Local student tutors younger kids in outdoor French classes

Written By Brian Lockhart

A local Shelburne high school student is passing on her knowledge of the French language by holding outdoor classes in the garden at Fiddle Park.

Cairo Daley, who will be entering Grade 10 this year, attends the French Immersion program at Erin District high school. After starting to learn the language in kindergarten, she is now fluent in French and helps younger kids who are eager to learn a new language.

She teaches kids, starting with those in kindergarten up to Grade 3.

Cairo described the kids in her class as ‘enthusiastic about learning French.'

Being in an immersion program, Cairo has several classes each day in French.

“This year, I will have history and geography in French, and I took a class in communication technology all in French,” Cairo explained.

Those classes are all taught in French, so students must learn and know how to communicate.

She got the idea of teaching a class after being inspired by her mother, Suzette, who has also tutored children in the area.

Cairo said her reason for teaching at the garden in Fiddle Park is because it's a nice outdoor setting, and the surrounding nature can be used as teaching tools.

“I will take out a plant, and the kids will say what it is,” she explained. “I've lived in Shelburne for a while and I always knew the garden was there. Most of my students are very outgoing and excited about learning French.”

The kids can take the various plants and learn pronunciation and the words that describe them.

Cairo's mom, Suzette, said she thought Cairo had the right personality from a young age to be successful in a French immersion program.

“A child has to have an outgoing personality and be energetic,” Suzette explained. “I did all the pre-literacy things prior, and by the time she got to school she was already reading at a grade 2/3 level, so she was perfect to be placed in a French immersion program.”

Quite often, a student's mind will wander when on summer break, so Suzette has a tutor that works with Cairo during the summer to keep her French speaking skills intact.

Having the French classes outdoors adds an element of fun to the program rather than learning by sitting at a desk, and Cairo can use other things around the garden as teaching tools as well.

The program was held for eight weeks through the summer every Thursday.

Cairo said she plans on teaching classes again next summer and looks forward to working with the children and helping them learn a new language.