On September 25, we proudly celebrate Franco-Ontarian Day! This special day recognizes the rich culture, heritage, and contributions of the Franco-Ontarian community in our province.
Let’s come together to honour the Francophone spirit that is an important part of our Board community. Ma Francophonie, j’y tiens! (We are proud of our francophone heritage!)
For more information on Franco-Ontarian Day and its significance, please visit the following resources below:
Sudbury Catholic Schools is proud to share the submissions from this year’s Ma Francophonie Video Contest, which invited French Immersion and Core French students to create 90-second videos showcasing why learning French is meaningful—both personally and within their school communities.
The contest gave students a creative platform to express their connection to the French language and celebrate Ma Francophonie, highlighting the role of French in their daily lives and school experiences.
Submissions are being shared in honour of Franco-Ontarian Day on September 25, 2025. This year is especially significant as it marks the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag raising at the University of Sudbury, first held in 1975. Half a century later, the pride and celebration of Franco-Ontarian culture continue to grow stronger each year.
“We are thrilled to see our students’ creativity and passion for French shine through in this year’s submissions,” said Camille Heaton, FSL Curriculum Consultant. “Their work reflects the importance of French language and culture in our schools and communities.”
Sudbury Catholic Schools invites the community to view the submissions and celebrate the achievements of our students as they showcase their pride in French language and culture leading up to Franco-Ontarian Day.
Junior Core French Students at Pius XII Catholic School have been immersing themselves in the world of French music through Manie Musicale, an international “battle of the bands” competition that took place this past March. The competition features artists from French-speaking countries worldwide, allowing students to explore the diversity of the Francophone world through music.
Under the guidance of Miss Cousineau, students joined schools from across Canada and the United States in this engaging musical event. As part of the experience, students have been listening to songs, watching music videos, and sharing their opinions in French. They have also been actively involved in the competition by voting for their favourite songs, predicting which one will win the contest.
“This is an incredible opportunity for students to experience French language and culture in a fun, meaningful way,” said Core French Elementary Prep Teacher, Michelle Cousineau. “It broadens their understanding of how widely French is spoken and helps them connect with the language through music.”
According to the school, by participating in Manie Musicale, Pius XII students are not only strengthening their French skills but also developing a deeper appreciation for the global Francophone community.
Canadian Parents for French Ontario is offering FREE French enrichment programs funded by the Ministry of Education for FSL (French as a Second Language) students from SK to Grade 12. The program is offered after school in May at 4:00pm, 5:00pm or 6:00pm, featuring a daily 45-minute class over a two-week session. Virtual Programs will be led by OCT certified teachers or Teacher Candidates in an Ontario Bachelor of Education program. Register here for our programs in May today!
Grade 6 students studying Core French at Immaculate Conception school in Val Caron, recently participated in the “Canadian Parents for French Concours Oratoire” (public speaking contest) and they did great! Mme Merotto prepared them for the task with instructional materials provided by CPF, they practiced and then presented to the class.
We thank our Board of Trustees, Senior Administration, staff, students, families, volunteers, community partners, and our parishes for their continued support and commitment to Sudbury Catholic. Together we are providing a caring, progressive, high quality Catholic school system that is nurturing our students – mind, body, and spirit.
The Rams had a blast celebrating French culture in light of la St. Jean Baptiste day on June 24th with a neighbourhood parade, and some classes got to enjoy some poutine with “pudding chomeur” to continue with the French culture. Thank you Mme Hawthorne and Mme Winn for organizing!
French Immersion students at Holy Cross School participated in the Canadian Parents for French public speaking contest and it was a great success! This contest highlights the tremendous ability of our immersion students to communicate in French and is a testament to the amazing support the teacher and school is providing.
On September 25th, 2022, Sudbury Catholic Schools celebrated Franco-Ontarian Day! This celebration is an annual opportunity to learn about Franco-Ontarian culture and history in real life and bring awareness to this wonderful community on an occasion that combines education, fun, language, and history. As the number of FSL students and families continues to grow, it is important for Sudbury Catholic to infuse French Culture into the classrooms.
In our video that highlights our Franco-Ontarian celebrations, we use the phrase, “Ma Francophonie, j’y tiens!”, which translated from French means, “We are proud of our Francophone heritage!”
In addition to annual celebrations, FSL teaching and learning is being further supported in our community through our FSL Plan. One of the most important goals of Sudbury Catholic School’s three-year FSL Plan is improving student confidence and proficiency. We’re committed to providing french language learners with the support they need, and to continue to offer programming that is evidence-based and engaging.
“With what we currently know about how kids learn to read, our Board has committed to shifting from a balanced to a structured literacy approach. Structured literacy provides explicit instruction of the key components of literacy so that students develop excellent pre-reading and reading skills. This approach also guarantees early identification of students at-risk through assessment. The best interventions can then be used to support and move students along. With purposeful reading instruction and interventions, students will demonstrate increased achievement in the FSL program. Literacy leads to proficiency, confidence, and an enthusiasm for life-long learning. And that’s the best gift of all” – Camille Heaton, FSL Consultant.
