School Workshops

For kids, parents, teachers and principals!

This workshop can be adapted to all types of learners from Kindergarden to Grade 6 who wish to understand, experiment, create and explore the different types of traditional Canadian occupations still in use today.

This cultural workshop allows your students to better understand French-Canadian traditions using a 55-minute cultural presentation as well as a film to be viewed in class before the presentation.

The Presentation Includes:

Taffy Tasting
Student taste buds will be awakened when they experience real maple taffy served on a bed of snow.

Transforming Maple Sap 
A short film for all ages is shown on the big screen with live narration from the Maple Man himself.

Rhythmic Accompaniments
Typical French-Canadian rhythms are demonstrated with rigadoons played on the Maple Man’s violin, or by step-dancing marionettes moving to the sound of wooden spoons played by students.

Traditional French-Canadian Dance 
Allows students to recreate the atmosphere of a sugaring-off party by dancing to French-Canadian airs accompanied by a caller directing the movements of the dancers.

If you’re a teacher, parent or principal, ask your students to visually interpret these classic French expressions. Afterward, e-mail them to us and we’ll post them on our website.

Expressions’ list:

• Se sucrer le bec : (literal translation: to sweeten one’s beak; what it really means: to eat sugary foods)
• Tout le monde à la palette! : (literal translation: Get your palettes, everyone!; what it really means: Taffy’s ready!)
• Courir les érables : (literal translation: running around the maple trees; what it really means: collecting the sap and then carrying it back to the sugar shack)
• Faire les érables : (literal translation: make the maple trees; what it really means: check the maple trees)
• Partie de sucre : (literal translation: a game of sugar; what it really means: a family or friendly get-together at the sugar shack)
• Faire les sucres : (literal translation: make the sugar; what it really means: collecting the sap and then transforming it into different products, such as maple syrup, maple butter, etc.)
• Le temps des sucres : (literal translation: Sugar Time; what it really means: period during which the maple trees produce sap)