A reminder of deadlines for the National French Contest!

A reminder to teachers who are participating in the National French Contest - the deadline for paper and pencil is this Friday, December 14, 2018! Online testing deadline is Feruary 15, 2019. AATF-So Cal teachers can administer the test to their students at any time between February 19 - March 18, 2019. Questions? post them here, or email socal.grandconcours@gmail.com

Welcome to Le Grand Concours 2019 Registration is open for the 2019 National French Contest Complete details on registration are available on our website. Paper and pencil testing is being phased out, but will still be available for 2019. Note that teachers who select paper and pencil testing will receive access to a teacher account on the on-line site so they can try it out. REGISTRATION INFORMATION 2019 Contest Fees Test: $3.50 per student* plus local chapter fees *Paper and pencil testing will require additional fees for listening comprehension CDs (@$7 per level) and shipping/handling. 2019 Contest Dates Grades 1-6 (FLES): February 10 - 23, 2019 Grades 7-12 (levels 01-5): February 19 - March 18, 2019 Registration Deadlines Paper and pencil tests - Friday, December 14, 2018 On-line tests - Friday, February 15, 2019 Register your store account Before you begin to order materials, you will need to register a new store account so your 2019 membership can be verified. Previous log-ins will NOT work. Follow the steps below OR watch our handy videos: Register account  Place Order Four steps to your store account Go to the online store. Click on Account at the top right of the screen and select Register Enter in your AATF Membership ID Number OR the email address you used for the Contest last year and click find.* Verify the information that autopopulates, create a password, check to the box to indicate whether or not you want to receive paper certificates and click the blue "Register" button. *Not an AATF member AND new to the Contest? Contact Support to receive the registration key for your chapter  Be sure to check the box! If you wish to be shipped hard copy/paper certificates, you MUST check the box on the registration page. If you do not check this box, you agree that you will print your own certificates using the pdf template available on our website.  Additional Instructions for paper and pencil testing When you are checking out there are two additional details we must receive to make sure you receive your materials on time. Contest materials cannot be shipped to the French teacher. You MUST indicate the name of your neutral party to receive materials on the shipping information. Please be sure that you use your school address in the shipping address. We MUST have the date you plan to test. We schedule shipments based on this date. If you do not indicate a date, your order for materials will be placed at the back of the queue and may not arrive when you plan to test. There is a box requesting this information on the check out page, so please be sure to complete it. 2019 Membership dues not paid? No worries! Put in your AATF member number and dues will automatically be added to your cart. Other questions? Contact support Language in Context type questions have been removed from levels 01 through level 3. These questions have been replaced with additional reading or listening selections. Learn more about how to enroll students - placement and use of the store! If you missed our webinar, we did record it and you may watch here.

Reminder of payment dates for the National French Contest!

Bonjour, Don't forget to register your students for the National French Contest!!  Click HERE to view the Contest Registration Information.  Order deadlines: Paper and pencil tests - January 13, 2018 On-line tests - January 30, 2018 Tests are $4.50 for AATF members and $8.00 for non-members. The cost per student is the same for both on-line and paper and pencil testing. Teachers choosing paper and pencil testing will incur additional expenses: Listening Comprehension CDs @ $7.00 per CD ordered Shipping/handling charge of 10% of order/$10 minimum Follow this LINK for more information for teachers. Feel free to contact me at socal.grandconcours@gmail.com you have questions or problems!

The New Grand Concours for 2016! Very important for all French teachers.

Important information about the Grand Concours 2016!

Le Grand Concours will be offering an on-line version of the Concours in 2016. The on-line version may be done on any device with internet connection: computer, tablet or even smart phone! For at least one year, we will also have paper and pencil testing available, but the cost will be slightly higher and ordering the paper and pencil version must be done by mid-December. Full ordering information will be sent as soon as it is available. Your Chapter Contest Administrator is still available for questions and concerns. Venez nombreux!   If you plan to participate in the 2016 Concours with paper and pencil testing, you MUST renew your membership by December 1, 2015 in order to receive the member discount.  

Deadline for ordering paper and pencil tests: December 15, 2015 -- after this date, no additional registration for paper and pencil tests can be offered.

Deadline for ordering on-line tests: January 15, 2015 -- after this date, registration will be available, but a late fee will apply.

AATF So Cal chapter members will administer the exam during a specific set of dates, which will be forthcoming very soon.  If you are not already in the system with a school/teacher code, you will need to get in touch with me ASAP (socal.grandconcours@gmail.com) to get on that list – that is how you will receive all information.  There will still be a Remise des Prix in May for all National Winners.

National French Exam

Thanks to all the teachers who have entered their students in the National French Exam, or le Grand Concours.  Here in the Southern California chapter, the range of test administration is from March 4-11, 2015.
The packages - more than 34 of them - were taken to the Post Office and mailed off.  The receipt is taller than I am.
Remember to mail the answer sheets to the address provided on the proctor sheet.  The Remise des Prix is on Saturday, May 16 at the Polytechnic School, Pasadena, CA.  Stay tuned for the details!

All the boxes ready to go at the Post Office!

Diner fin d'annee samedi!

L’équipe AATF-SC vous invite à notre diner fin d’année

Le restaurant TAIX – 1911 Sunset Blvd.  Los Angeles, CA 90026 (213) 484.1265

Venez nombreux pour célébrer la fin de l’année et nos professeurs méritants !

Il y aura un tombola – 2 tickets pour  A Noise Within (théâtre) / un bon-cadeau pour Taix

Un abonnement AATF-SC 2015

Le menu

Soupe du jour

Salade du jardin avec une vinaigrette maiso

Plats principaux (choix)

Poulet Cordon Bleu

Agneau et sa garniture

Risotto aux champignons Portabello

Dessert

Une mousse au chocolat accompagné d’un café ou d’un thé

Le montant est $30 pour les membres, leurs conjoints et $40 pour les non-membres

Répondez jacki.williamsjones@gmail.com

The Grand Concours 2015!

French teachers,

It is time to register your students for the Grand Concours.  2015 marks a special anniversary for Le Grand Concours as we will be celebrating the 80^th edition of the exam!  Since 1935, when the Concours began as a local test sponsored, written and scored by AATF Regional Representatives, to 2015 where the Contest reaches nearly 95,000 students all across the country, AATF continues to recognize student and teacher success.  In our 80 years, we have added levels and divisions to accommodate all learners who wish to participate in the Contest and we are continually improving to follow trends in teaching and learning to make sure that we best meet the needs of French students and teachers.

There will be a few changes: over the past several years we have made great strides to include authentic materials in all levels of the Contest, including podcasts from France, Canada, Belgium, etc.  This year podcasts will continue to be featured in Levels 4 and 5; conversations will return to the exam in Level 3.

Here in the Southern California Chapter, you will be able to administer the Grand Concours (Middle and High School) from March 4 – 11, 2015, which I hope will give you as much flexibility as needed.  FLES (Grades 1-6) contest dates are February 14-28, 2015.  As in the past, the test will be administered in your school. As always, arrange for testing in school through a school administrator, guidance counselor or another (non-French) teacher.  French teachers are not allowed to administer the test to their own students.

The Southern CA contest director will send the test materials and proctoring information directly to your test administrator the week prior to the test. The national Office insists that no French teachers be present in the room while their students are taking the test: however, at least one French teacher will need to verify that the CDs actually have the test on them and that no defective CDs will be used. The designated test administrator may be a guidance counselor, a school administrator, or another (non-French) teacher. No photocopies of answer sheets will be scored.

If you are interested in participating in the FLES contest, please contact me as soon as possible so that we can make arrangements.  If you need information about the specifics of the exams and each level, please visit http://frenchteachers.org/concours/Resources/Resources.html

As with last year, the cost of each student for AATF-SC member is $5.00/ for non-members, the cost is $6.00/student, with CDs at each level available for $7.00.  If you have not yet renewed your AATF-SC membership, there is time!  There are also incentives from the National for those who are joining AATF for the first time and also for current members! http://frenchteachers.org/concours/Resources/gc_membership.html

 

Please feel free to copy and forward this information to anyone who you think might be interested in participating. In addition, please keep me informed of any addition or changes to the French staff at your school.

  

The registration deadline is Friday, January 9.  All registrations must be accompanied by a check (written to AATF-SC) and the student eligibility form.  Contact the Dir. of the Grand Concours for mailing infomation:

socal.grandconcours@gmail.com.  

Thank you in advance for respecting these deadlines.  The entry form and eligibility sheets are attached.  If you wish to send the eligibility forms electronically, feel free to use the email address above, which also works

  

There are some changes in the awards process!

The names of the awards will be changed for the 2015 contest.  There will be a Platinum medal and plaque awarded to students earning a national first place rank.  Gold recognition goes to students in the top 95^th percentile; silver recognition to students in the 85^th and 90^th percentile; bronze recognition to students in the 75^th – 80^th percentile and Honorable Mentions for students in the 50^th – 70^th percentile.  The same number of awards will be handed out, just the names are changing.

Take a chance to win the French Embassy Academic Prize!

For the third time, the French Embassy will award the French Embassy Academic Prize to a student who will enjoy a 2 week stay in France! The winner will be selected by a random drawing among the gold medalists of Le Grand Concours 2015, from Level 3, 4 or 5 (divisions A, D or E). If there is no gold medalist eligible, the Committee will then draw from the pool of silver medalists.

http://frenchteachers.org/concours/Resources/FEAP.htm

Awards Dinner

AATF-Southern California hosted its end of the year awards dinner at the historic Taix Restaurant in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles.

Sophia Park, 2013 Prix Sandy Jacquard winner with Sandy J.

Our president, Ines du Cos de la Hitte, giving the welcome address

Board members and guests

AATF-SC Treasurer, Jacki Williams-Jones, and husband Michael

2013 New Teacher Award winner, Sophia Park

2013 Distinguished Teacher Award winner, Francois Wolman

Sandy Jacquard with past Sandy Jacquard award winner, Melisa Salvato

Cocktail Chez le Consul - le 13 septembre

les drapeaux au dessus de la maison

Notre presidente nous accueille

les invites