Parent information about early French Immersion

Nov. 19, 2015

Welcome/Bienvenue

About our school

- number of students in FI, English

- arts, physical education, library – like other schools

- school council

- student council and/or student leadership opportunities

- parent volunteers with our Reading Program or on school trips are welcome

French Immersion in Peel board

Early French Immersion – starts

in grade 1

Extended French – starts grade 7

Growth of French Immersion program

- 45 schools offer early French Immersion

- 25 per cent of first graders in French Immersion

- 17,000 Peel board students in French Immersion

- 241 of French Immersion students at our school

Qualified French Immersion teachers

- proficient in speaking, reading and writing French

- additional training in teaching French as a Second Language

French as a Second Language

- no requirement of previous French

experience

The aim is fluency in French by the end of Grade 12

By the end of high school: - more than 6,000 hours of French instruction

- conversations with francophones

- understand the language of the French-speaking community

- read French newspapers, magazines and books

- write day-to-day correspondence

Benefits of French Immersion

- learn about the French culture

- gain understanding of Canada’s bilingual and bicultural heritage

- appreciate value of learning another language

- prepare for bilingual employment opportunities

Grade 1 French Immersion program

- 50 per cent in French

- 50 per cent in English

- FI students may have two

main teachers – 1 English and 1 French

Grade 1 French Immersion program

- same provincial curriculum expectations as the English program

By the end of grade 1:

- follow written and verbal instructions in French

- speak in French about familiar topics

- pronounce familiar French words correctly

- read short, simple materials in French

- follow simple written instructions

- produce short, simple pieces of writing in French

Secondary school

- 10 credits in French

- certificate of bilingual studies

- French Immersion students go to Bramalea Secondary School (location may change)

Immersion students read and write English as well as other students

- EQAO provincial tests

- Canadian Cognitive Abilities Test (CCAT)

- Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

Help your child at home

- read provincial French Immersion curriculum

- talk to your child every day about school

- read with your child every day in English or your first language

- listen to your child read in French

- regular time and place for homework

Help your child at home

- watch French version of favourite DVDs

- show your child that French exists outside the classroom

- watch French children’s shows—Caillou and Carmen à la campagne

- borrow French books, magazines and books on CD from public library

- French games and software

- enrol your child in French summer camp

- family vacation, exchange programs

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is the national network of volunteers that values French as an integral part of Canada and is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French Second Language learning opportunities for young Canadians.

There are three local chapters in Peel that offer:

French activities for kids support for parents & schools

Brampton, Caledon, Mississauga West

Questions? Call 905-366-1012 or visit http://on.cpf.ca/

- strong skills in first language

- likes to talk

- likes to work in groups

- imitates easily

- good memory

- demonstrates confidence

- risk-taker

- enjoys new challenges

- enjoys books

- successful transition from home to kindergarten

Is French Immersion right for my child?

What if English is not your child's first language? - strong skills in the child's first language

- continue to speak first language at home

Indications that French Immersion might not be the right choice now

- struggling with the transition to school

- pre-existing learning difficulties

- disagreement within the family about the program

- performing below average in their first language

- children who will be absent from school for extended periods

Indicators that children are successful in French Immersion

- happy

- enthusiastic about learning

- positive about school

- report card indicates progress

- feedback from teacher

Moving out of French Immersion

- students return to their neighbourhood school

- no flexible boundaries

French is part of every child's school experience - another immersion option—Extended French starts in grade 7

- all students study French 40 minutes/day from grades 4 to 8

- at least one high school French credit

Registration deadline

January 29, 20164 p.m.

Enrolment Cap

25% of all grade 1 students

Random Selection Process System

- All students who make the registration deadline will be placed in a random selection process and assigned a rank.

- Spots are not assigned on a first come, first served basis.

- Once students have been assigned to all available spots, remaining students will be placed, in rank order, on the school’s waitlist.

Random selection process – who’s exempt?Students who currently (2015-16) have siblings in the elementary FI program (in grades 4 to 7) would be automatically placed into the grade 1 FI program, provided they register online by the 4 p.m. on the January 29, 2016 deadline.

Random selection process – who’s exempt?- Students who are currently in Kindergarten French Immersion in other publicly-funded boards and apply online by the deadline will be placed into the grade 1 French Immersion program.

WaitlistStudents will be placed on a waitlist for grade 1 French Immersion in the following order:

1. Students who registered by the deadline, but weren’t selected during the random selection process.

2. Students who missed the registration deadlineOR

Students who’ve moved to the Peel board, but have not been

part of an existing French Immersion program and missed the

deadline.

Students on waitlist

If students do not get placed into Grade 1 FI from the waitlist, they would continue to attend the regular program at their homeschool.

How to applyRegistration for FI will be done through an online registration form that will be available as of 9 a.m. on Monday Nov. 23 at 1:00pm at www.peelschools.org/French.

You must register online by 4 p.m. on Friday Jan. 29, 2016.

Even if you have an older child currently in French Immersion in grades 4 to 7, you MUST apply by the deadline to avoid being placed on the waitlist.

If you do not get an email confirmation that your application was received, contact the school immediately.

How to register

How to register

How to register

Keep your contact info up to date

After applying online, call the school if:

• You made an error in completing the online application

• You no longer wish to enrol your child in FI

• Your phone number/email address changes

• Your home address changes

Result of random selection processBy March 4, 2016, we will send confirmation by email of:

Placement into the Grade 1 FI programOR

Placement on the waitlist

If you registered by the deadline, but do not receive confirmation after March 4, 2016, please call us to follow up.

Placing students from the waitlist

If you are not told by the end of the first week of school in September (i.e. Sept. 9, 2016), that your child has a spot in grade 1 French Immersion, he or she will not attend the program.

Busing eligibility

- grade 1 – 1 km - grades 2 to 4 – 1.6 km - grades 5 to 6 – 2 km - grades 7 to 8 – 3.2 km

To find out if your child qualifies for busing, visit www.stopr.ca.

Central bus stops

- bus does not pick up in front of your home

- children walk up to 700m to bus stop

Questions?