The French Library / Alliance Française of Boston and Cambridge is pleased to announce the winners of its 2018 middle school grants: Anne Zachary from Ottoson Middle School, Katherine McGonagle from West Middle School, and Alice Charkes from Green Street Middle school.

Each year, the Center awards up to four grants of $400 to middle school French teachers who propose projects that aim to bring excitement to their French program. Promoting the French language and francophone culture is at the heart of the French Library’s mission; the Alliance Française believes that the middle school age is the time when many students become fascinated with the richness of a particular foreign language and decide to continue studying that language in high school.

Without further ado, félicitations to our 2018 Winners!



Anne Zachary of the Ottoson Middle School French Department will use the grant money to host and display the Claude Monet Traveling Exhibit by Teacher’s Discovery. According to one Ottoson teacher, during a recent field trip to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, “the Monet room proved of particular interest to our students. They left the museum with enthusiasm for French culture and a great desire to learn even more.” The Monet Exhibit’s presence at Ottoson will coincide with the French Department’s Impressionist unit, where students will learn to describe the major facets of Impressionism, employ new creative vocabulary, and create original Impressionist-style works. The exhibit will be displayed in Ottoson’s main lobby, ensuring the entire school is able to admire les oeuvres.

Water-Lilies-and-Japanese-Bridge-(1897-1899)-Monet Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies, Claude Monet

Katherine McGonagle will take second year French students from West Middle School to the world-renowned Paul Bakery this spring. They’ll tour the bakery, sample traditional viennoiseries, and try their hand at French baking! Katherine hopes that the trip will afford students the opportunity to experience French outside of the classroom and introduce students to the concept of French as a widespread international language.

Caneles stemilion Caneles stemilion by Roboppy

Alice Charkes of Green Street School in Brattleboro, Vermont, will use her grant money to offset the costs of a day-long French immersion trip to Magog, Québec in May for her sixth graders. “Students will order and eat at the Café Eggsquis; attend classes with sixth graders at École Brassard, where they will interview each other and play getting-to-know-you games in French; stroll the waterfront of Lac Memphrémagog searching for the lake monster Memphré; go to a bookstore to look for books for themselves; and do a food scavenger hunt in the ‘Métro’ supermarket.”

Magog-St-Patrick Magog, Québec by Pierre Bona

Stay tuned to the French Library blog for the results of these wonderful projects!

Interested in learning more about Alliance Française/French Library grants? Take a look at the grants page of our website.

Hayley Fallon

Education Administrator

Hayley has a BA in French and Sociology from The College of William & Mary. Before coming to the Center, she interned at a French castle, taught English in Marseille, and guided French students on tours of the west coast. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, cooking, gardening, and playing her baritone ukulele, among other things.

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