To show Parenthèse readers how parents from across the province contribute to their school or preschool  community, we’re publishing “portraits” of parents who commit themselves in various ways to the community.

My name is Kelly Shoecraft and I have two children: Amelia, age 4, who attends la Prématernelle Pomme d’Api in Vancouver, and Sarah, who is 18 months old.

Born in Australia, I lived several years in France before moving to Vancouver in 2012. I teach at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and work in the field of language learning and bilingualism.

What I'm doing for my preschool community:

I’m a parent volunteer on the board of directors of la Prématernelle Pomme d’Api. My role is Fundraising Director, which involves organizing activities and events to raise more funds for our preschool and children. I’m also the board’s class representative for my daughter’s group.

Why I started:

I decided to get involved in the preschool community to contribute to the preschool, and to do everything possible to make sure that my daughter and the other children receive a good education in French. In addition, this commitment gives me the opportunity to meet other parents at the school!  

A dream that I hold for my children:

I’d like my girls not only to be able to express themselves with ease in French and English, but also to get involved in Francophone cultural life. Through contact with different languages and cultures, I hope that they’ll learn to accept and appreciate people whatever their origin, and that they’ll become “citizens of the world.”

A proud achievement:

I finished my doctorate last year. As part of my doctoral project, I did a study on the use of languages by 4-year-olds at a Francophone preschool in BC. Not only am I proud of this achievement on a personal level, but also because it gives me the opportunity to provide information and advice to friends and parents who ask me questions about learning and the use of languages by their bilingual children.

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