Student’s Corner
Bow Valley students enjoy an amazing Maple Syrup Festival by Johlynn Doskoch
On Mar. 3, my Bow Valley High School grade 10 French class was able to go to the Wild Wild West Event Centre with Mrs. Marnie Sterling for a taste of French culture. Michael and Diane Werbisky were kind enough to organize the event, which takes place from Feb. 24 to Mar. 7. It was an amazing opportunity! When we arrived at the facility, they gave us instructions on what to do and where to go; the instructions were, of course, in French. So, we went into the hall where we were seated with four other schools from the area. The excitement was high and we were ready for the event to begin. To star t the day, they showed us a video on the process of making maple syrup. We learned that it takes 40 litres of maple sap to produce 1 litre of maple syrup, and the two main resource areas that it comes from are Québec and Vermont. After the video they quizzed us on it, and the first
table to get the answer got to get up and get their breakfast. Competition was high! We were treated to a traditional French breakfast complete with hash browns, pancakes, beans, eggs, ham, and sausage, all topped off with delicious maple syrup. After breakfast we enjoyed some French entertainers called Chakidor, all the way from Québéc. They started off singing a few songs in French, playing the guitar and the violin. As it went on, they involved more of the students and teachers. Myself and one other person from my class were able to go up and learn to play the spoons, along with 10 other students from the crowd. It was pretty fun! Then organizers involved the teachers by inviting them to come up with a student to learn how to square dance. The fun and entertainment didn’t end there: We got to pour maple syrup on snow and make maple syrup taffy! Following this, there were
activities such as tug of war and three legged races. “This was a great opportunity for my students and I to experience the Québecois culture while being immersed in the French language,” said Mrs. Sterling. “It was an authentic learning experience.” Alex Kyle, a student in the class, said “this was a great way for me to get more information on what other cultures are like and this has given me a better learning opportunity.” Fellow student Meah Peers stated, “ My favorite part of the day was making the taffy; I had never done it before, and I really hope my French class is able to experience a day like this again.” I wholeheartedly agree. This was a fantastic opportunity that I got to share with my classmates; it gave me a different perspective on the culture I am learning about. It also helped with my French as I learned new words that I feel will help me in the future.
Above: Alli Lepard (left) and Johlynn Doskoch try a traditional French breakfast of hash browns, beans, eggs, sausage, ham and pancakes with maple syrup Below: Sara Callaway (left), Mrs. Sterling and Chloe Nelson enjoy taffy made using maple syrup boiled into a buttery state and poured onto snow, a treat which is known as tire d’érable in French.
