Sen. Louis Duvernois, a member of the Senate of France, and a French delegation toured two East Baton Rouge Parish School System sites January 24.  Accompanying him was Jean-Claude Brunet, French Consul general; Philippe Aldon, Attaché for French Education; and Damien Régnard, an elected official representing the French living abroad.
In the morning at Westdale Middle School, the delegation visited the French immersion classrooms.  The group also learned about the school’s project developed with a school in Rennes, France, where students share ideas from each site.

Pictured at Westdale Middle School during the visit are:  (first photo back row, left to right)  Clare Peterson, Westdale Middle Magnet lead teacher; Said Yahiaoui, a French Social Studies teacher; Aldon; Duvernois; Brunet; and Marie George Mukuri Maka,  French Science teacher. Students seated are (left to right):  Victory Adikema, Jelani Bivens, Chase Stuckey, Olivia Lambert, Jamie Pellicero and Emma Mukuri Maka.

Midday at Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet School (BR FLAIM), the delegation toured classes taught solely in French and interacted with students.  They also proposed some eventual projects between the country and the school. 

Duvernois (second photo pictured, left) greeted first-grade French immersion students Caroline Smith and Isabella Ambeau (seated) during his visit at BR FLAIM.  Looking on are Brunet (center) and Aldon (right).

Duvernois also is a representative of the French living abroad and a member of the Union for a Popular Movement Party (UMP).  He once worked in Canada as a correspondent for the French Press Agency and worked at “Le Soleil” newspaper. He also was a counselor to the Canadian Minister of Communication. Duvernois is the founding member of the “Union des Français de l’Etranger” (French living aboard Union) and is administrator of Radio France International, of the Alliance Française Association and of the two French High Schools of Montreal.