Hundreds of French-immersion students from Panorama Heights and Nestor elementaries joined their counterparts at Glen last Friday for a lively show by Charlotte Diamond and her Hug Bug Band.
The Juno-award winner from Richmond, who has been performing to bilingual students in School District 43 since the mid-1980s, got students and teachers clapping and dancing to songs such as La Bamba and Je Suis Une Pizza.
The popular children's entertainer also sang in Spanish and Italian and used American sign language, telling the crowd, "Languages will take you far because it opens up your ears and opens up your heart."
Glen was one of five schools Diamond played at this month (the others were Mary Hill, Porter Street, Rochester and Irvine elementaries) as part of an effort by the Canadian Parents for French, Tri-Cities' chapter, to promote Canada's official languages at a young age.
In the Tri-Cities, early French immersion is taught at nine elementaries and CPF provides a number of resources to the schools and sponsors shows.
Meanwhile, Diamond will perform and autograph her latest CD, 24 Carrot Diamond, at Pinetree Village Chapters (38-2991 Lougheed Hwy., Coquitlam) on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 10:30 a.m.
