The Concours d’art oratoire is a national French public speaking competition that takes place each spring across the country. Students present first at their school level, and then move up to compete at the provincial and national levels. Canadian Parents for French, Nova Scotia has been organizing and hosting the provincial competition for thirty-six years.
The provincial Concours d’art oratoire was held on Saturday, April 27, 2019 at Mount Saint Vincent University. Students from grades 5 to 12 presented a wide range of topics from ice cream to climate change. Students represented the many Regional Centres for Education in the province, as well as the Conseil scolaire Acadien provincial (CSAP) and the Canadian Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).
Every French program offered in the province was represented from core French to immersion and Français langue maternelle. The categories are designed to provide participants with the opportunity to compete against their peers with similar French experience and enrichment.
Entertainment after the student presentations in the classrooms was P’tit Belliveau. P’tit Belliveau is a very talented Banjo player from Meteghan River. His musical style is Bluegrass Country Acadian. P’tit Belliveau entertained with the testimony of his musical vision and his unfaltering sense of pop perfection! Merci beaucoup!
The first place winners from grade 9/10 received full bursaries to attend a week at the Encounters with Canada/Rencontres du Canada in Ottawa during the next school year. Canadian Parents for French, Nova Scotia has partnered with Encounters with Canada for over ten years and each year awards six bursaries at the grade 9/10 level.
The grade 11/12 first place winners are on their way to compete at the National Concours d’art oratoire on June 1 for scholarships worth over $20,000. The National Concours d’art will take place in Gatineau, Québec. All grade 11/12 winners who competed this past weekend were awarded entrance scholarships to Université Sainte-Anne and Université de Moncton.
Photos will be posted on the CPF Nova Scotia Facebook page as well as ns.cpf.ca.
Félicitations à tous nos lauréats!
Left to right: Charlotte Pen (Horton High School), Joyce Li (Halifax Grammar School) , Gabrielle Côté (Sacred Heart School of Halifax), Victoria Purcell (Halifax West High School), Cecilia White (Cobequid Education Centre, Samantha Whynot (Liverpool Regional High School), Daphné Veilleux-Roy (École secondaire du Carrefour) and Janet Claes, President of CPF Nova Scotia.
Sponsorship for this event was received from: Nova Scotia Education and Early Childhood Development, Université Sainte-Anne, Université de Moncton, Mount Saint Vincent University and Canadian Heritage. With the continuing support of our sponsors and volunteers, Canadian Parents for French, Nova Scotia is able to organize and present the provincial Concours d’art oratoire.