PORTRAIT OF A PARENT
Louise, Senior Volunteer in Port Coquitlam
Behind every successful school and early childhood centre, there are parents who get involved!
To show Parenthèse readers how parents from across the province contribute to their school community, we’re publishing “portraits” of parents who commit themselves in various ways to the community.
For the first time, Portrait of a Parent features a grandmother who passes down her Francophone heritage to little ones and their parents!
Louise Deschêne, senior volunteer at the Franc départ des-Pionniers-de-Maillardville centre in Port Coquitlam
Why I got involved:
My husband Gilles and I decided, in 2013, to participate in the “Les Rendez-vous des petits bonheurs” program, which the Fédération des parents had organized. This program was designed to encourage Francophone seniors in the community to make visits to preschool centres, like the Franc départ centres, in order to take part in activities with young children and their parents.
Even though the program ended last year, we continued to make visits to the centre. We now have a granddaughter, who is one year old.
What I do for the school community:
I like to pass down my Francophone heritage to the next generation. I love the engagement with young children and their families.
I love to cook and I do cooking activities with the kids, for example, preparing cookies or muffins.
What I like the most about my volunteer visits:
I love the children’s smiles and enthusiasm. It's so nice to see them open up in the course of the year.
A dream that I hold for my grandchildren:
...that they speak, understand, write, and above all, love French-Canadian language and culture, and that they can make friends in this community.
