Christine Grimard
Northern News Services
Wednesday, March 02, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Ecole Allain St-Cyr will see its first five students graduate from Grade 12 this year.

Formerly a kindergarten to Grade 9 school, Allain St-Cyr added Grades 10, 11 and 12 sequentially, beginning in 2003.

The five students will be the first to graduate from an entirely francophone school program in the NWT. The ceremony will be held Jun. 2 at the officer's mess in the Joint Task Force North headquarters building.

Damage control

The Commission scolaire francophone de division is following up on an article in Le Droit, a major French Canadian tabloid based in Ottawa, which contained errors about the status of francophone education in the NWT.

The article reported that students could only receive an entirely francophone education, such as that offered at Ecole Allain St-Cyr, until Grade 9.

Andre Legare, chairperson of the commission, said that the article created a false impression of francophone education in the North.

The school board has asked the newspaper for a correction, but has yet to receive any response from the publication.

The board will continue to pursue the matter, although Legare said the image of the Francophone commission has already suffered damage.

Meeting with the minister

The commission is looking to meet with Charles Dent, minister of Education, Culture and Employment this March.

Commission representatives expect to speak with Dent about the second phase of the expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr.

The first phase, which will give extra classrooms to the school as well as a science lab, is set to begin this spring.

The second phase would be to build a gymnasium and a new reception hall.

The school board has yet to receive any commitments from the Department of Education, Culture and Employment for funding.

Commission loses two employees

The francophone school board will look different next year, with both the director general and the principal of Ecole Allain St-Cyr taking their retirement.

Gerard Lavigne, director general of the commission since 2001, will be retiring next year. Principal of Ecole Allain St-Cyr Jacques Angers will also be retiring.

Advertisements to replace Angers have already been published, while the board will soon be issuing ads to replace Lavigne.