In several schools, the catch-up planned during the break to compensate for delays due to the strike takes the form of a language camp to prevent young allophones from spending another week without speaking French.
“We still wanted them to feel like they were on vacation,” explains Julie Morin, director of Saint-Vincent-Marie primary school, located in Montreal North.
Saint-Vincent-Marie is one of the many schools that are open this spring break, as permitted by the plan to catch up on delays accumulated during the fall strike.
Around thirty students from year 1D at 6e year will spend every morning of the week at school. But there will be no homework or exams.
When The newspaper enters Luciana Arteaga Mantilla’s class, around ten young people who are old enough to be in 3e or 4e year stand in a circle.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
“Raise your hand if you can jump with your legs crossed,” says the teacher. Who can show me his right hand? His left hand?
Later, we find them in the gym, playing a sophisticated form of dodgeball. The activity seems simple, but young people must understand the rules and what magic formula allows them to “deliver” a teammate.
In the teachers’ room, children from 1D and 2e year peel bananas and clementines to prepare a fruit salad.
In the younger group, Viviane Houle-Gagné accompanies the students, who write their names on their box of fruit salad.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
The goal: to practice French at its most concrete and functional. Because for many allophone students, the lack of exposure to the language of Molière was one of the main consequences of the strike.
The young people selected are all in reception class or have been in reception class in recent years.
“There are students who have arrived [au Québec] two weeks before the strike. After that, they met at home and spoke their mother tongue until January 8,” illustrates Mme Morin.
Relief
In LaSalle, the L’Orée-du-Parc school is not part of the same school service center. However, we also opted for a language camp.
“Clearly, it must be a need, if all the schools have targeted the same thing,” exclaims the director, Marie-Soleil Jacques.
“The vocabulary developed before the strike, there is not much left a month later.”
His school will receive around 45 allophone students from six local schools throughout the week.
On the menu: technological workshops where we will use hammers and measuring equipment, construction of small wooden vehicles, cooking and the outdoors at Angrignon Park, among other activities.
“Many parents are relieved because they cannot afford to stop working during spring break,” observes M.me Jacques.
Difficult routine
“The students are happy to be there and so are we […] They are smiling, ready to board,” notes Rosa Trotta, daycare educator at Saint-Vincent-Marie.
In a sector like Montreal North, it is important that these types of activities are offered, underlines the one who was one of the first at the school to volunteer for the catch-up.
Recruitment was also easy, notes director Julie Morin. At least 25 staff members raised their hands among just over sixty people.
In fact, many saw the catch-up plan as an opportunity to offer the tutoring or specialized help they don’t normally have time for.
Julie Morin, director of Saint-Vincent-Marie school, and Audrey-Ève Champigny Cholette, assistant director.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
Like the remedial teacher who said to himself: “oh my God, I’m really going to take this student [pour l’aider]», reports Mme Morin.
Still, the effects of the 22 days of strike are undeniable, according to those interviewed.
“To return to routine, there are some for whom it is really difficult,” summarizes Ms. Morin.
For example, students who were functioning well before came back from Christmas break having “fits” or accumulating lateness and abnormal absences.
Getting “out of your way”
For some, one of the big challenges is to “stand out” and dare to speak in front of everyone a language that they have not yet mastered.
In Saint-Vincent-Marie, teacher Naomie Laratte asks older children to talk about their favorite object or film as part of a discussion workshop.
Teacher Naomie Laratte leads a discussion workshop with the oldest students at Saint-Vincent-Marie school.
Photo Agence QMI, JOEL LEMAY
A girl raises her hand and responds in a quiet voice, hiding her mouth.
A boy, when questioned, nods his head, ensuring that he has no favorite object or film, which could suggest that his French is rudimentary.
Later, however, he will be able to read aloud a complete paragraph of a text projected on the interactive whiteboard.