March 2010 Newsletter

Spring Break Ahead!

Please take note that there will be no classes held on Friday, March 19^th, our annual Spring Break.  Classes will resume on Friday, March 26^th.

Upcoming Noon Programs

Maria A. Perez-Andujar will talk in SPANISH about Asturias, in Northern Spain, where she spent her early childhood years. The region is of Celtic tradition, it was the only region never invaded by the Arabs, and started the "Reconquista" (take back the land from the Moors). Visitors to Asturias will find pre-historic art, pre-roman, gothic, and more. The area has a microclimate that is actually very similar to Ireland's.

SPANISH PROGRAM Friday, March 12^th to be rescheduled.

ITALIAN PROGRAM Friday, April 2^nd at noon

David Marker will present an Italian film that he has produced called ZAMPOGNA: THE SOUL OF SOUTHERN ITALY.  He will also play the zampogna (bagpipes) and other Italian folk instruments. The program will be in ENGLISH.

Annual Business Meeting and Spring Fête

The Annual Business Meeting will be held on Friday, April 23^th at noon.  We will elect new officers for the next year, acknowledge our teachers, and welcome new board members.  The meeting will be followed by our Spring Fête at 1:00 pm. in Fellowship Hall.  We’ll also have the annual book sale, where you can pass on some of your foreign language books to fellow members. Look for details on both our Spring Fête and the annual book sale in your April newsletter.

Recruiting New Board Members

Contact any board member, listed at the end of the newsletter if you are interested.  They can also answer your questions about board roles, or check the Livret on pages 49-51 for a full description.

 Kansas City FilmFest brings foreign films to KC 

Mark your calendars for five days of great films, April 14 - 18, 2010 at

Kansas City FilmFest. Included are a number of foreign language films never

before seen in Kansas City.

La Causerie Francaise has agreed to sponsor a Spanish or Italian film and,

as a result, will have an ad in the program.  The board chose those

languages to reinforce the understanding that we teach more than just

French.

Films are still being negotiated and secured in overseas media markets.  The

schedule will eventually appear on www.kcfilmfest.org and a printed list

will be available to us in late March.  Kansas City FilmFest takes place at

the AMC Mainstreet.

Maintaining progress during the summer months

 It’s not too early to begin thinking about how you might maintain your foreign language achievements over the summer.  In the next couple of issues, we’ll share some suggestions to get you thinking about this.  Here’s what ten La Causerie students came up with last year. 

When La Causerie classes were winding down last year, about ten Italian students decided that they didn’t want to lose ground over the summer months.  More importantly, they wanted to keep their learning moving forward over the summer.  They talked with the La Causerie Italian instructor and hired her to provide 12 weeks of instruction, two hours each week. (The cost was negotiated with the teacher.) They found a place to meet, set up a schedule and outlined what they wanted to cover/review/focus on each week.   Those involved in the group said that these things were important to the group’s success:

   Everyone agreed up front to pay their portion (even if they had to miss some sessions).

   The group discussed possible places to meet (public library, club where someone is a member, community center, etc.) and one person arranged that.

   The group decided on the purpose and content of the class.  For example, these Level IV Italian students, agreed that the class would be taught completely in Italian.

Important Dates:

March 19^th      No classes, Spring Break

March 26^th      Classes resume

April 2^nd          Italian Program in English at noon 

Executive Board Members 2009-2010