Speech

SPEAKING NOTES FOR PREMIER RALPH KLEIN

THE CALGARY FRENCH SCHOOL NEW FACILITY GROUND BREAKING

CALGARY
MONDAY, JUNE 10, 2002

• THANK YOU DONNA (FINLEY) AND GOOD MORNING STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND SPECIAL GUESTS.

• IT’S A PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU TODAY TO SEE THE CALGARY FRENCH SCHOOL BREAK NEW GROUND – SOMETHING THAT THIS SCHOOL HAS DONE SINCE IT FIRST OPENED ITS DOORS OVER 30 YEARS AGO.

• THE CALGARY FRENCH SCHOOL HAS ALWAYS REFLECTED ALBERTANS’ AFFINITY FOR INNOVATION AND CHANGE - FOR PIONEERING NEW IDEAS AND NEW APPROACHES.

• YOU CAN SEE A COMMITMENT TO BREAKING NEW GROUND FROM THE EARLIEST DAYS OF THE SCHOOL, WHEN FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAMS WERE A RARE COMMODITY IN CANADA.

• IT’S WONDERFUL TO SEE THAT TRADITION CONTINUE WITH A NEW SCHOOL THAT OFFERS MULTILINGUAL EDUCATION WITH A CONTINUED FOCUS ON HIGH QUALITY AND INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING.

• I’M PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED WITH THE PARTNERSHIPS BEHIND THE NEW FACILITY AND THE SCHOOL’S WILLINGNESS TO WORK TOGETHER WITH DIFFERENT PARTNERS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

• EACH PARTNERSHIP IS IMPORTANT, FROM THE STRONG WORKING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS AND THE CFS FOUNDATION, TO THE COOPERATIVE WORK THAT’S BEEN DONE WITH THE COUGAR RIDGE COMMUNITY, TO THE SCHOOL’S UNIQUE PLANS TO PARTNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY AND SAIT.

• THE RESULT OF THOSE MANY PARTNERSHIPS IS A NEW FACILITY AND PROGRAMS THAT WILL BENEFIT NOT JUST STUDENTS AND FAMILIES BUT THE COMMUNITY AND THE PROVINCE AS A WHOLE.

• I’D LIKE TO OFFER MY THANKS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT. BECAUSE OF YOUR EFFORTS, FUTURE CFS GRADUATES WILL HAVE THE TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO EXCEL IN THE GLOBALECONOMY.

• SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THE ALBERTA GOVERNMENT HAS IDENTIFIED AS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ENSURING CONTINUED ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.

• IN FACT, INCREASING ENROLLMENT IN SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING IS A TARGET IN THE PROVINCE’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.

• BUT MORE THAN SIMPLY INCREASING THE FUTURE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES OF STUDENTS, CFS WILL ALSO GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE OTHER CULTURES AND LANGUAGES IN A VERY REAL AND LASTING WAY.

• SOMEONE ONCE SAID “NO SINGLE LANGUAGE IS CAPABLE OF EXPRESSING THE FULL WEALTH OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND UNDERSTANDING.”• BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY LEARN AT THE CALGARY FRENCH SCHOOL, STUDENTS WILL HAVE INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE IN THAT WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE.

• IT WILL INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO ADAPT TO NEW SITUATIONS, TO LOOK FOR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES AND SOLUTIONS AND TO TRULY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND CULTURES THEY MEET.

• THEIR EDUCATION HERE WILL SERVE THEM WELL, IN THEIR CAREERS, IN THEIR PERSONAL LIVES AND IN HOW THEY EXPERIENCE THE WORLD.

• AGAIN, TO ALL OF THE PARTNERS WHO HAVE WORKED SO HARD TO MAKE TODAY A REALITY: MERCI. GRACIAS. XIÈXIE [SHAY SHAY]. THANK YOU.

Ground breaking for the new facility of the Calgary French School

10:30 am, Monday, June 10, 2002

North-east corner of 77th Street SW and Old Banff Coach Road

Donna Finley, School President and CEO

Deliver brief greetings and participate in the ground breaking

Donna Finley, School President and CEO

10:30 am – welcome and introduction, Donna Finley
10:33 am – Premier introduced, Donna Finley
10:35 am – Greetings, Premier
10:45 am – Remarks and introduction of CFS Principal, Donna Finley
10:50 am – Remarks, CFS Principal Gertrude Villeneuve
10:55 am – Premier and two grade 2 students asked to officially break ground
10:56 am – photo op with Premier and 2 students
11:00 am – thanks and wrap up, Donna Finley

Audience/Guests (600):
CFS students, teachers and parents
CFS Foundation Board members
Cougar Ridge community representatives
Media

Note:
Once the new facility is built, the school will offer immersion programming in French, Spanish and Mandarin, allowing students to graduate with minimum of three languages.