News

Term 4, 2005

MOT DE LA PRÉSIDENTE
Jacqueline Meunier

AGM & GALA DINNER

The executive committee met on 7th October and it was decided to postpone the AGM and Gala Dinner till February 2006. The original dinner was to take place end of October but we found we were running out of time to finalise all details. This term is very busy e.g. final exams, reports and HSC marking.... We are planning to hold this NAFT function at the Epping RSL Club on the last Friday night in February with a 6.00pm starting time followed by cocktails at 7.00pm and dinner at 7.30pm.

We have invited the following guests speakers:

  • Françoise Grauby, Lecturer at Sydney University, to present her book "Un cheval piaffe en moi" about her experiences as a young teacher in France,
  • Terence Maloon, curator at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, to talk about the activities offered by the Gallery for teachers and students of French,
  • Julia Zemiro, comedian and compere on SBS-TV.

The $40 fee per person will cover a 3 course meal which NAFT is subsidising as well providing wine free-of-charge. NAFT will cover also costs for the hire of the function room, AV and sound equipment and any other associated costs.

Pencil in the last weekend of February 2006 in your diaries! Let's all come in appreciation of NAFT activities and all involved. In particular, I want to highlight the marvellous job done by the officers of the current executive committee:

  • Jacquie Hilmer, Vice-President and Bac Blanc coordinator,
  • Françoise Reeves-Smith, treasurer
  • Lynda Entwisle, enrolment officer
  • Jo Woodbridge, communications officer
  • Dominique Barbeau, secretary amd FATFA representative
  • Nathalie Richards, Year10 Day coordinator
  • Jacqueline Meunier, President and FATFA representative

Our activities have multiplied this year and this is a sign of NAFT expansion and increasing popularity!

ACTIVITIES 2005

In Term 1: one Speaking Skills Workshop for Teachers at PLC, Pymble in February and two production workshops for the Bac Blanc at St. Catherine's, Waverley.

In Term 2: our first Weekend d'Immersion at Pokolbin, in the Hunter Valley; printing of Trial papers and CDs.

In Term 3: two Y12 Speaking Skills Days* at PLC and IGS, the Year 10 French Day* at Macquarie University and the BOS ARC workshop on the new SC descriptors at Pymble.

In Term 4: our first Primary K-6 Workshop at Meriden.

OTHER NAFT INVOLVEMENTS

COMPETITION
NAFT has also sponsored the competition "Concours de recueils de recettes cuisine interactifs" as advertised in Liaisons and coordinated by Roberta Salerno.

FRENCH EMBASSY - COLLABORATION
NAFT has worked on various projects in close collaboration with Roberta , Attaché Linguistique de l'Ambassade de France,.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRY TEACHERS
NAFT has sponsored country teachers to attend some of those workshops by providing hotel accomodation and/or transport for far-away country teachers.

NAFT PARTICIPATION AT CONFERENCES
NAFT has sponsored 4 delegates to the AFMTA Conference in Melbourne - Denise Thomson, Marc Grossman, Lynda Entwisle and Jacqueline Meunier - and one delegate to the Paris FIFP Colloque - Dominique Barbeau.

Whilst in Melbourne I attended a FATFA meeting in preparation for the first National Conference of Teachers of French in Australia, to take place in Adelaide in July. As NAFT president, I made a point of networking with the presidents from our counterpart associations in other states and other language consultants, academics etc…and secured Megan Morgan for our Primary Workshop. Each of the other delegates have written reports which Jo will send on the network soon. D. Barbeau will a report on the FIPF colloque. The committee recommended her for the Paris Colloque as she is one of the NAFT representatives to FATFA.

The dynamic executive committee of NAFT has, on average, held at least 2 meetings per term. In addition, Jacquie Hilmer, Vice-President and myself have met on several other occasions whenever necessary to deal with pressing situations e.g.Bac Blanc, membership issue or to attend official meetings e.g. at the office of BOS for the SC descriptors workshops.

I recently received a very encouraging message from Stéphane Grivelet of the French Embassy in Canberra and I am sharing it with you all as I would like you to understand the pleasure and warmth glow it gave me.

"...Merci beaucoup pour cette information qui va beaucoup aider Roseline. Je vois par les messages que la NAFT continue à être une des associations de professeurs de français les plus actives. Félicitations !..."

Now I hope each member is glowing! In particularl, I wish for "double-glow"for each member of the Executive committee for their sterling efforst with NAFT activities this year. Without them, there would not be a NAFT as we know it now!

But next year, WE NEED many more of YOU because NAFT has expanded:

  • we have consolidated on reliable past activities and services
  • we have created new workshops and activities
  • we have been involved in more projects than anticipated AND
  • we now need to keep up the energy to better meet the demands for more NAFT involvement at Primary and Secondary levels across NSW in order to better serve the needs of our members,
  • to keep enhancing our profile as a leading professional association,
  • to enable us to create a NAFT WEBSITE for faster and easier communication e.g. Jo wants to revive the naftonline system as well as using our email system
  • to give assistance to every single member of the present executive committee.

The executive committee has endorsed my proposal to create TWO new positions on the committee:

  • Coordinator of a Professional Development sub-committee
  • Admin Coordinator to assist organisers with activities and events

I am also asking for VOLUNTEERS to "dob" their schools to host NAFT events in 2006, e.g. this year 3 events took place at Pymble: next year, 2 of them should be held in other schools. NAFT activities should be decentralised. It has been practical up to now to hold workshops at my school but I do not wish to hold a monopoly in any way. Basically, hosting NAFT events should be shared among the members of the association.

Nominations for the 2006 executive committee have been received:

  • Nathalie Richards as Y10 French Day Coordinator
  • Jacqueline Meunier as President
  • Françoise-Reeves-Smith as Treasurer
  • Jacquie Hilmer as Bac Blanc organiser
  • Jo Woodbridge as Communication officer
  • Lynda Entwisle, Enrolment officer
  • Dominique Barbeau, FATFA representative

Vacant positions are Vice-President, Secretary, Prof.Devlopment Coordinator and Admin Coordinator. Please send your 2006 nominations to the Secretary: barbeauscurla@bigpond.com