Transcript York Catholic District School Board French Immersion

York Catholic District School Board
French Immersion Program
St. Joseph CES (Aurora)
Parent Information Night
Presentation
December 7, 2010
St. Joseph School Community - cont’d
Principal
Christine deHaas
Staff
25
School Council Chair
Mrs. Edel Reid
Students
281
School Building
50 years on Oct. 2011
St. Joseph School Community - cont’d
Activities/Events:
Boys & Girls Junior &
ECO Clubs
Intermediate Basketball
Annual School BBQ
Boys & Girls Junior &
Intermediate Volleyball
Luke 4:18
French Concert
Cross Country
Raise the Bar:
Intramural/Student
Leadership
Carnaval
Naturalization/Peace
Garden Area Cleanup
St. Joseph Feast Day Music Star Band
Program
Terry Fox Walk
Scientist and Artist in
the School
School Christmas
Sing-a-long & Music
Star Band Concert
Track & Field
World Milk Day
Student Faith Day
St. Joseph School Community – cont’d
Community Partnerships:
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Our Lady of Grace Parish
Best Buy, Aurora
York Region Police
Aurora Food Pantry
Aurora Retirement Home
Aurora Fire Department
Local businesses in the area
Share Life Local Chapter
Music Alive/Music Star of York Region
St. Joseph School Community – cont’d
We Celebrate…
• Our students and the positive image they have in our
community
• Our School Council’s commitment to enhance the
educational experience for our students
• Our staff’s efforts involved in each student’s academic,
spiritual and personal growth
• Our volunteers and the countless hours they provide
• Our parents and how they support our efforts for their
children
• Our parish team for the spiritual guidance provided to staff,
students & their families
• Our numerous clubs, activities & sport teams for their
outstanding sportsmanship and leadership
Rationale for French Immersion Programs
• French is one of Canada’s two official
languages and one of Ontario’s two official
languages of instruction.
• Knowledge of a second language
strengthens first-language skills.
• Ability to speak two or more languages
generally enhances reasoning and
problem-solving, as well as creativethinking skills.
• Research shows children educated in
content subjects (like science and
geography) in two languages develop
higher reasoning and analytical skills.
• Knowledge of French provides students
with an advantage in a number of careers,
both in Canada and internationally.
Program Accessibility
• The Ministry specifies
that French Immersion
is open to all students,
including those with
English as a Second
Language.
• Parents are not
required to be French
speaking.
Successful French Immersion Students
Research suggests that children
who are successful in French
Immersion are:
• Risk takers
• Interested in learning new
things
• Attending school regularly
• Positive in their attitude
toward school
• Able to communicate well
verbally in their first
language
• Effective listeners
• Capable of good memory
skills
Types of FSL Programs
Core French
(Current)
• French Instruction in
Primary Grades: 1 to 3
130 minutes per week
Grades 4 and 5:
200 minutes per week
Grades 6 to 8:
170 minutes per week
French Immersion
(Proposed)
• Available in Grades 1 to 8
• Beginning in Grade 1
• French is the language of
instruction for approximately:
 85% of the total hours of
instructional time in
Grades 1 to 3.
 50% of the total hours of
instructional times in
Grades 4 to 8.
Y.C.D.S.B.
Program Delivery
• The French Immersion program
began in Grade 1, September
2010. Currently we have Grade
1 and 2 French Immersion.
• French is the language of
instruction for 85% of the time
in the primary grades and will
be 50% from grades 4 to 8.
• The program will deliver
approximately 4,700 hours of
instruction between Grades 1
and Grade 8.
Curriculum For Subjects
Taught in French
• Students will be taught the Ontario curriculum.
• For subjects like Science or Geography, the expectations in
each grade are essentially those outlined in the Englishlanguage subject curriculum documents.
• Learning resources provided in French follow the Ontario
English language curriculum.
• Students will be expected to achieve the regular English
language curriculum expectations before the end of
Grade 8.
Assessment
Policy
The assessment and
evaluation of students
in the French
Immersion Program will
be consistent with
Board procedures and
practices for all
students
Transportation
Students in grades JK to 3
residing 1.2 km beyond the
school will receive
transportation. As well,
students in grades 4 to 8,
who live beyond 1.6 km
and live within the French
Immersion transportation
boundary will receive
transportation. Students
are required to walk a short
distance to and from these
centralized bus stops.
St. Joseph, Aurora
French Immersion
Transportation
Boundary
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Canadian Martyrs
Holy Name
Holy Spirit
Father Frederick McGinn
Our Lady of Hope
Out Lady of Grace
Our Lady of The
Annunciation
Light of Christ
St. Joseph (Aurora)
St. Jerome
St. Paul
St. Nicholas
St. John Chrysostom
Notre Dame
St. Elizabeth Seton
Implementation Model
• The French Immersion program at
St. Joseph, Aurora in grade 1 for
September 2011 will initiate a dual
track system (French Immersion
and English Grade 1 classes).
• Optimal enrollment for the grade 1
French Immersion program will be
two classes of 23 students.
Criteria for Student Selection
• Catholic kindergarten students
living within the St. Joseph,
Aurora boundary or current SK
students attending St. Joseph,
Aurora will be given priority
placement in the Grade 1 French
Immersion Program..
• The remaining placements will
be selected by public lottery until
46 places are filled.
• The public lottery process
involves the random selection of
applications among those
submitted.
Application Process
• Complete and submit a French Immersion online application form on the York Catholic District
School Board website at www.ycdsb.ca by
January 14, 2011.
• Priority placements will be given to Catholic
students living in the St. Joseph, Aurora
boundary.
• If the number of applications exceeds the
number of available openings, a public lottery
process will be conducted at the French
Immersion school at 5:00 p.m. on January 27,
2011.
• Approved applicants will be notified shortly after
the lottery.
• Approved applicants must register at St. Joseph,
Aurora no later than February 28, 2011.
Questions and Answers
Why Early French Immersion (EFI)?
Research shows that Early Immersion leads to the
highest fluency in French
Will my child’s English skills suffer?
There is a certain lag in English Language Arts for
the first few years of the French Immersion
program, specifically spelling skills in English.
However, the gap is minimized with the introduction
of English in Grade 4.
Questions and Answers
How does the French Immersion
program impact student achievement in
mathematics and other subjects?
Research indicates that the performance of
French Immersion students in other subjects is
equal to the performance of students in the
English program.
Questions and Answers
How do students perform on standard
provincial assessments (EQAO) in
grade 3 and grade 6?
• Most French Immersion schools will exempt
students from writing the grade 3 EQAO test in
English.
• A high percentage of schools with French
Immersion Programs in the GTA have
exceeded the provincial and board average on
the grade 6 EQAO test in English
Questions and Answers
Is it important for someone at home to
speak French?
The program is designed for children of nonFrench speaking families. All communication from
the school to parents will be in English, including
report cards.
Questions and Answers
How may I help my child with homework
when I do not speak French?
While it may be helpful, it is not necessary, for
parents to speak French. Research studies
confirm that children achieve greater academic
success when parents read daily to their child in
the child’s first language.
Questions and Answers
Is French Immersion appropriate for all
students?
Children who have poor listening skills, memory
skills, or who have had difficulty learning their first
language tend to experience difficulty in the
program. Children who have difficulty learning to
read in English may have difficulty learning to read
in French.
Questions and Answers
What will happen if my child experiences
difficulties in French Immersion?
The classroom teacher will provide additional
assistance to the student. If this does not address
the difficulties, then the classroom teacher will
consult with the special education teacher,
principal, and parent to discuss a plan of support.
If special education intervention is recommended,
then the support will be delivered in English.
Questions and Answers
What type of French will my child be
learning?
Standard French vocabulary and structures are
taught. A variety of accents exists in all languages;
during a school career a child will probably be
exposed to teachers from various parts of the
world who are models of well-spoken French.
Questions and Answers
Will my child be bilingual after Grade 8?
No. A young person who has completed an
elementary French Immersion Program often
appears quite comfortable and competent in the
French language. While this is expected, students
are not considered to be functionally bilingual until
the end of Grade 12.
Questions and Answers
How can I learn more about French
Immersion research?
The following website links provide information
about French Immersion research studies:
• http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.hess/research_on_french
-immersion_programs
• http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.hess/research_problems
• Immersion Education for the Millennium: What We Have
Learned from 30 Years of Research on Second
Language Immersion,
Questions and Comments