脡cole P猫re Mercure is celebrating its first graduate this week.
Josh Fitzel has attended the French language school his entire school career. For the last three years, Josh has been the only student in his grade.
While 脡cole P猫re Mercure offers pre-K through Grade 12 education, it is a relatively small population and Josh is the first student to complete his entire high school years there.
Working with his teacher, Josh studied his Grade 10, 11 and 12 subjects primarily by distance and online. Except for English, all his classes have been in French.
His classes have included mechanics courses at 脡cole St-Isidore in Bellevue, making day trips there once every 10 days during Grades 10 and 11. Josh is interested in going into the construction trades and has been looking into the apprenticeship program.
鈥淎t mechanics class we did a lot of welding and I quite enjoyed that. So that鈥檚 something I鈥檝e been looking into.鈥�
As a bilingual apprentice, Josh could work anywhere in Canada.
脡cole P猫re Mercure is the only school in North Battleford 鈥� in the region, in fact 鈥� to be part of what is sometimes called the 鈥渢hird鈥� school division - the Conseil des 茅cole fransaskoise. In a C脡F school, French is used as a daily learning and communication tool. All correspondence, report cards, parent-teacher interviews, committee and school council meetings are in French.
All classes, of course, are conducted in French, with the exception of the English Language Arts course beginning in Grade 4, which the C脡F says leads to students graduating with high levels of bilingualism.
Josh and one of his four sisters have both been students at 脡cole P猫re Mercure, one of 13 CEF schools in the province.
鈥淢y mom is French,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淭hat was a big reason why my sister and I went here.鈥�
His sister went on to take high school elsewhere, since during her time the classes only went up to Grade 8. By the time Josh was ready for high school, however, those grades had been made available and it was deemed the best fit for him to remain at 脡cole P猫re Mercure even though he would be the only one in his class.
Josh has been happy to become a bilingual graduate.
鈥淚t鈥檚 part of my heritage,鈥� he says.
But it was also the best choice for Josh because he was able to have one-on-one instruction as the only student in his class.
Josh has dyslexia, a hereditary disorder.
鈥淢y mom, when she was younger, went to a bigger school. She had the same kind of problems,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淩eading in the early grades was really hard for me.鈥�
He says his mom, Nicole, did not want him to have the same experience she did.
鈥淚t was a decision on both of our parts to stay here.鈥�
Josh鈥檚 teacher, Anne-Marie Mujawayezu, says he has been able to take part in activities with other CEF students from throughout the province in addition to his regular classes. The activities are aimed at friendships with other young Francophones from across the province by participating in Francophone activities outside the classroom.
鈥淏asically,鈥� says Josh, 鈥渋t鈥檚 like sports and cooking and art and science. We all just get together and do these activities so you do interact with people. I have quite a few friends from schools outside of the Battlefords, even from taking online classes.鈥�
This week, Josh was the centre of attention at a graduation ceremony at his home school, Ecole P猫re Mercure.
He now looks forward to a career in which he does not have to sit behind a desk.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard enough doing it here,鈥� Josh laughs. 鈥淚鈥檓 very hands-on with stuff, especially with math. It鈥檚 a lot harder doing it on paper than actually building something.鈥�
Josh says he鈥檚 done a lot of construction work with his dad, Ray.
鈥淚 have built a lot of stuff with my dad, so it鈥檚 easier to do it that way,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a farm kid. Dad knows how to do a lot of stuff.鈥�
Josh hopes to stay in this area for now, but he says he鈥檇 like to see other parts of Canada at some point. To date, he鈥檚 seen only Western Canada (incuding a trip to West Edmonton Mall compliments of his aunt for having given up television for a year), but as he follows his career path where he goes will depend on what he decides to do.
鈥淚 see bilingualism opening doors for me later on in the future,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淚 can go anywhere in Canada and work all these different places and I can understand what everyone is saying.鈥�
It鈥檚 likely he will be working and studying as an apprentice in the English language, he says.
鈥淏ut wherever I am in Canada, if there ever was a need for me to speak French I would have that tool on my toolbelt,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a cool thing to have, and it鈥檚 something we should be proud of, too.鈥�
Family is important to Josh and so is the French language.
鈥淔rench is important. It鈥檚 part of my history, part of my culture.鈥�
He is looking forward to his nieces and nephews learning French and the family keeping its heritage, culture and language.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something that鈥檚 not just nice to know, but something I want to know,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淚 want to know how to talk in French, have conversations with people in different languages, broaden my horizons, something I鈥檝e been doing since kindergarten.鈥�
He hopes he鈥檚 been a role model for the future of his sisters鈥� children and, while they are still very young, he hopes his graduation from 脡cole P猫re Mercure would encourage the possibility of them attending school there as well.
鈥淢om鈥檚 family is originally from France, way, way back,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淲e actually have family members who were some of the original people who settled in Canada.鈥濃��
They came to Quebec and Ontario says Josh and in a church in Quebec the family name can be found.
鈥淢om is originally from B.C., where grandma is from. The rest of the family is in Ontario and Quebec.鈥�
While working as a cook up north, says Josh, his mom met his dad, and, 鈥渢he rest is history, really.鈥�
He adds, 鈥淒ad grew up in Meadow Lake. That鈥檚 where the homestead is.鈥�
His parents have been to Quebec City, he says, and he would like to go himself.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a beautiful city. There鈥檚 a lot of history there,鈥� says Josh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the oldest cities in Canada.鈥�
Whatever the next phase of Josh鈥檚 life brings, he will treasure his heritage. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of who I am.鈥�
