My French Kindergarten Experience

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My French Kindergarten Experience

by Jeannine d’Entremont

In 1964, I was ready to enter kindergarten. My parents, Kay and Del d’Entremont, had recently moved our family to Georgetown and wanted to register me at Holy Cross School. The problem was, the kindergarten classes were still under construction, so I would have to wait another year to start school. For my parents, that would not do.

Since our surname is French, some people in the francophone community, led by Mlle St. Jean, approached my parents. Plans were afoot to hire a kindergarten teacher and find a temporary location for a French kindergarten class. Were they interested in enrolling me? Absolutely!

The thing was, the location of the class was somewhat unusual. It was the basement of a local tavern and restaurant at what is now the Georgetown Marketplace Mall. The popular bar and eatery was known around town as “the Greeks” as it was owned and operated by the Karolidis family.

My parents were not deterred. Thus began my elementary school career. M. Charles Migué, a father in the francophone community, very kindly offered to be the bus driver, so he would arrive at my home each morning in his station wagon to pick me up, along with several other children, and deliver us to the restaurant.

In we would troop and march downstairs, often to the surprise of patrons sitting at the bar. The class continued for the entire school year.

My parents were delighted that I picked up French quite easily, although we did not speak it at home. The following year, they enrolled me in the French section of Holy Cross School where I remained until graduating Grade 8 as the class valedictorian. I was the only one, among my four younger siblings, to attend French education and I have greatly benefited from having a second language.

Thanks, Mom and Dad!

I've included a very grainy old photo of my kindergarten graduation in 1965 - the only one I have from that time.

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