January 2011 - Mini Gryphon.indd - Meadowridge School

Meadowridge School
Page 12 | JANUARY 2012
S T U D E N T AC H I E V E M E N T S
DAVID Grade 10
David says the two best things for him are Meadowridge and Tae Kwon Do.
David f irst began Tae Kwon Do when he was 6 years old to help him with his
conf idence. Now in Grade 10, David has gained much more than conf idence.
Not only is he a 3rd degree black belt, he is also a teacher at the Tae Kwon
Do studio he trains at.
David says a large par t of Tae Kwon Do is about behaviour and attitude,
learning conf idence, discipline and respect. This is one of the reasons he is
so passionate about teaching. David teaches anyone from small children to
adults. When asked about what it is like to teach someone older than you
David doesn’t waiver in his abilities, but enjoys the oppor tunity to show more
complex and elaborate styles as opposed to those shown to the younger
children, although he enjoys teacher younger children just as much.
David competes in about four tournaments a year, including the nationals
held in Las Vegas every year. In his division (Boys 15 to 17 years old) he has
been Canadian Champion four times.
Besides teaching and training, David is now learning the business side of
things. He helps with some administrative duties of the studio, manning the
front desk, talking with potential students and completing paper work. This
has given him valuable business and customer ser vice experience.
Way to go David! You have accomplished so much with Tae Kwon Do!
- Ms. Christy Mooney, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Senior French Language Students | DELF Exams
Congratulations to our Grade 11 and 12 students who successfully passed their DELF exams in December 2011: Grade
11 students Alice, Adrian, Caja, Fabian, Ismail, Janine, Kavya, Marlena, Omar, Sarah, and Grade 12 student Audrey.
Grade 11 students were able to achieve level B1 which is an equivalent of French 12 Second language, and Audrey
has passed B2 – equivalent of French 12 Immersion program. Having B2 allows students to be recognized as fully
bilingual individuals at their future work place, enter French universities without entrance exams and to have lifelong
cer tif ication of their language f luency.
Wha t is the DELF?
The DELF (Diplôme d’études en langue française) is the off icial French-language diploma awarded by France’s
Ministry of National Education. It is recognized around the world and is valid for life. As an off icial cer tif ication
of second-language prof iciency, the DELF tests the ability of students to use French in real-life situations. Testing
is based on the six reference levels identif ied in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
(CEFR). This framework has now become accepted as a way of benchmarking language ability all over the world
Why take a DELF exam?
Today French is an off icial language in almost 50 countries, including Canada. It is spoken by more than 200 million
people on f ive continents. It is also one of the off icial languages of the United Nations, the Red Cross and many
other international organizations.
- Ms. Katerina Pogrebinsky