Winter Session Important Updates!

Winter Session is starting on Tuesday and meeting for a total of 6 classes!  This session there are lots of great learning activities planned for you to be aware of.....

1.  Throughout the 6 week session, we will be learning Silent Night in French (the first verse).  Handouts will be provided in class.

2.  There are several winter theme and Christmas themed activities planned, and vocabulary!

.3.  We will also be focusing on the alphabet and counting 1 -20!  (Especially that tricky 11 -20!)

4.  Prize Basket Update!!!   Blandine let me know that she was VERY impressed with the kids sharing French songs on the last week of class!  She said that a variety of songs were song by the children.  Now this term, the prize basket is going to get a little harder.  Kids can only pick from the prize basket on Week 5 and Week 6 to ensure ample time to practice and get the songs down very well.  Also, they can only draw from the prize bin if they can repeat Silent Night or the entire ABCs.  I will have handouts for kids to take home to practice!  :)   (If your child has been practicing really hard on a different song, let me know and we can make an exception)  :)

5.  The last week of class we will all come together for a little Christmas French fun!

I'm a little behind on the website right now, but hopefully will have it all caught up by Week 2 and will email those updates soon.

God bless!

Marianne

Reminder of Things to Bring to Class

Bonsoir!

Lots of fun activities planned for class.  As a reminder, please bring a cereal box or another similar size box to class for a castle project.  And, please bring 4 or 5 pictures of family members that you don't mind being glued and cut for class.

See you tomorrrow!

Marianne

PRACTICE = PRIZES!!! :)

Learning is definitely its own reward!  BUT...  a few fun prizes along the way won't hurt either!  :)

Print out your Practice / Prize Chart, track your progress, turn it in completed, and pick from the fun prize bin!!! 

To find the Practice / Prize Chart, go to....

http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!home-tool-kit/c10cr

Or, click HERE

All practice songs and videos are found on the same convenient link!

Have a great week!  Marianne

French Story Time!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhfWMEq6WgM

Check out this youtube link with your kids to have this well known Dr. Seuss book read in French!

Blandine has also offered to have available at class some favorite French children's books for you borrow and read with your kids.    Merci!

RSVP

Fun Fact!

Ever wondered what RSVP stands for?  I wondered the very same thought last weekend and did a little google search.  If you don't already know, it is a french phrase!  Here is what it means...

It is derived from the French phrase Répondez s'il vous plaît, literally "Reply if you please" or "Please reply".

Week 1 Les Amis

The Les Amis website will be updated with the instructors' lesson plans and songs to practice at home throughout the week.  If you miss a class, you can use this webpage to get caught up.  Or, if you attended, you can know what to practice during the week.

http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!2015-session-4/cdv4

Also, I think some of you may have missed getting your weekly bookmark for vocabulary practice. Remember to pick those up next week.  :)

Merci!

Directions for St. Johns!

Bonjour!

Looking forward to classes starting again soon!  I'm really missing that regular practice!

Here are the directions for finding the classroom.

Tuesday, September 29th 3:30 - 4:30

Go to St. Johns School
W899 S. 6th Ave. West Bend

Park in the lot in between the church and the Early Childhood building.  Please don't park in the front row facing the building as it is reserved for pick up and drop off.

You will walk to the doors and there is a buzzer to come in.  You can go up the stairs right next to the entry and the Early Childhood room is up there where the 3-6 year olds will meet.  I will be there the first day to give directions until a little before class starts.

If you have a stroller like me, there are elevators a little down the hallway, I can direct you there as well.

The older kids will meet in the library which is just around the corner from the Early Childhood room.

Hope it's smooth sailing for you to find the class!  Please let me know at cmfleisner@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Merci!  Marianne

Meet Your Teacher for the 7-10 Year Olds!

Meet Our New Teacher for the 7-10 Yr Olds!

I am pleased to introduce you to your new French teacher, Madeline!  Here is a brief Q&A so you can get to know her a little.  And, she looks forward to meeting you and your children soon!

Welcome to Les Amis!  You are currently a student from West Bend High School’s French program and are volunteering student teaching for us this fall!  Please tell us a little about yourself, your grade level and French experience? 

Hi my name is Madeline Mollwitz, and I am so excited to be apart of this program. I think the entire program is wonderful, and I wish I had had a program like this when I was younger! Anyways, I am a senior at West Bend East High School, and I am currently in AP French 6(my second year of AP French). French is most definitely the class that I look forward to most every day at school. I absolutely love learning new things about the language and culture everyday, and I am beyond excited to share my knowledge with you as well as you sharing your knowledge with me!

What made you want to learn French?

When I was in fifth grade, I had to choose between French and Spanish. Being 10 years old, I was completely mesmerized by the Eiffel Tower, and I believed that taking French meant that I would get to see it someday. I am extremely thankful that 10 year old me made that decision because ever since I have fallen in love with the beautiful language of French, as well as accomplishing my goal of seeing the Eiffel Tower.

If you could travel anywhere in France, where would you like to go and why?

If I could travel anywhere in France I would love to go back to Annecy. Last spring I traveled to France with my class, and we stayed with host families in Annecy. The town had a gorgeous view of the French Alps, as well as an older part of town that was so European and just breathtaking. Besides the town itself I met so many wonderful people there, and would love to go back and visit.

What are your plans for the future?

My plans for college are not certain yet, but I am hoping to go to University of Wisconsin- Whitewater or University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. I am hoping to double major in Elementary and Special Education with a minor in French.

What are some things you like to do for fun?

I am on my school's tennis team and the President of Dolphin's Synchronized Swim Club at my school. I absolutely love both, and have so much fun with them. I am also a huge book, movie, and music nerd. I love hiking, and exploring new places. My favorite hobby would be finding new coffee shops to go to!

Do you have any advice about teaching our children French?

I would very much encourage speaking practice. Speaking, especially in conversations, is generally the most difficult aspect of French in my experience. Plus, you get the added bonus of listening practice while helping someone with their speaking! Also, don't be afraid to make mistakes! Making mistakes is the best part of French because you can learn so much from them.

Thank you for volunteering, we look forward to having you teach!

Meet the New Teacher for 3-6 Year Olds!

I am pleased to introduce you to your new French teacher!  She would like to be called by her first name, Blandine.  Here is a brief Q&A so you can get to know her a little.  And, she looks forward to meeting you and your children soon!

Welcome to Wisconsin Blandine!  We are very thankful to Madame Qerimi for referring you to us.  I know you moved to West Bend from France 1 year ago, could you tell us a little about where you are from, your family, and what brought you to Wisconsin?

Thank you for welcoming me!   I'm married with Johann, a French man. Together, we have 2 boys who are 4 and 6 years old. Their names are Abel and Léopold. Before moving, we lived in a small town, close from Nantes. Nantes is a beautiful historic city situated next to the Ocean Atlantique. We moved in May 2014, because my husband got a new job in West Bend. It was a real adventure for our family because neither me nor my kids knew how to speak English.

 What types of experiences have you had working with children in the past?

When I worked in France, I was a specialist of education and environment. So my job was to go to different schools to show the children the importance of taking care of our planet.

And recently, I helped my children to learn English!

What are some things you like to do for fun?

I’m a musician, so I love to play piano and diatonic accordion, a typical French instrument! I also love to spend time with my family, especially in the parks.

 What do you miss most about France?

What I miss the most is my relatives…. And the French cheese with a baguette.

What do you like best about Wisconsin?

I really like how the people are friendly and welcoming. I have never felt like a foreign person in Wisconsin.

Do you have any advice about teaching our young children French?

Having fun is the best way to learn well… I wish to give a lot to the French class, Les Amis. I can't wait to meet the kids and families.

Job Posting: Director of French Language Center

Job Posting: Director of French Language Center Follow Us     Contact Us  Alliance Française de Milwaukee 1800 E. Capitol Drive Milwaukee, WI 53211 (414) 964-3855 bonjour@afmilwaukee.org  Visit Our Website L'Alliance Française de Milwaukee, an independent non-profit chapter of the international Alliance Française, seeks a Director of French Language Center. The successful candidate will offer skills, mission commitment, and creativity pivotal to strengthening the Alliance Française and its mission to promote, share and enjoy the culture, language and friendship of the French-speaking world. This is an opportunity to grow professionally and shape an exceptional educational program. Responsibilities include development and management of the year-round instructional program including faculty supervision and customer service to ensure that over 900 students at the Alliance Française receive quality instruction and have a positive experience. he Director of the French Language Center is also responsible for marketing to promote the school, and administrative and financial tracking of school performance. Qualifications & Experience: We are seeking candidates with: The team-player mentality and flexibility necessary in a nonprofit organization Attention to detail, excellent organizational and interpersonal skills to manage a team of 10-15 teachers and an administrative assistant Experience and knowledge of teaching methods and curriculum development Excellent communication skills in both French and English Skills in budgeting, planning, public relations Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and a commitment to and passion for the Alliance Française mission Good computer skills in MS Office products BA or equivalent university degree in relevant field Hours & Benefits: The candidate must have the right to work in the U.S. Part-time salaried position; 25-30 hours per week, at the Alliance Française de Milwaukee office Position requires occasional evening and weekend hours Salary: $18,500 - 22,500, commensurate with experience Four weeks paid vacation - 2 weeks scheduled, 2 weeks floating Limited health care benefits Application Process: Please send cover letter, resume, and references byAugust 10, 2015 to Anne Leplae,AnneL@AFmilwaukee.org

Children's Movies in French

Another great tip shared in class from parents!

A very effective teaching tool for young children is to play their favorite movies in French.  Most Disney movies have that option choose.

Here is an example...  Frozen "Let It Go"

Fall Session

Dear Parents

What a super summer session!  Lots of learning, increased vocabulary, education on French culture, guest from France, new songs, cool crafts, immersion, shared resources, and mom / sibling education!  Loved it, and thank you all for making it a great class.

I'm sorry to mention the word Fall on this beautiful summer day, but it's time for me to do some planning for our next session.  :)  Here are 3 key things I wanted to go over....

1.  I am working on arranging our next session dates.  A lot of it will depend on instructor and facility availability.  I will keep everyone posted, but am hoping for a mid September start.  I will hopefully have more information in a week or so, and will update the blog and website.  I am hoping for a 6 week session in Sept/Oct, then onto another 6 week session Nov / Dec, then off a few weeks for Christmas and winter break.... starting up again in February ....

2. If you are interested in taking class in the Fall, please email me at cmfleisner@gmail.com  It does not work to click on reply to blog emails sent to you.  You will have send me a separate email to my gmail address.  Thank you for letting me know if you are interested so I have an idea about the number of families who may be able to attend.

3.  If you have any information you'd like to share with the class, please email it to me, so I can post it on the blog for you.  I will soon be opening up the blog for all families to be able to post, but am still figuring out how! hee hee!  :)

I'll be in touch soon!

Au Revoir!

Marianne

French Music Resources

During class, a parent in our group shared 2 great music resources that she has been listening to with her kids and recommends.  They can be purchased as CDs or on i-tunes.  

1.  Bilingual Songs: English-French, Vol. 1 (CD/Book Kit) (French Edition) (French) Audio CD – March 1, 2003
These songs have more of an educational emphasis.

2.  Let's Sing and Dance in French!

French Songs for Kids 

These songs expose children to French language and are easy listening for parents and kids; very pretty music!

Bidding Adieu to Mademoiselle

In class, a few of us were talking about how France has been bidding adieu to the word mademoiselle in recent years.  Here is one article I found about it from the BBC back in 2012.  Since then, there has been many other forms of banning it.  The preferred word used for all girls / women (married or single) who are 13 years of age and older is madame now.

A town in Western France has banned the word "mademoiselle" - the French equivalent of "miss". The move comes as feminist groups campaign for the word to be consigned to the dustbin of history everywhere. Could its days be numbered? To read more click on this link....

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16503341

Website Resources!

The Les Amis website "Home Tool Kit" section has been updated with new resources provided by Madame Michelle.  You can find many of her handouts there including the goodnight song, clean up song, bookmarks, parent resources, class handouts...  You can also find the lyrics to our Class Song - Bonjour Bonjour Mes Amis!  We encourage you to practice this fun song at home with your kids to help them memorize it!

Check it out!

http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!home-tool-kit/c10cr

Bonne Nuit!  Marianne

Parent / Sibling Curriculum

Having our mom French speakers teaching our moms and siblings while the little ones are in class has been a wonderful aspect of Les Amis!  A BIG thank you for all the teaching they have done, which has increased learning and practice at home for families.  These moms have offered to teach out of a textbook curriculum for those interested in purchasing one and following along.  I know our family is definitely in! 


Here is one of the texts they are considering, and we can check it out in person on Wednesday.  Before purchasing the curriculum, let's first talk about it in class and figure out if that is the one to go with...  And, they welcome any curriculum ideas you may recommend as well. 

http://www.amazon.com/First-Start-French-I-Student/dp/1930953658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438226405&sr=8-1&keywords=First+start+French+Danielle+Schultz

Important Updates for Next Week

As a reminder, next week we will be meeting twice - Tuesday and Wednesday!  Same time (3PM) and same place (Family Center).  

Tuesday:  One of our parents has arranged for a guest speaker from Normandy to visit!  The speaker will begin at 3:00PM at the start of class.  The speaker will tell a little about her life in France, read a children's book in French, and do a question / answer time.  Please talk with your children about this ahead of time and come up with 2 questions to ask the speaker.  Afterwards, we will move to the classroom where we will have a snack of crepes made by another mom in the class!  And, if time allows Madame Michelle has a fun game to play (if not, she'll have the kids try it out during a future class).  Merci to everyone collaborating to make this a super special class!  :)

Wednesday:  Madame Michelle will hold class meeting 5.  She is having a great time teaching our French class and is having a lot of fun with the children!  She asks if parents would do some extra reinforcing of colors over the next couple of weeks at home to help with an upcoming class activity she has planned using colors.  Here is a fun youtube link that reviews colors....  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOB_VX1L7Kk   Also, she recomends using the colors in day to day language - such as, when getting dressed, coloring, driving....

Lastly, click here to check out information on Session 3 (our current 6 week session)....
http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!2015-session-3/c20id

Have a great weekend!  Merci!  Marianne

Parent Resources

I added a new tab on the Les Amis website under "Resources" called "Home Tool Kit."  As instructors and families pass along great resources, I will post them there.  Please click on this link http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!home-tool-kit/c10cr to check it out.  So far, I have posted several useful resources including......

1.  The very helpful Parent Resource Guide that Madame Michelle created.  A paper version was handed out in class last week, but you can always refer to the electronic version now too.

2.  All of the French vocabulary bookmarks that Madame Michelle created for the Summer Session that are given out weekly in French.  I keep this handy resource posted on my fridge at home and find it so helpful to encourage weekly practice.

3  Tools and resources to reinforce the important foundational vocabulary Madame Qerimi and Madame Michelle have been introducing and reviewing regularly.

4. A fun clean up song with French and English subtitles! This is also found on the parent resource guide.  I know I'll be practicing this one at home as much as possible - love it!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ3Fu-j0gEE

Class Song!

Madame Michelle created a fun French song to teach our students, and it really fits our group name name, "Les Amis!"

Sing the song to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, and we can practice it in class together.

Bonjour Bonjour Mes amis (wave to each side)

Comment ca va aujourd’hui? (hands in air questioning)

Ca va bien merci et toi (thumbs up and point out)

ca va bien merci et toi

Bonjour Bonjour Mes amis

Comment ca va aujourd’hui?

Update from Madame Michelle!

Bonjour Parents!

This week we are working with a Birthday theme! Seeing how July 15th is La fête de la bastille in France it was fitting to do this theme around the real celebration day. When I was in France I was not able to be in Paris on this day, but I was in LaRochelle...a beautiful coastal city. Nothing special really happened except for a feu d’artifice  (fire works!) over the ocean. In Paris there is always a big celebration. This week I suggest making crèpes for dinner in honor of the French holiday! Crèpes are easy to make and are kiddo approved! You can make them sweet and fill them with nutella, jams, or even just plain sugar. When a crèpe is savory it is called a galette. Galettes are filled with warm ham and cheese, or can even be garnished with a small bed of greens and an egg over easy on top. Breakfast, lunch and dinner... crèpes are magnifique! Try out the recipe below.

P.S. Here is a link to watch real French crepes being made on the street! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=278ylLmcH7A

Crèpes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Tbs. melted unsalted butter, plus 8 tsp.
• butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

In a blender, combine the milk, egg, flour, the 1/2 Tbs. melted butter and the salt and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours.

In a crepe pan over medium heat, melt 1 tsp. of the butter to coat the pan evenly. Lift the pan at a slight angle and pour 2 Tbs. of the batter into the center, tilting the pan to spread the batter to the edges. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the crepe is golden underneath, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the crepe over and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat with the remaining batter. Makes 8 crepes.

Fill with sweet or savoury ingredients to your preference! ☺

Session 3 Starting Soon!

Bonjour Mes Amis!   French class will be starting up again on Wednesday!  Here are a couple of quick updates for you to be aware of...

1.  Classes meet from 3:00 - 4:00PM during summer session, not 3:20 to 4:20.  Also, classes meet on Wednesdays, not Tuesdays.  I'm sorry I keep saying this, but I'm just a worrier and picture people coming on the wrong day or time.  So, I thought I'd say it one more time.  :)

2.  I updated our website with information about Session 3 Week 1.  (I'll have the future weeks updated soon).  Please check it out because Madame Michelle put together a fun first week for the children and designed some very helpful parent resources too!   http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!2015-session-3/c20id

3.  We will need to decide as a group the best date for our 6th meeting.  I think August wasn't the best month for some families who attend, so we'll probably be looking at a July date and doubling up a week.  We can talk more during class, but thought I'd mention it ahead of time.

4.  Amy has a guest speaker from France who is able to come to one of our classes and speak with the kids!  The guest can't come on Wednesdays, but she is free on Tuesday, July 28th.  Would it work for everyone to switch our class to meeting on Tuesday that one week?  Or perhaps, that could be the make up date that we are trying to schedule?  Just some ideas to think over, let's talk in class and see what works for everyone.

5.  Bastille Days is in Milwaukee this week July 9 - 12!  Here is the link to the website...  http://www.easttown.com/events/bastille-days/   On Saturday, July 11 at 10AM there is a scheduled "Kids' Activities."  Let's talk more about this in class!  I haven't gone before, but I think some families in class have.  Maybe they have some helpful tips for going with kids, parking...  I hear it isn't good to bring kids in the evening.  What is Bastille Days?  Check out this little summery to learn more...  http://french.about.com/od/culture/a/bastille-day.htm

Week 1 Postponed Until July 8th!

Bonjour! Summer session is starting soon, and I have a few important updates to share.

1.  We will be meeting at the West Bend Family Center again for our location.  In the fall, we may move to St. Johns School, but will stay at the family center this summer.

2.  We had a few glitches with starting class on July 1st, so we will be postponing starting the class until Wednesday, July 8th.  We can all talk in class about choosing a day that works for everyone so we have our 6 meetings.  We can pick another day of the week during July to make it up.  So please do not come to class next week.  Week 1 will start July 8th from 3:00-4:00PM (please note the summer session time change as well;  it is a 3:00PM start time instead of 3:20.  I apologize if that caused an inconvenience for anyone's schedule planning. 

3.  Madame Milliken has lots of fun summer lesson plans up her sleeve and parent resources to help us practice with the kids at home! I'm missing regularly practicing French during the week and and am eager to start again!  She plans to incorporate summer vocabulary that we can use with our kids in our day to day activities to encourage home practice.

I'm writing you all from beautiful Scotland for the wedding!  Sooooo close to France, but no time to zip over there!  C'est la vie!  :)  (I've been waiting for a good time to use that phrase!  Finally! haha )  However, we do have time for a little sightseeing and will be touring Castle Culzean tomorrow, I attached a picture of it below.

Please let me know if you have any questions about the above updates.

See you on July 8th, Au Revoir!

Marianne

Madame Michelle Introduction

     Bonjour! Je m'appelle Michelle.  Hello my name is Michelle. I am so excited to meet all of you during out first session! I have just completed my k-12 French teacher certification and could not be more thrilled to share my passion for language with the students and their families.

     A little background about me: I graduated from UW-Milwaukee with my bachelors degree in French. I spent three months in LaRochelle, France in the summer of 2012 and came back from that experience certain that I wanted to make French my career. I continued my education with Cardinal Stritch University where I became certified as a K-12 French teacher. 

     French is my passion. I watch French movies, listen to French music (often in my car... a little too loud), and I have a particular interest in French children's books and classic fairy tales! Before and during my time at Cardinal Stritch University I nannied for two little girls under the age of 2 and spoke French to them. The older one will still request the French lullabye that I sang to her before naptime! I had the most wonderful time with them and always wished I could teach a French class to younger students. I am continuously amazed at how quickly little minds latch on to language!

     

    In my free time, I love to sew! I cannot sew clothing...yet! However, I have made quilts and lots of items for around the house. It is my goal this summer to make myself a quilt. My other favorite activities include farmers markets, coffee, tea, movies, and sitting on my front porch with friends and family.

     

I look forward to meeting you all very soon!

À Bientôt!

Les Amis!

The votes are in and our class name is.....  Drum roll..........

Les Amis!  (Friends!)

You may have noticed that the blog name and web address has been changed.  I'm realllly hoping that didn't change you receiving the emails from the blog!  :)  And, our website will be updated soon!

Thank you all for voting and making an excellent choice!

Official Group Name! We NEED your help!!

Finally!!!  We are going to soon have an official name for our French group by  next week!  But, we realllllly need your help!!  Please take a minute to quickly vote on your top 2 or 3 or 4 favorite names found on this link..

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2WHKP5V

Voting is anonymous!  We are totally stumped and need your help and input!   I will then tally up the votes on Friday and announce the official name next week!  Keep in mind, the name should be easy to pronounce for us beginning French speakers, something we would perhaps want on a t-shirt for the kids someday, a name we can have to promote the group, eventually a logo...

Feedback wanted from parents, children, teachers, assistants, families on the waitlist...

Merci!!

Marianne and Madame Qerimi!

Session 3 Schedule

Dear Parents,

Session 3 will begin on July 1st, this group will meet on WEDNESDAYS, not Tuesdays during just the summer.  Then, back to Tuesdays in the Fall.

The location for classes is not yet known, but it should be at either the West Bend Family Center, West Bend Library, or St. Johns school.  I will keep you posted on that.

Hoping to get 4 or 5 more families interested so a Thursday group can be started too.  I think it will hopefully happen by the fall, and possibly by summer.  So, please spread the word! :)

If you want to join Session 3, you could pay me in class the $48 on Week 6 of this session.  Or you could mail it to me by June 15th.  Then, I am traveling to Scotland, so I will need to have enough time to contact families on the waitlist if you are unable to attend Session 3.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Merci!

Marianne

Directions for Following Blog

Bonjour!  J'espere que vous rencontrez une bonne journee!  (I hope you are having a good day!)

The blog is officially up and running! Yay! Here is a quick summary of how the blog will work.  I will post ALL important class updates on the blog, along with fun resources shared in class, and teacher updates from Madame Qerimi.  If you become a "follower" of the blog, the posts will automatically come to your email address - no need to click on a link.  Once you "follow" the blog, you actually never have to go back to the blog again!  (Unless you want to check out past messages....). I tried it out with my email and it is awesome! 

Why a blog you may ask?  The centralized blog will really help amp up the organization of the class and make communication more streamlined.  And, it's helpful to know we can always go there if we want to look back on previous messages for various reasons. In addition, any new group members can review the blog to catch up on things they may have missed... 

So...  here is how you do it!  :)   It should take less than a minute and then you will be set to go moving forward.  

1.  Click on our blog link....  http://entre-nous-1.blogspot.com/

2.  From your desktop:   you will see a place to enter your email address on the upper right hand side of the screen.  Enter your email there and hit submit.  Then, immediately  go to your email to confirm that you want to be a follower.

3. From your phone:   If you are on your phone, the place to enter your email address does not automatically show up.  Scroll to the bottom of the page where it says "View web version".  (Right above my picture of About Me.)  Then, you will see the place to enter your email.  Once you enter it, immediately go to your email and confirm that you want to follow.

Once you complete the above steps to follow the blog, you will be set to go with all messages pertaining to the class and you'll never need to go back to the blog again unless you want to.  

See you in class!

Note from the Teacher

Note from Madame Qerimi  ~

The class this week was enthused to learn about clothing!  The children were excited to wear their special clothes and sing about them.  They were deeply involved in their necklace / bracelet making.  It was nice to see everyone working hard and smiling when they accomplished their end result!  I noticed many students asking for the colors or shapes of beads in French during the exercise.

Bonne traveaille mes etudiants!

Week 5 Updates

Bonjour!  Week 5 is coming up in a few more days!  Here are two updates about the class...

1.  As a reminder, this week Madame Qerimi will be talking about Sports!  Your child is welcome to dress up in any type of sports attire - ballet, football, swimming, soccer... just a few ideas.  If you forget, there is a dress up bin at the Family Center.  :)

2.  We will have a guest speaker for the moms, Monica Zela - Koort who is the Regional Director from Academic Adventures in America.  She has placed international students from France for 25+ years for short term or longer term stays.  Some of the families she placed are from the Kettle Moraine Home Educators community.  For those interested in learning about it, she will come to speak for about 20 minutes and bring information.

3.  Occasionally, we will have guest speakers in our class.  Later this summer, we will have a speaker from France!  If you know of someone who you think would be a neat speaker to have in class, please let me know.

Have a nice Memorial Day weekend!

Dieu Benisse!  God bless,

Marianne

Fun Facts!

Surprise Madame Qerimi!  This week, I thought I'd do a few fun facts I've learned about you!  :)

• Yesterday was her birthday!  Joyeux anniversaire!  Thank you for teaching a great class on your b-day! 
• In addition to her educational background in Art Therapy and French, she is also Montessori certified! No wonder she has so many creative ideas for art projects!  She often integrates aspects of the Montessori philosophy in the classroom.
• In her home, they often speak French, Albanian, and English with her son.  How fun would that be to have a tri-lingual home!
• She is an awesome advocate for our group in the community, promoting it many places - church, schools... Even promoting it while getting her teeth cleaned at the dentist office - now that is a committed teacher! She is a great example of ways to share about our class! 
• She believes in and has seen the many benefits of introducing children to a second language, especially at a young age! Now is an excellent time to introduce it and then build from there! 
• She is full of many strategies and ideas for incorporating French in the home! 
• She has a real enthusiasm and excitement for our group, and goes above and beyond with her time and resources.  She often tells me how much she loves teaching this class! 

Hoping I didn't embarrass you too much Madame Qerimi!  :)  Just wanted to say Merci Beaucoup for for all you do!    

Feedback

If you  have not already done so, we would really appreciate it if you would complete this survey about the French class.  If there is a question you would prefer to not to answer, you can skip over it or put NA.

Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3FX8CYV

French Bible Verse

Je suis avec toi.  Acts 18:10  (First part)

I am with you.

French Bible versus to share with your children!

Etsy listing...  https://www.etsy.com/listing/66027109/pink-french-bible-verse-cards-pack-of-10?ref=market

Testing - Previous Emails

Testing 1, 2, 3....  Testing 1, 2, 3

I thought it would be a good idea to do a test run for a post for our new blog!  Below is a copy of the last group email I sent out....

I can't believe we are already in Week 4!  Time is flying by.
Here is an updated link with youtube videos... for this 6 week session.
http://cmfleisner.wix.com/french-class#!2015-session-2/c2rd
Reminder that Week 4 (this Tuesday), is wear crazy clothes or PJs to class day!  (If you forget, there is a dress up bin at the family center).  Also, the following week, Week 5, is wear sports clothes.  And, please try to make it to Week 6 because Madame Qerimi has a special treat from the children planned for the parents!  (This is also tea party, so please each bring a treat for the class).  
Have a nice evening!  Bonsoir!

Hello again!
I forgot to mention, for those of you who didn't yet fill out the class survey, we would really appreciate your feedback.  Here is the link, and if you would like to pass on a question, no problem at all, just put NA or skip it. The results go to me and Madame Qerimi.

• https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3FX8CYV

Merci Beaucoup!