MANCHESTER – On May 22, the Manchester School District and Franco-American Centre held a year-end celebration of the French Heritage Language Program, a collaboration between the two organizations. As part of the event, held at the District Welcome Center, the Franco-American Centre presented the District with a $5,000 donation to support the new French-English dual-language immersion program at Weston Elementary School.
At the event, students from the French after-school clubs at Webster School and Northwest Elementary School, led by club advisors Debra Villiard, Dramane Ganou, and Peggy Cole, showed off what they’ve learned this year.
“It was a joy to see the smiles on the faces of our students as they conversed and sang in French, alongside their club advisors,” said Assistant Superintendent Nicole Doherty. “As we prepare to launch our French-English dual language immersion program at Weston Elementary in the fall, this event really showcased the excitement for growth through learning a foreign language. We are grateful to the Franco-American Centre for its ongoing support of this program and the donation to support the new dual-language program.”
John Tousignant, the Executive Director of the Franco-American Centre, said that the organization was happy to contribute the $5,000, which will be used to support the acquisition of learning materials and to support educator training. He noted that many members made individual donations that were matched by the organization.
“Throughout New Hampshire, people of French and French-Canadian heritage are eagerly awaiting the start of this ‘first in the state’ program,” Tousignant said. “The rich French history of our communities, combined with the current connections with Quebec as NH's largest trading partner, continue to make French language a valuable skill for young people to incorporate into their lives. To the Manchester School District, we say Merci et Bravo!”