Category Archives: About Brasinha Portuguese Language School
Brasinha – Choral Concert 2014
Photo sent from Nafiseh Zamani
Youth Manager/SMS Coordinator/
Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
“Marcha soldado cabeça de papel”…..
Alguns de vocês cantaram ou ouviram esta marchinha quando crianças, tenho certeza.
Semana passada tive a oportunidade de assistir a uma aula do Brasinha.
Para as pessoas que ainda não tiveram a chance de participar ou ter seus filhos matriculados em uma das classes, vou relatar minha experiência.
Minha filha não estava muito engajada a atender as aulinhas, sempre encontrando uma boa desculpa para não ir.
O que tenho notado, é que para muitos de nossos filhos que tiveram inglês como primeira língua, ser bilingue é “ chato”. Muitos se sentem inseguros e envergonhados ao falar outra língua perto de seus amigos. Mas consegui convencê-la a experimentar pelo menos uma vez.
O local da aula havia sido mudado, para um dos Community Centres, pois Walter Murray Collegiate, onde normalmente as aulas são ministradas não estava disponível.
Minha filha e eu fomos recebidas com um sorriso largo pela professora (também coordenadora do Curso) Kerri. A salinha era pequena e Kerri e suas filhas, as quais a ajudam com as crianças, foram logo tentando organizar o local, pegando os materiais para as atividades.
O que mais me surpreendeu foi o quanto todos se sentiram a vontade juntos. E o quanto a cultura brasileira, foi espontaneamente tomando conta do local. Jogos de memória serviram de veículo para introdução de novas palavras em português…
O foco da aula foi a preparação das crianças para o Choral Concert on March 8th. As crianças ensaiaram cantando as músicas brasileiras em coro, alguns com sotaque, outros totalmente fluentes, mas todos engajados e felizes aprendendo as músicas que muitos de seus pais cantaram também quando crianças.
No final da aula, quando voltava com minha filha para casa, ela olhou pra mim e disse: Mamãe, eu amei!!!
by Ana Pollock
Para informações sobre o concerto do dia 08 de Março visite a pagina do Brasinha no Facebook:
Ouviram do Ipiranga as margens plácidas….
(Taken from the Third Edition of “No Boundaries News”) 
Brazilians from my generation grew up singing the Brazilian national anthem in elementary school every morning just before classes. I still remember with pride the flag being lifted up, our heads tilted, right hand on our hearts to pledge allegiance.
Since 1985, when my family moved to Canada, there were only a few opportunities when we were exposed to small segments of the Brazilian anthem. These occasions presented themselves during special sports events. At that time Ayrton Senna was in his glory and every time he made it to the podium a piece of Brazil was delivered to us. The anthem always reminded us of who we were and it never failed to make us proud to be born in Brazil.
On September 15, 2012 when Brasinha opened its door and had the first Portuguese language class I was taken aback by what happened in the first 10 minutes in the classroom. The teachers gathered everyone in one classroom, explained to the children what was going to happen, asked them to place their right hands on their heart, and asked for the lights to be turned off. The screen lit up and suddenly that familiar sound and unforgettable beat of the Brazilian National Anthem filled the entire room.
During the first minute, when only the anthem introduction was being played, I glanced at the children and I saw myself in them.
My eyes clouded with tears and by the time the words started rolling the only thing I could do was to mumble them. I tried very hard not to cry but the emotions, memories, and that longing for everything that is Brazilian rushed through my mind.
Since I moved to Canada, this was the first time I sang the entire national anthem and it felt great. Hope Brasinha can continue to instil in our children the same pride we Brazilian-born citizens have inside each of us.
“Ó Terra adorada, Entre outras mil, És tu, Brasil,
Ó Pátria amada! Dos filhos deste solo es mãe gentil, patria amada Brasil!!!!”
By: Sueli Bizetto de Freitas , PR & Communication Specialist
BRASINHA IS BORN!!
(Taken from the Second Edition of “No Boundaries News”)
In June 2012, the Brazilian Association of Saskatoon announced that it would be offering Portuguese classes to children starting this fall. The opening of a school for children has been one of the goals of the Association.
We think that the glue that connects us with our culture and families back home is, and always will be, our beautiful Portuguese language. Since 2007, when the Association was formed, everyone dreamed of this day when we would have enough manpower to offer our children the opportunity to learn our mother tongue in a formal setting.
Kerri Anderson is our curriculum coordinator. BRASA will oversee the course and will be responsible for reporting back to the Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL) and the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (SIA). The SOHL requires that from September to May we offer 70 hours of teaching.
We sincerely thank SOHL and SIA for the promotion and development of the teaching of heritage languages in Saskatchewan and for the recognition and support of the right of every cultural group and individual to retain and develop their distinctive cultural identity.
The “Escola de Português Brasinha” is here to stay. Our doors are always open. For more information on this subject refer to the BRASINHA group on Facebook and/or e-mail: sueli.bizetto@usask.ca; or marcia@brasask.ca.
By: Sueli Bizetto de Freitas , PR & Communication Specialist
BRASA - “OUR CULTURE HAS NO BOUNDARIES” 