Dear editor:
On March 3, my Bow Valley High School Grade 10 French class was able to go to the Wild Wild West Event Centre with teacher Mrs. Marnie Sterling for a taste of French culture.
Michael and Diane Werbisky were kind enough to organize the event, which takes place for two weeks of the year, from Feb. 24 to March 7. It was an amazing opportunity.
When we arrived at the facility, they gave us instructions on what to do and where to go; the instructions were, of course, in French. So, we went into the hall where we were seated with four other schools from the area. The excitement was high and we were ready for the event to begin.
To start the day, they showed us a video on the process of making maple syrup. We learned that it takes 40 litres of maple sap to produce one litre of maple syrup, and the two main resource areas that it comes from are Québec and Vermont. After the video, they quizzed us on it, and the first table to get the answer got to get up and get their breakfast. Competition was high.
We were treated to a traditional French breakfast complete with hash browns, pancakes, beans, eggs, ham and sausage, all topped off with delicious maple syrup. Then, after breakfast, we enjoyed some French entertainers called Chakidor, all the way from Quebec. They started off singing a few songs in French, playing the guitar and the violin. As it went on, they involved more of the students and teachers. Myself and one other person from my class were able to go up and learn to play the spoons, along with 10 other students from the crowd. It was pretty fun.
Then, organizers involved the teachers by inviting them to come up with a student to learn how to square dance. And the fun and entertainment didn’t end there: We got to pour maple syrup on snow and make maple syrup taffy.
Following this, there were activities, such as tug of war and three-legged races.
Mrs. Sterling said, “This was a great opportunity for my students and I to experience the Quebecois culture while being immersed in the French language. It was an authentic learning experience.”
Alex Kyle, a student in the class, said, “This was a great way for me to get more information on what other cultures are like and this has given me a better learning opportunity.”
Fellow student Meah Peers stated, “My favorite part of the day was making the taffy; I had never done it before, and I really hope my French class is able to experience a day like this again.”
I would wholeheartedly agree. This was a fantastic opportunity that I got to share with my classmates; it gave me a different perspective on the culture I am learning about. It also helped with my French speaking as I learned new words that I feel will help me in the future.
Johlynn Doskoch
