This winter, students from l’école Les Aiglons in Squamish had the chance to enjoy two great activities organized by the school’s parents’ association (APÉ).

In January, we speak French!

In January 2019, the APÉ launched a competition called “La Guerre des tuques” (The Tuque War), an initiative with the goals of fostering school spirit and encouraging pride in speaking French.

Each class received a container filled with tuques sporting the logo of l’école Les Aiglons, in a different colour for each of the divisions. To win their tuques, each class had to meet, as a group, the challenge of speaking only in French for a period determined by their teachers, taking their level into account.

The competition also included a home component. Students received a bingo card on which they could check boxes after completing activities, such as: playing a game in French, naming 20 foods in the fridge in French, reading 15 minutes out loud in French to their parents, saying “bonjour” to three people in the community on the same day, and so on. By completing their bingo card, students could win stickers of characters from the film “La Guerre des tuques.”

As a reward for their efforts throughout the month, students had the chance to go on an outing to see the film “La Guerre des tuques 3D”!

La Folie en rouge: a Tradition Now

Every February for four years now, the APÉ offers students in Grades 4 to 6 an evening of dancing with the theme “La Folie en rouge” (crazy in red).

The first version of this dance welcomed 150 participants coming from schools in Squamish. This year, 300 tickets have been sold -- to students from local schools, and even to students attending CSF schools in Vancouver!

During the evening, young people can dance to lively music played by two DJs, eat at the concession stand, take fun photos in a photo booth, participate in games, and win prizes.

Organizing this event involves more than 80 parent volunteers, including a dozen dads dealing with security at the entrance!

According to the President of the APÉ, Christine McLeod, “it's a huge task to put on an event like this; but we do it because it’s so much appreciated by both students and parents. As a small school, it gives us the opportunity to develop our leadership and to create links in the community.”

This year, a portion of the profits generated by “La Folie en rouge” will allow the APÉ to support the creation of a new Francophone association in Squamish.