Letter from the Committee President

Dear Congrès Participants,

We are so excited that Center Grove High School will be hosting the Congrès State French Contest again this year. It is a wonderful facility. A special thanks goes to Ashlee Vitz for hosting a second year in a row. 

The Congrès will take place on Saturday, January 24, 2026 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm at Center Grove High School: 2717 South Morgantown Road, Greenwood, IN 46143. 

As we prepare for the contest, we often receive the same questions. So, this year we decided to create an FAQ page for teachers. Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Amy Berry

Points of Contact

Registration General Information

  • The registration deadline is December 6 , 2025. We must hold to this deadline since there are so many details that must be finalized before the event. 
  • Changes can ONLY be made for one week following the deadline. This year the changes must be submitted by December 13. Changes after this date will not be permitted. After this date, the committee begins assembling a master registration form with a total student count so that testing materials can then be printed and compiled for the various events.
  • Substitutions can only be made if a student in a group activity is ill/absent the day of the contest. For example: if a student is part of a skit, non-stop conversation team, or dance, and that student is absent or ill the day of the contest, a student who is already registered for the Congrès can be substituted on the day of. No other substitutions will be allowed. This is to maintain fairness for all participants.
  • Please refer to the Congrès details page on the AATF website (https://infrenchteachers.org/congres/2026-details/) for more information on the contest. Additional information pertaining to each contest (including the rubrics) can be found by navigating to the event tab at the top and then selecting the Congrès 2026 Event Description subtab.
  • The registration form can be found at https://infrenchteachers.org/congres/registration/. This can be completed as either an Excel spreadsheet or a Google Sheets spreadsheet.
    • If you are completing it as an Excel spreadsheet, do not use the online app of Excel because it does not load the formulas. 
    • DO NOT CONVERT the spreadsheet to an Apple Numbers Spreadsheet. This completely deletes the formulas and your registration form will not function properly, and converting it back to a .xls file deletes all data. Google Sheets is free to access and use, so if you do not have access to Excel, please complete this in Google Sheets. 

How to use the Registration Form

  1. There are multiple tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet as pictured below. To register students in a given session, students must first be registered under the “Students” tab in the correct level of French.
  1. Input student names in the corresponding French level as pictured below:
  1. Once a student has been listed, they can be selected from a drop down menu in a given session. Students can only be registered for a single event in a given session. In other words, students can participate in a maximum of 4 events, one in each session.

Note: For each session and event, there are rules listed that often limit the number of students permitted to participate from a given level (or school). This is to ensure that each event has a manageable number of students when it comes time to grade or judge. There is a short window of time that the judges have to grade and turn in results in Test Central.

  1. To submit your spreadsheet, if you completed it using Google Sheets, you can share it directly with Thomas Maxwell (maxwellt@franklinschools.org). If you completed it using Excel, save it as an .xls file (the default file setting), and email it to Thomas Maxwell at the email address listed above.

Rules for Native-Speaking Students 

  • Foreign exchange students from a francophone region, students from a home where French is spoken, or who have lived in a French speaking country at least one semester, may participate ONLY in the following:
    • Vocal music
    • Instrumental music
    • Dance
    • Sight reading
    • Poetry recitation
    • Poster contests 
    • If you have questions about the eligibility of a student, please contact Amy Berry at Greencastle High School: aberry@greencastle.k12.in.us 
  • Students who join/transfer to a school unexpectedly at the beginning of the 2nd semester are not eligible to participate in the main competition, but may still come with the schools, participate in the day-of poster competition, and also spectate the dance/music competitions. 

Music Competition

Please note that schools may only enter one instrumental and one vocal competition. This is due to time constraints. 

Music is to be “original” or “legally purchased online music.” This means the students are to bring the original copy of the music for judges to grade students with. Original music is not photo copied. Give an original to the judge. Online legal purchase will have a “purchased by….” statement somewhere on the music to verify that the music is legally purchased and is allowed to be used. This upholds the copyright laws. 

Students are to number the measures of the music. This allows the judge to easily write down areas of the music with feedback. 

The above two criteria align with the Indiana State School Music Associated (ISSMA)

Poster Contest (to be brought on the day of contest) 

  • Affiche Graphique / Graphic Art posters are designed and created by students using graphic design technology, including programs such as Photoshop, InDesign, Canva, Krita, etc. (Must be printed on an 11″x14” size paper, but may be mounted to foamboard)
  • Beaux-Arts / Studio Art posters are designed and created by students using traditional arts methods such as oil or watercolor paints, pencil, colored pencil, pastels, etc. (Must be submitted as a 12″x16″ canvas or posterboard)

The theme of this year’s poster competition is “Historic French influence in the Midwest.” From fur trading and exploration to architecture, place names, and cultural traditions, French influence played a vital role in shaping the American Midwest. French explorers like Marquette and La Salle were among the first Europeans to chart this region, and many cities bear the mark of that legacy.You will find more information at this website that you can use for starter The Beginning – French Heritage Corridor: The Seven States

Important Points

  • All poster submissions must be brought on the day of the contest with a completed Poster Registration Form (linked below), to assist the judges in the interpretation of your work.
  • Affiche Graphique / Graphic Art must be printed with a size of 11” x 14” (may be mounted to foamboard)
  • Beaux-Arts / Studio Art must be submitted as a 12″x16” sized canvas or posterboard
  • Any text on the poster itself must be in French. If you choose to use captions and illustrations on your poster, the French must be accurate and suitable to your level. The use of Google Translate or AI are not permitted.
  • The poster contest is not a group work. Submissions must be completed by a single student.
  • Schools may submit ONE Beaux-Art and ONE Affiche Graphic per level, per school, for a total of 8 total submissions. Schools who break this rule will be disqualified from judging.

Disqualifications will occur for any of the following reasons:

  • Beaux-Art submissions are submitted on poster boards or canvases larger or smaller than 12”x 16” 
  • Affiche Graphique are submitted on prints that are larger or smaller than 11”x14”
  • Beaux-Art submissions are not drawn or illustrated by hand
  • Beaux-Art or Affiche Graphique are submitted without the Poster Registration Form fully completed
  • If the judges suspect plagiarism, AI use, or Google Translate in the French language on any poster submission

Poster Registration Form

Please see the following for more information: https://infrenchteachers.org/congres/poster-contest/