French immersion students in New Westminster will show off their oratorical prowess at the district Concours d’art oratoire in April.
The French public speaking contest is organized each year by Canadian Parents for French chapters across the country. Early and late immersion students prepare a three- to five-minute speech on a topic of their choice and present it to a panel of judges.
The concours is open to students in grades 6 to 12 who are typically chosen following a classroom competition. The winners of the local competition will continue on to the provincials held on May 6 at SFU’s Surrey campus. The top Grade 12 students at the provincials move on to the national event in Gatineau, Que., in June.
An estimated 85,000 students participate each year, according to Canadian Parents for French. (Believe it or not, I participated in the concours seven of the 13 years I spent in French immersion. It was definitely a highlight.)
The New Westminster district competition is taking place in the gym at École Glenbrook Middle School on Tuesday, April 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. Parents, students, peers and family members are invited to attend.
Sign up for Tinypreneurs
Registration is now open for the Tinypreneurs event happening in June.
Kids as young as seven years old (and up to 17) are welcome to take part in the daylong entrepreneurial fair. They are asked to come to the event with a business idea – something as simple as a lemonade stand or an idea to help their family’s business. Then they will get a chance to sell their products or promote their business, and they have a chance at winning $1,000.
“Our goal is to plant the seed that will encourage children not only to imagine their first business venture, but also to create the space to integrate the lessons of earning money from their own efforts associated with the pursuit of social responsibility toward maintaining a sustainable environment and being sensitive to the well-being of humanity and communities as a whole,” read a notice on the Tinypreneurs’ website.
Tinypreneurs is planned for June 3 starting at 11 a.m. at the New Westminster waterfront near the Fraser River Discovery Centre. For more info and to register, go to www.tinypreneurs.com.
