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Information Session Follow-Up
French Immersion Program
Transition from Holy Name Catholic
to Alexander Kuska Catholic for
2019-2020 School Year
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Alexander Kuska Catholic Elementary School
6:00 p.m.
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AGENDA
A. Welcome
B. Opening Prayer
C. Introductions
D. Information Update
E. Review of Transition Timelines
F. Questions
G. Tour of Alexander Kuska Catholic
Elementary School
H. Adjournment
INTRODUCTIONS
Yolanda Baldasaro, Superintendent of Education
Terry Antoniou, Principal, Holy Name Catholic Elementary
School
Dwane Smolders, Vice-Principal, Holy Name Catholic
Elementary School
Carlo Arghittu, Principal, Alexander Kuska Catholic
Elementary School
Mary Vetere, K-12 French as a Second Language
Consultant/Numeracy Coach
Lori Powell, Director of Niagara Student Transportation
Services (NSTS)
Scott Whitwell, Controller of Facilities Services
Kathy Levinski, Administrator of Facilities Services
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LONG TERM ACCOMMODATION PLAN 2016-2021
PLANNING PRINCIPLES
The following Planning Principles was approved by Trustees at the
February 23, 2016 Board meeting to help form planning decisions:
1. Ensure viable and sustainable Catholic schools and programs for all
students:
i. that students are accommodated in safe, healthy and appropriate facilities that
support the highest quality Catholic education to meet their needs, while
advancing student achievement and well-being nurturing the
distinctiveness of Catholic education in local communities.
ii. that schools should be of a sufficient size to support equity of educational
opportunities for all students from a resource perspective, including
technology, to ensure effective and efficient stewardship of Board resources
from fiscal and environmental perspectives.
iii. that each school plays an important part to the long-term health and
sustainability of the Board and that schools are sustainable over the long
term.
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LONG TERM ACCOMMODATION PLAN 2016-2021
PLANNING PRINCIPLES
2. Minimize the use of temporary accommodation/ facilities to address
short, medium and long term enrolment pressures:
i. that the use of portables be minimized in terms of number and duration.
ii. that the preferred models of school organization are self-contained within the
on- the- ground capacity of the school: Elementary: ELKP to Grade 8; and
Secondary: Grades 9 to 12.
iii. that new programs support the Board’s Vision and be fiscally responsible.
iv. that boundary changes may be required to ensure a viable distribution of
pupils across school communities as per the Attendance Areas Policy, 301.3.
v. that the Pupil Accommodation Review Policy, 701.2 will be used to guide the
process for arriving at accommodation decisions.
vi. that when addressing enrolment pressures, current projections and planning
techniques will be used to make decisions.
vii. that all capital projects are 100% dependent on approval and funding from the
Ministry of Education.
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LONG TERM ACCOMMODATION PLAN 2016-2021
PLANNING PRINCIPLES
3. The Long Term Accommodation Plan will be in compliance with legislation
such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and will consider
Daily Physical Activity, Child Care Centres with Before and After School
Programs available at the school, the locations of Child Care Centres, Community
Partnerships, and the community use of schools.
4. The Long Term Accommodation Plan will promote facility partnerships to
market schools as a community resource within the Region, municipalities and not
for profit agencies.
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LONG TERM ACCOMMODATION PLAN 2016-2021
One of the recommendations in the LTAP 2016-2021 was to move
the French Immersion Program from Holy Name Catholic
Elementary School to Alexander Kuska Catholic Elementary School
in the short term planning timeline of 2016-2018.
Move would address the enrolment issues at both schools (Alexander
Kuska under-utilized and Holy Name is over-utilized).
Continued growth is projected in the Holy Name Catholic boundary
due to a number of new subdivisions in the area.
Currently, the process for the move is slightly behind the short term
planning timeline. The transition process beginning in the 2018-
2019 school year is for a start date for the FI Program to be located
at Alexander Kuska Catholic beginning in 2019-2020.
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SCHOOL INFORMATION PROFILES
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ENROLMENT
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PROJECTED FRENCH IMMERSION
ENROLMENT
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PROJECTED FRENCH IMMERSION
ENROLMENT
Taken from LTAP 2016-2021
Current enrolment is 519
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PORTABLE PLACEMENT – HOLY NAME
2019
2020 2021
20152016
2017 2018
2018
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PORTABLE PLACEMENT – ALEXANDER KUSKA
Current
2019
2020 2021
2019
2020
If Required
Location TBD
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DISTANCE BETWEEN HOLY NAME AND
ALEXANDER KUSKA
Current
Alexander
Kuska
Holy
Name
3 km
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DISTANCE BETWEEN ST. JOHN AND ST. MARK
Current
St. John
St. Mark
6 km
Holy Name Catholic Elementary School
Current population: 519 students; FI-94, English track-425
OTG Capacity-435
NOTE:
Admission requests for Out of Boundary status at Holy
Name Catholic for students in either track have been
considered. Once an Out of Boundary application is
approved, the student is a student of the school. Each
family’s request and situation is considered before making
a decision.
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Alexander Kuska Catholic Elementary School
Can accommodate the full FI Program from Holy Name
Catholic Elementary School now; has 5-6 available
classrooms; future estimates of FI students based on
current enrolment and Ministry class size criteria can be
determined.
Current projections for 2019-2020
FI- 111, English track-328, Total-439
OTG Capacity-481
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Alexander Kuska Catholic Elementary School
The transition of the French Immersion Program from
Holy Name Catholic to Alexander Kuska Catholic has
been considered for the long term.
According to projections in the LTAP, prepared by the
consulting firm of Watson and Associates, there is capacity
available at Alexander Kuska Catholic to the end of the
projection in 2025-2026.
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School Bell Times
To support the transition of the FI Program from Holy
Name Catholic to Alexander Kuska Catholic, bell times at
each school will remain status quo for the 2019-2020
school year.
Alexander Kuska Holy Name
Entry 8:40 a.m. 8:40 a.m.
Dismissal 2:59 p.m. 2:56 p.m.
Confirmation by parent/guardian of current Holy Name
Catholic FI Program student to transition to Alexander
Kuska Catholic beginning September, 2019.
For families with children enrolled in both the FI Program
and English track currently at Holy Name Catholic, Out of
Boundary requests for English track siblings to attend
Alexander Kuska Catholic will receive approval.
Current Out of Boundary Holy Name Catholic FI Program
students transitioning to Alexander Kuska Catholic will also
receive approval as an Out of Boundary student to Alexander
Kuska Catholic.
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Student Transition to Alexander Kuska
Catholic Elementary School
As per Niagara Catholic Student Transportation Policy 500.2,
students with approved out of boundary status will not be
eligible for transportation services. Transportation will be the
responsibility of parent/guardian.
Transition activities for FI Program students, developed and
coordinated by both Holy Name Catholic and Alexander
Kuska Catholic Principals, will be communicated to students
and their families.
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Student Transition to Alexander Kuska
Catholic Elementary School
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NSTS has determined eligibility for transportation for all
current French Immersion students, and fully simulated
morning and afternoon bus routes. NSTS has prepared
individual letters for families based on all current known
information.
New student registrations for French Immersion and
Kindergarten, and changes to current student home addresses
and/or child care has an impact bus routes.
In May 2019, NSTS will provide preliminary transportation
letters for each French Immersion family and in mid-August
bus route information for your child will be available through
the parent portal on the NSTS website, www.nsts.ca.
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Student Transportation Communication
Resource Allocation to Alexander Kuska
Facilitated between the two school Principals, in
consultation and collaboration with the current French
Immersion teachers at Holy Name and the FSL
Consultant/Mathematics Coach.
Include resources to support French Immersion
program such as technology, texts, library books, etc.
Principal to work closely with Facilities Services staff to
ready Alexander Kuska Catholic school site to receive
students.
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Child Care Transitions
Niagara Catholic Early Years team to work closely with
provider, YMCA at both Holy Name Catholic and
Alexander Kuska Catholic school sites.
Potential redistribution of service; additional licensing
of child care spaces.
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Staffing Transitions
Follow collective bargaining agreements/terms and
conditions of respective employee groups
For elementary teaching staff, their respective Collective
Bargaining Agreement (CBA) outlines the posting process
for all Elementary Teachers; teachers will be assigned
according to the position they apply for and are qualified for
Must follow the CBA and the posting process where teachers
can apply to these positions at Alexander Kuska Catholic
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SECONDARY FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM
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Elementary French Immersion students accumulate a
minimum of 3800 hours of French instruction.
Secondary pathway for Notre Dame Family of Schools
French Immersion Program at Alexander Kuska Catholic:
transition to Notre Dame College School.
Secondary school students must accumulate at least 10
secondary French Immersion credits to qualify for a
certificate in French Immersion upon graduation.
Secondary courses to be offered and student timetables
developed based on viability and enrolment.
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SECONDARY FRENCH IMMERSION
PROGRAM
4 Literacy Courses: Possible secondary pathway
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Other potential subject considerations for Secondary
French Immersion programming:
• Religion- Intermediate and Senior (Grades 9-12)
• Arts-Drama, Music, Film Studies, Art History, Dance
• Sciences
• Mathematics
• Business/Technology
SECONDARY FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM
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SECONDARY FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAM
Achievement of credits may require student
timetabling options such as:
• Staggered year course offerings
• Combined grade/level course offerings
• Cohorting students to support viable course
offering (e.g. could be grade 9 and 10 combined;
could be the subject offered)
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PROPOSED TRANSITION TIMELINES
Communication facilitated through School Principal
DATE ACTIVITY
November, 2018 Commitment verification for current FI
Program students at Holy Name Catholic to
transition to Alexander Kuska Catholic for
2019-2020 school year
November 21st, 2018 Open House and Registration: Kindergarten
December, 2018 FI Online Advance Registration for Siblings
of Current FI Students
January, 2019 FI Online General Registration
November, 2018 – June,
2019
Implement Transition Plan between Holy
Name Catholic and Alexander Kuska Catholic
school communities
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INFORMATION
Slide presentations can be found at: niagaracatholic.ca
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MOVING FORWARD . . .
During the transition process, please direct questions to:
Terry Antoniou, Principal – Holy Name Catholic
Elementary School
or
Carlo Arghittu, Principal – Alexander Kuska Catholic
Elementary School
QUESTIONS
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Tour of Alexander Kuska Catholic
Elementary School
facilitated by
Carlo Arghittu, Principal
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