter who might benefit from a message from me.

SPRING

My husband Dirk's "Dutch' tulips

Hope that you all had a refreshing Spring Break and are finding ways to enjoy these last weeks/months that include so many "extras" such as awards, ceremonies, and outings as well as the projects and exams to grade.


ADVOCACY 
These past months, some teachers may have had to confront disappointing administrative decisions based on the enrollment figures for the 2016-2017 school year in their institutions. When there are cuts or anticipated cuts, please encourage the teachers involved to contact you and also the chair of the AATF Commission on Advocacy, Kathy Stein-Smith, cathysteinsmith@gmail.com.,  You can then send a supportive message to that teacher and any resources that you think would be helpful as well as forward that info to me as your RR and a member of the AATF Commission on Advocacy.  It can be very helpful for all of us to be aware of what is happening, to gather information, and to respond with support and resources.  While changing a decision that is already a "fait accompli" is often difficult, it is possible.  But more important, is what can be learned from these situations.  Having teachers share with us their situation can also create the "sense of urgency" that we as individuals and as an organization need to motivate us to create the initiatives and resources that our members need!


VIDEO CONTEST WINNER  

Just heard from Martha Behlow, President of the Chicago/N IL Chapter, that the student of a Naperville North H.S. (IL) French teacher has won the 1st prize in the AATF National French Week Video Contest.  Members can be encouraged to show this to their students as an example of what they might do themselves next Fall.  Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFhuo93ylVM&index=1&list=PLFDrP46BqQHauNPY9FdhBPtcgMPNdHeOX

THE FRENCH HOUSE  http://uwfrenchhouse.org/  

                                           Just got back from a weekend trip to Madison,

A table!

WI and Friday lunch at The French House there.  It was such a pleasure to see all the young people there, many working on advanced degrees as well as the local Francophones and people like myself who come there to enjoy having French conversation. This is a treasure for high school teachers who want to show their 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & AP students what awaits them at the college level.  Can you let me know if this kind of opportunity exists in your areas?  

IOWA
The AATF of Iowa chapter offered its support for a new initiative from two teachers at Central College in Pella, IA.  In spite of great efforts on the part of all, the event for students was cancelled due to not enough student registrations.  Pulling together students and teachers in states where towns, and their schools, are spaced far apart is a challenge that is not limited to Iowa.  Any ideas on what kinds of activities are likely to attract students and their teachers to travel long distances to be together?   

GREATER KANSAS CITY IMMERSION DAY FOR TEACHERS 
What a pleasure it was to be a part of the gathering of French teachers in Kansas City in February.  A presentation on the plans for Regional reform in France by Claudine Evans that she had given at our AATF Convention last summer as well as a presentation on the film "La Petite Jérusalem" by Michael Foster that will be part of a presentation on cinema at our AATF Convention in Austin this next July. Lunch at a authentic Swiss restaurant with a French speaking waiter was, of course, delicious but a great opportunity for all to enjoy speaking French with colleagues.  Meeting this real need for camaraderie that includes linguistic and cultural elements is one of the best things that we can do for our members.

STUDENT IMMERSION DAY
Over 100 students from area schools participated in the 8th annual Journée Intensive en Français of the AATF of Chicago/N IL, an all-day event on a college campus full of opportunities to speak French from 7:45 am to 4:00 pm.   After a French breakfast, students passed through customs, played games, attended classes, created skits, went an a treasure hunt, and danced to authentic African drum rhythms. This event was done with the support of Dominican University in terms of providing the location and with financial support from the Alliance Française du North Shore for the African dancer and drummers.  Here's a video showing the dancing.   

                     Tried to upload this video of the drumming and dancing but I think that it didn't work!

ANNUAL MEETING & ELECTION
The Minnesota Chapter held their annual meeting just days ago that included the election of Christine Lac as the new president of the AATF of MN,  the "dégustation de fromages et plateaux de hors d'oeuvre variés" as well as a visit with Haitian author, Kettly Mars.  The members were also invited to a workshop the following day with Kettly Mars, a writer with whom the outgoing chapter president, Joëlle Vitiello, is well acquainted and whose work is one of Joëlle's specialities.

Another activity promoted by the the AATF of MN was the showing of the film "Mariam" on April 25.  Great opportunity for members to experience an enriching cultural and linguistic experiences.


COMMUNICATION IN WISCONSIN
The AATF of WI now has a "Reminders and Announcements" section of their webpage that includes http://www.aatfwi.org/#!announcements-and-reminders/pn8mm.   "Francofocus" is an initiative that asks college/university teachers for information re their French programs to be used to publicize their offerings to high schoolers.  The more elementary, middle, and high school teachers know about what lies ahead, the more they can encourage t students to continue to take French at the post-secondary level.



CONCOURS ORAL

"Champions d'Expression"  2015

The AATF of Chicago/N IL just held its 8th "Champions d'Expressions" event at a local college campus.   Students from over 25 schools performed in over 100 events, e.g. poetry, skits, readers' theater, posters, and conversations.   This is an annual event and is based on the Concours Oral organized each year by the AATF of WI that involves both local competitions and a state event coming up this May.






ST LOUIS
Coming up this Friday, April 29 is the annual meeting and NFC Prize Pick up for the AATF of Greater Saint Louis.  This chapter's annual collaboration with the local Alliance Française and Webster College resulted in another essay contest for local French students.

Last February at a meeting of their Executive Council, the AATF of Greater Saint Louis took up the topic of recruiting new members and is compiling a list of names of teachers in their area who are not members.  They wonder if changing their chapter name from "Greater St. Louis" to "Eastern Missouri" would encourage more teachers living in other areas of the state to join the chapter and its activities.  This could also help increase the number of schools participating in the Grand Concours.

The leadership of the Greater St Louis Chapter is also interested in promoting more communication with the members in the Greater Kansas City chapter.

N'oubliez pas:  St Louis will be the site of the 2017 AATF Convention.

SOUVENIRS DE SAUGUENAY  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6pUWixuoII
Here's a great way to remember the sights and sounds of the convention in Saguenay.  There was a great ambiance that collectively carried us along during those days spent together.  Looking forward to that same feeling in Austin, July 3-6.

Austin, Texas

                                                 HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!!!




P.S.  No doubt, I've inadvertently left out some of your chapter activities.  If you let me know, I'll be sure to rectify that!!!