OMLTA/AOPLVMESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENTDear members,Grand merci à tous et toutes pour me permettre de continuer à vous servir comme Présidente de notre fameuseassociation. It is an honour and a privilege which I take very seriously.As I have learned over the years, the OMLTA functions very much as a team and it is amazing! The board of directorsare talented, hard-working, enthusiastic professionals who believe in the importance of language education.I am fortunate to be leading them in the coming year which promises new possibilities, great opportunitiesand wonderful experiences. I will do my very best to keep real and alive our mandate of providing support andopportunities for professional development to our members, creating multimedia teaching resources and studentsactivities that will support the anxiously awaited revised <strong>Ontario</strong> FSL curriculum, and using technology for communicationwith members.We welcome to the Board four new Directors: Geoffrey Collins (Durham DSB), France Dupuis (CatholicDSB of Eastern <strong>Ontario</strong>), Linda Pletzer (Toronto Catholic DS), and Christina Schilling (Upper GrandDSB). All members contribute on an on-going basis and we are fortunate to have returning members; Jayne Evans(Niagara Catholic DSB), who organised the Fall Conference 2010, Pina Visomi (Pickering College), JimmySteele (Toronto DSB) – International <strong>Language</strong>s contest Coordinator, Jennifer Rochon (Toronto DSB) - WebMaster and who continues to work with CPF to organize the annual Concours d'art oratoire. Kim Lundquist(Simcoe County DSB) - Editor of Communication. Kim is also working with Janet Smith (Lambton Kent DSB)in order to coordinate Projet à Québec 2011. Some of the members have changed roles this year; Wanda West-Gerber (Waterloo Region DSB) has plans underway for the next spring Conference, Sharon McNamara-Trevisan (Algonguin and Lakeshore Catholic DSB) is now our Secretary and Karla Torrente-Lepage (DurhamDSB) becomes Vice-President after running a successful Spring Conference. Helen Griffin (Thames ValleyDSB) continues to be our Treasurer but is also the Chair for the Fall Conference. All Directors work on committees,volunteering their time throughout the year, working on the projects mentioned above, as well as on advocacy,professional development, regional language competitions for students, and representing you at meetings withvarious stakeholders. What a great team of dedicated, skilled and energetic professionals you have working foryou!Our OMLTA/AOPLV Spring conference was always an excellent opportunity for language educators to renewand re-energize. This year we celebrate our 125th anniversary so the Spring conference reflected our association'sdevelopment through the years as we commemorate the notion of The Road We've travelled ... nous croyons bienqu'on a fait du chemin ... we take pride in our accomplishments and continue The Road Ahead ... et la route continue.Our passion for languages and the communities they represent nous donnent le courage de continuer malgré tout.On behalf of all who have benefited from the conference, I would like to thank conference chair, Karla Torrente-Lepage and the 2011 conference committee along with our administrative assistant, Heidi Locher, for the hoursof work they devoted to making this a tremendous success and fabulous conference. We have heard very positivecomments from attendees who enjoyed the workshops and the wonderful décor! I would like also toacknowledge Colette Fraser (Sudbury Catholic DSB) for her leadership in making the 125th an outstanding celebrationand I know she dedicated numerous hours to planning and organizing "Gala" night. I congratulate you all,know that your hard work is much appreciated.page 4
OMLTA/AOPLVAlso, I would like to thank those of you who took time on Friday afternoon to attend the AGM. I encourage allthe members to become involved in the OMLTA/AOPLV as we are always looking for fresh ideas and viewsfrom across the province.Cet été, le Projet à Québec 2011 aura lieu du 18 au 29 juillet. C'est un stage de formation organisé par AOPLV/OMLTA, et financé par le Ministère de l'éducation de l'<strong>Ontario</strong> à l'aide du Patrimoine canadien. Il consiste de12 jours de formation continue dans la ville de Québec. Les participants assisteront à des ateliers de formationprofessionnelle et s'amuseront en découvrant le patrimoine culturel du Québec. Je dois remercier tous et toutesles candidats qui ont envoyé leur candidature, cette année, on a reçu une centaine. Le comité travaille très fortpour prendre la décision définitive dans la sélection des lauréats. Bonne chance à tous et toutes!We are excited about our annual Fall conference that will take place in the London, <strong>Ontario</strong> region this year onOctober 14 th and 15 th . The theme is Pathway to Pluralism / La voie vers le pluralisme. Remember to check ourwebsite frequently for news and information. Registration should open at the end of AugustIn closing, I would like to remind everyone of my challenge to each of you. Get involved and send an article,lesson, favorite book with a review, student work, etc. to the Editor of Communication. The more we share,the more we learn, the more we grow!Je saisis cette occasion pour souhaiter à tout le monde une excellente fin d'année scolaire et de très bonnes vacances.Bien à vous!Faten HannaOMLTA/AOPLVONTARIO MODERN LANGUAGES’ TEACHER ASSOCIATIONASSOCIATION ONTARIENNED DES PROFESSEURS DES LANGUES VIVANTESpage 5