Transcript York Catholic District School Board French Immersion
York Catholic District School Board
French Immersion Program
Christ the King CES Richmond Hill Parent Information Night Presentation Nov 25, 2010
Our Prayer of Hope God of hope, as days get shorter and nights get colder, light in us the fire of Your love to give us hope this winter time.
We prepare our souls for the coming of Your son at Christmas time. Grant us the wisdom to prepare in us a place of welcome. Jesus was born into the poverty of the stable, the poverty of our hearts today if often a poverty of time for You. In this hectic time, slow us down for a while. Call to us, amid the pace of material preparations; call to us to make spiritual preparations. In the quiet of our hearts let us hear and then Sing A SONG of hope, A SONG of peace, A SONG of joy, A SONG of Love These are the songs that the candles on the Advent wreath sing. May the wreath of our hearts illuminate our families as we prepare for Advent.
Amen
Our Mission
Christ the King is a Catholic learning community where Christ is our master teacher; where student success is at the heart of all decisions made; and where teachers, parents, students, and the church, in relationship with one another, have a vested interest in the articulation and pursuit of goals within the context of a shared vision and mission.
Our Mission (Continued)
We are a Catholic learning community where collaboration and respect for one another frame our interactions and where “faith-in-action” is our lived experience. These are the tenets that we embrace at Christ the King and that give definition to all that we do in the name of our students.
Principal
Christ the King CES
Jacquie Cushing Dill
Staff School Council Co-Chair Students School Building
27 Patricia Petrisor Lilly Barone 240 19 years old
Christ the King CES
Activities/Events/Committees:
Spirit Days Christmas Outreach Initiative Annual Community BBQ Special Needs Track and Field Day Carnaval Celebrating Diversity Events Junior Hockey Track and Field Senior Hockey Terry Fox Run/Walk Celebrating Diversity Events Christ the King Feast Day Luke 4:18 Social Justice Committee Oral Communication Presentations Primary Play Day Scientist-in-the School Christ the King Band Christmas Recital School Liturgies and Masses
Christ the King CES
Activities/Events/Committees
Junior and Intermediate Girls and Boys Basketball Battle of the Books
(continued):
Bullying Prevention Cross Country Book Fair Catholic Education Week and ShareLife Christmas Community Prayer Service Clothing, Book, and Food Drives Intermediate and Junior Boys and Girls Volleyball Spook-a-thon International Walk to School Day Month Virtue and Caught Caring Recognition Celebrations Eco-School Initiatives Welcome to Kindergarten Lenten Outreach Initiatives Primary Literacy and Numeracy Parent Nights Catholic School Council Yearbook Committee
Christ the King CES
Community Partnerships:
• Catholic School Council • Community Safety Village • Good Shepherd Shelter • Music Alive/Music Star of York Region • Richmond Hill Fire Department • Richmond Hill Food Bank • Rose of Sharon • ShareLife • Safe School Committee • Swim to Survive • Town of Richmond Hill • York Region Police – Grade 6, 7, 8 VIP Program
Christ the King CES
We Celebrate…
• Our wonderful students and all their many God-given gifts and talents • Our dedicated teachers and staff and their unyielding commitment to student achievement in all realms – academic, spiritual, athletic, and socio-emotional • Our devoted parents and their unwavering dedication to encouraging the growth and development of their children • Our hard-working School Council and their generous support of all aspects of our Catholic learning community
Christ the King CES
(continued) We Celebrate…
• Our faithful volunteers and the countless hours of contribution they provide • Our caring parish team for the spiritual guidance provided to students, families and staff • Our numerous teams, committees, events, learning experiences, and community outreach initiatives that give meaning and definition to our identity as a truly exceptional Catholic learning community.
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 creative thinking 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 Immersion (Proposed)
• 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 • 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 will be offered to Grade 1 students in September 2011.
• 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 5,000 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 English language 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. • The York Catholic Transportation Policy will apply to students living within the Christ the King boundary.
Christ the King French Immersion Transportation Boundary
• Christ the King • Corpus Christi • Father Henri JM Nouwen • Our Lady Help of Christians • Pope John Paul II • St. Anne • St. Anthony • St. Charles Garnier • St. Joseph (Richmond Hill) • St. Mary Immaculate • St. Marguerite d'Youville • St. Michael Academy • St. Rene Goupil-St. Luke
Implementation Model
• French Immersion at Christ the King is available to Grade 1 students for September 2011. The school also offers English 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 Christ the King boundary or current SK students attending Christ the King 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 on line 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 Christ the King CES 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 Christ the King no later than
February 11, 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 non French 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 ,