French is the language du jour at Cape Elizabeth Middle School, with a performance of a French fairy tale and several activities held in connection with National French Week, Nov. 5-9.

A group of sixth-graders recently performed “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” in French for the fourth-grade classes at Pond Cove Elementary School.

The play was the culmination of a unit in which students worked on reading, writing and performance skills in French. The sixth-graders volunteered to put on the production, using recess time for rehearsals.

Acting in a second language helps students internalize the language and use it in a practical way, and in the play, the older students had an opportunity to demonstrat their language skills. For the fourth-graders, who are also studying French, it was an opportunity to attend a performance in French.

Sixth-graders in the play were Amanda Barnett, Olivia Borgmann, Morgan Connell, Mackenzie Mayes, Maddie Miele, Rebecca O’Neill and Gwyneth Roberts.

Each day during National French Week, Cape Elizabeth Middle School students learned a French word that students their age might use. The students welcomed three French “visitors” – Jacques Cartier (Stefan LaRose), Marie Antoinette (Ellen Best) and Claude Monet (Steve Connolly). They visited the sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade French classes in costume and told the students about their lives. The costumes for Marie Antoinette and Jacques Cartier were created and sewn by Adri Mayo.

Tory Ryden from Channel 8 made a DVD newscast highlighting the importance of the French language throughout the world, and listing the top 10 reasons to study French.

One day was designated “bleu, blanc et rouge” day and many students came to school dressed in the French colors. As part of the week’s activities, the seventh- and eighth-graders completed their Famous French People projects. For this project the students researched a famous French person, then dressed up as that person and presented the story to the class. The posters and pictures of all these famous people are displayed in the middle school.

Claude Monet (Steve Connolly) paid a visit to Cape Elizabeth Middle School during the observance of National French Week.Cape students learn French, avec plaisirCape students learn French, avec plaisir