On Feb. 28 the AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) announced the winners of their National French Week Media contest, and Madame Bouré’s AP French class at Caribou High School placed in the top tier!
This award carries a cash prize which the students want to use for a field trip this spring. Actors Michael Cyr, Mikaela Spooner, Chloe Sleeper, and Naomi Cote ranked first out of over 90 video submissions, with judge Catherine Ousselin remarking to Madame Bouré, “Vos élèves sont formidables!” (Your students are tremendous!).
Alissa Evans was the videographer and Chloe Sleeper wrote and edited the short film. Students were required to make a three-minute presentation with the prompt “Venez Au Monde Francophone,” meaning “Come to the French World.” The video made by the Caribou High School students follows a French-Acadian grandmother and granddaughter and the struggle to maintain the language and culture over generations.
As part of their French studies at CHS, these students have studied Acadian history, read “Au Revoir, l’Acadie,” and toured the Acadian Village in Van Buren to gain a greater understanding of the struggle of the Acadians in Aroostook County following the Grand Dérangement as well as the negative stereotypes associated with “Valley French” following Maine laws that forbid students from speaking their native French in schools in the mid 20th century. The students’ goal is to bring more awareness to the rich culture and history of the Acadians by including cultural elements such as the Catholic faith, ployes, Tintamarre heads, and of course, French.
In January, the French Honor Society worked together to teach a three-week seminar for Power Hour at Caribou Community School to share their knowledge with younger students. Watch the video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn9bzoQu5aI.
