Quoi de neuf: Paris Promotions, Carpet in the News and More

Quoi de neuf / Infolettre

Spring Term Tempts with New Offerings

Enrollment is brisk for the 10-week spring term that runs March 30 to June 6. The term features classes for all levels, from True Beginner to Accents Advanced Literature. New this term is an Accelerated 101 class for those who've taken French before but who would like to revisit the fundamentals. Also new is the just-released Edito B2 text in an advanced class. New for the intersession are informal group conversation sessions (held weeknights at 5 p.m.), Pronunciation Pitfalls workshops and more. Visit the website for all the 10-week term's listings or click here for adults' classes and here for children's classes. Finally, click here for workshops that will be held during the 2-week intersession (March 16-28).

Batum and the 7th Annual French Night

Alliance president Bev Voytko reports on the 7th Annual French Night, held at the Moda Center recently when the Blazers played the Spurs: "French Night was a big success once again. With the latest win, our record is 6-1 on French Night. Batum had an

excellent game, maybe his best of the season." In the post-game meet-and-greet session, Batum took questions from the crowd, mostly in French but also in English. He answered queries such as, "Comment dire 'dunk' en français?" He answered that it's pretty easy, "Faire le dunk!" Click here for photos; merci to all who participated.

PDX's Carpet Makes the News in France

Local readers are no doubt aware of the project at Portland International Airport to replace its 20-year-

old carpet (shown here), and the wave of sentimentality that has stirred up (and related merchandise). Interestingly, the press in France has also picked up on the phenomenon. Click here to read an article in French, from the publication, Influencia: La revue de la communication et des tendances. The article, published just a few days ago, is entitled, "A Portland, la moquette ne se fume pas!" Merci to Alliance teacher Nathalie Gerts for sharing this article which makes for good practice in reading comprehension.

Upcoming Events in March

French West Indies: There are still a few seats left for author Timothy Williams' presentation on his books, his years in Guadeloupe and the history of the region. Click here to register for the event, set for Friday, March 15.

Spring Open House: The Alliance will hold its Spring Portes Ouvertes (Open House) event on Thursday, March 19 from 6:15 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. Special guest will be Philippe Garcia, owner of Philippe's Bread on N. Williams, one of the latest successes in the ChefsTable Group. Simply stop by the historic Kamm House at 1425 SW 20th Avenue to visit with teachers, register for classes (the Spring term begins March 30), learn more about upcoming events, and learn about the perks of an Alliance membership. Note: The Open House is also the deadline for getting a 10% discount off class fees. Enrollments prior to or during the Open House will qualify for the discount, so register early!

Paris Travel Tips: Key Websites and More

Are you preparing for a Paris trip? Travel in Europe is currently very attractive, given the strong dollar ($1=.92EUR). Click here for a quick and helpful listing of practical websites for Paris

travel. Merci to Alliance member Terry Beard for forwarding that link.

Looking for a Paris hotel? Take a look at the Hôtel Perreyve, a small boutique Left Bank hotel (3 stars) that is located a couple blocks from the Alliance Française's main location on Boulevard Raspail is offering our readers discounts of 10 to 20 euros off their standard nightly fees (rooms start around 150 euros); additional discounts are possible for longer stays. Click here for more information and just mention the Alliance Française promotion when booking. Questions? Contact the hotel's manager, Laurent Doumergue (at reception@hotel-perreyve.com).

Member Ads and Announcements

French Charter School Seeks Teachers: The city of Oakland, California, is

establishing a brand new Francophone Charter School and is seeking qualified teachers. Click here for more info, and note that the application deadline is April 15, 2015.
L'Etoile French Immersion School here in Portlan

d is accepting registrations for its summer programs for Maternelle (PS) and Elementary age children. Weekly camp topics include circus arts, yoga, soccer, tennis, paleontology, art, robotics and more. Camp programs include half-day and full-day options and are offered in both French and English. The summer program runs from the third week of June through the third week of August. Click here for more information and to register.
Portland Dining Month - Through March: Don't forget that the Portland Dining Month $29 prix-fixe offer includes many French and French-inspired restaurants. Click here for the $29 special menu being offered by the Heathman Restaurant.

New USCIS Rule Could Interest French Nationals

The professionals at Tonkon Torp have let us know some information that may be of interest to French nationals living in Oregon. Quoting

from their bulletin: "The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has issued a final rule providing employment authorization eligibility to certain H-4 spouses. Beginning May 26, 2015, certain H-4 spouses of H-1B non-immigrants will be eligible to apply for employment authorization with the USCIS. To be eligible for employment authorization, an H-4 spouse must demonstrate that he/she is the spouse of an H-1B non-immigrant who: (i) Is the principal beneficiary of an approved Form I-140, Immigrant Petition; OR (ii) Has been granted H-1B status under Sections 106(a) and (b) of the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000. For more information, please visit the announcement on the USCIS website."