French Immersion is about more than simply learning another language. It begins in the moment a student finds the courage to raise their hand, try an unfamiliar word, and discover a new voice and a wider world waiting for them.
For more than a decade, Kathy Sinclair has created the conditions for those moments to happen. As Department Head of Modern Languages at St. Paul High School, she has helped students find their voices, encouraged teachers to grow together and transformed French from a subject studied in class into a language experienced through music, culture, travel and community.
That lasting impact has now earned Kathy national recognition.
Celebrating Excellence in French Immersion
Kathy is the recipient of a 2026 French Immersion Excellence Award in the Leadership and Excellence in French Immersion Practices category, presented by the Canadian Association of Immersion Professionals (ACPI).
The national award recognizes an educator whose exemplary practices have a direct and demonstrable impact on French Immersion learners. Kathy was nominated by colleagues who described her as a generous, innovative leader and an unwavering advocate for students and educators.
Leadership That Listens
Some of Kathy’s most meaningful work begins with a simple question: What do students and teachers need to succeed?
When educators identified gaps in students’ French-language skills as they moved toward secondary school, Kathy did more than acknowledge the concern. She launched an ambitious, year-long pilot project connecting teachers in Grades 6, 7 and 8 from several schools.
Together, they formed a community of practice, using diagnostic assessments to better understand student strengths and needs in listening, reading, speaking and writing. The results were shared with teachers, students and families, giving everyone a clearer picture of progress and the next steps for learning.
With that evidence, educators could respond more intentionally. Students understood what success looked like, became more willing to take risks and approached French with greater confidence.
The project demonstrated an important truth about educational leadership: lasting improvement rarely comes from one person having every answer. It grows when someone brings people together to ask better questions.
A Language to Be Lived
In Kathy’s classroom, French is never confined to a textbook.
Her students have participated in ‘Le clip immersion’, ACPI’s national video competition, earning significant post-secondary bursaries while using French creatively and authentically. They prepare for the ‘Concours d’art oratoire’, celebrate ‘Le mois de la Francophonie’ through French Wordle challenges and discover new music through ‘Manie musicale’.
Kathy has also helped bring Francophone performers such as Le Flo Franco and Le Groupe Swing into the school, allowing students to experience the energy of the French language and culture together. In March 2026, she served on the planning committee for a trip that allowed 36 secondary students in French programs to experience European Francophone culture firsthand.
These opportunities help students see that French is more than something to practice for an assignment. It is a language that can connect them to new people, places, ideas and possibilities.
Opening Doors for Every Student
Creating an opportunity is only the beginning; Kathy works to ensure students can actually take part.
She regularly seeks funding to keep cultural experiences and enrichment activities affordable or free for students. Whether the opportunity is a concert, a competition, a language certification, or an international experience, she approaches access as an essential part of excellence.
That same commitment is evident in her support for the DELF exams. Kathy prepares students during the fall and spring, often using her lunch hours to offer additional help. As a trained DELF examiner and corrector, she also volunteers her time to evaluate students from across the Board, welcoming nervous candidates with the warmth and reassurance they need to do their best.
Her leadership reaches educators as well. She supports new and experienced teachers, shares evidence-based practices, develops preparation resources and helps colleagues create culturally responsive learning environments. Her influence can be seen not only in what students achieve, but also in the confidence and capacity she builds in the people around her.
An Impact That Keeps Growing
Awards recognize an individual, but Kathy’s work has always been about creating possibilities for others.
Her impact lives in the student who discovers the courage to speak French outside the classroom, the teacher who feels supported in trying something new and the young person who begins to imagine a future that includes bilingual study, work, travel or community.
Congratulations, Kathy, on this well-deserved national honour. Thank you for making French come alive and for showing how thoughtful, inclusive leadership can open doors that remain open long after students leave the classroom.
