Several hundred Francophone students from Chatham-Kent schools of the Conseil scolaire catholique Providence gathered in Chatham Thursday to dance, sing and cheer to support their language.
The date, Sept. 25, marks the annual Franco-Ontario Flag Day across the province, where Francophone students gather to raise their flag and embrace their language of learning.
About 330 students arrived by bus from five area schools to the John D. Bradley Convention Centre.
The event encourages students to use French in all parts of their lives, such as speaking, eating, singing, dancing and playing.
Teachers and students wore T-shirts supporting the concept, and most dressed in green and white, the colours of the Franco-Ontarian flag.
Ecole Secondaire du Pain Court student Nathaniel Greenaway, 17, who bounced around the festivities wrapped up in a Franco-Ontarian flag, addressed the gathering, encouraging his peers to try to achieve their best possible results, be dynamic and innovative in everything they do, and celebrate successes of Franco-Ontarians in all walks of life.
