By: RAYMOND PARTSCH III
Managing Editor
French immersion programs are coming to a pair of Evangeline Parish schools.
The Evangeline Parish School System and the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL) announced on Wednesday the establishment of two French Immersion programs in the parish for upcoming 2017-2018 school year.
The two schools selected to have the French Immersion programs are Ville Platte Elementary and Mamou Elementary.
“As superintendent of the Evangeline Parish School District, I am excited about this partnership with CODOFIL that will expand educational opportunities for students in our parish via French Immersion,” EPSB Superintendent Darwan Lazard said in a statement. “The French language is a part of the cultural fabric of Evangeline Parish, which has the largest percent of French-speaking people in the State of Louisiana. I am grateful to State Representative Bernard LeBas and State Senator Eric LaFleur for helping us to establish this partnership with Dr. Bill Arceneaux and the wonderful folks at CODOFIL”
The initiative will begin with a kindergarten and a first grade class at the two parish schools.
Ms. Sally Moreaux, principal of Ville Platte Elementary, and Mr. Troy Fontenot, principal of Mamou Elementary, were involved in discussions, as was Ms. Michele Braud of the Louisiana State Department of Education.
“CODOFIL is very excited to be able to bring French Immersion to Evangeline Parish in cooperation with the Evangeline Parish School System,” Dr. William Arceneaux, president of CODOFIL, said in a statement. “The winners will be the students enrolled in these programs. It has been a joy working with Superintendent Lazard and his team.”