Misc.:

CFBISD homepage  Email address: hardyd@cfbisd.edu@cfbisd.edu

Phone #:972-968-5200
 

Newman Smith homepage

Un petit message à ceux et à celles qui vont

participer dans la compétition de la Fête Française! (le 6 mars 2010)

Félicitations! Congratulations! You are already a winner, someone who has decided to deepen your knowledge of French and to represent Smith as part of the 2010 French team. You now belong to a select group of students who have competed and distinguished themselves and their school since 1983 the Fête Française. The purpose of this competition is to allow students the opportunity to grow individually while training for the competition, to become more confident in their use of this beautiful language, and to have the chance to measure their accomplishments in an encouraging environment.

For this to be the most rewarding experience for you possible I'd like to give some words of advice:

How it works: All oral events are judged by two French speaking judges. (art work may be judged by non French speaking experts, musicians and/or artists) No one else will be in the room with you. The judges are there to give you feedback and to determine which students have most successfully mastered the pieces they are performing.  You are supposed to enter when called, greet the judge politely, give your name and school # (we'll be assigned one when we register), tell them what you will be performing then present! The top three winners per event per level in North Texas will be announced at the awards ceremony at the end of the event.

Your success will be proportionate to the preparation you bring to the event. Here are some things that might help.

If you are preparing for an oral event:

·        You will be performing a piece of literature by a French author. It is a chance to learn some vocabulary or structures you may not have learned yet in class. Make sure you understand the passage thoroughly. Look up words you don't know and get help from your teacher so you will understand everything you say.

·        Next request a recording from your teacher. (You may be able to find poems read aloud on the internet as well.) Listen carefully several times and try imitating the voice of your teacher.

·        Now you're ready to begin performing! Each time you have someone listen to you will gain more confidence with your own mastery of the piece. You will definitely want your teacher to listen to you and to give you honest feedback about your performance. No one is perfect right away! Since you know what the piece means find your own 'voice' as you become the mouthpiece of the author in 'interpreting' his/her work! You are making it come alive each time you speak!

To prepare for the vocab test: Read the little opening dialogues of the textbook you were issued. Skim over the vocab lists at the end of the chapters. Ask for something extra to read from your teacher. Extra reading also helps those who are doing the sight reading, guided reading, grammar and dictation tests.

For guided speaking: practice by taking magazine pictures and describing what you see. Can you guess why the people are there? what they want, need or are thinking? Can you suppose what they did or will do next? The winner by level of this event will talk for at least 90 seconds about what they see in the picture. You'll have 5 minutes to get ready.

The criteria, rules etc. for all the events is online at:  http://faculty.trinityvalleyschool.org/aatf/fete.html

Timeline:

            Thursday afternoon,  February 11th:  the list of participants is finalized for mailing to contest headquarters to enroll you. $6 entry fees are due.

              (the entry fee is the same regardless of the number of events you participate in!)

            February 20th: Smith teachers will work for the contest organizers.  (What your teachers pay for participating!) This is also the last moment any changes could be              made to the team.

            Week of March 1st: M. Hardy, Mme Chlone and/or honor society members will be available after school to listen to performances. The more you practice the              more confident you will be! YOU will be helping the team by being a willing   audience for students who are practicing their pieces. We are a team!

            Bring the field trip permission slip with you to give to your teacher by Friday of this week!

            Saturday March 6th: Students and teachers will meet in front of the school (approx.8 am: but TBA) for the trip by bus to Jasper HS in Plano. The bus will            return to the Smith parking lot at the end of the awards ceremony. (approx. 3 pm or so)