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This past March, all Yorktown Middle School (YMS) 7th and 8th graders enrolled in French participated in Le Grand Concours- the National French contest, for the first time at Yorktown Middle School (YMS). This exam is sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF). Students in every state in the country, as well as many abroad, participate in the contest.

 

“Le Grand Concours" is a French event in the form of a 60 minute national test, designed, written, financed and disseminated by the members of the American Association of Teachers of French. Its purpose is to help stimulate further interest in the teaching and learning of French and to help identify and reward on the part of both students and teachers. It helps also to establish a national standard. The national test challenges students' understanding of spoken and written French with questions on grammar, syntax, vocabulary, French culture and interpretation of reading passages.

 

All students of French from grade Kindergarten through senior high school are eligible. In addition, students studying French on overseas campuses, with a private tutor of any formal classroom instruction in French, or via home-schooling, are all eligible to compete.

 

Though students in 7th through 12th grade can take different levels of the exam, the middle school French program had never previously registered its students for the contest.

 

National French Contest Winners for the school year 2011-2012 from YMS are:

 

Seventh grade: National Bronze winner: Camille Perry in her category 1C. She scored in the 9th percentile. In Level 1A, Sarah Benothmane and Alyssa Costello scored in the 17th percentile, Hallie Vestal and Ciara Gillis scored in the 26th percentile, and Tyler Smith scored in the 27 percentile.

 

Eighth grade: Nathan Mang scored in the 19th percentile in Level 1A. Taylor Burrell scored in the 20th percentile for Level 2A and Ryan Born and Megan Renshaw scored in the 22nd percentile.

 

"This test is an excellent way for students to demonstrate their skill in French," said French teacher Minouche Perry, coordinator for Le Grand Concours. "I'm extremely happy when my students' achievements are nationally recognized."