York Catholic District School Board

1. York Catholic District School Board French Immersion Program St. Joseph CES (Aurora) Parent Information Night Presentation December 7, 2010

2. St. Joseph School Community - cont’d

3. St. Joseph School Community - cont’d Activities/Events:

4. St. Joseph School Community – cont’d Community Partnerships: • 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. Types of FSL Programs

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Assessment Policy The assessment and evaluation of students in the French Immersion Program will be consistent with Board procedures and practices for all students

13. 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.

14. St. Joseph, Aurora French Immersion Transportation Boundary 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

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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

21. 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.

22. 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.

23. 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.

24. 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.

25. 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.

26. 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.

27. 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,

28. Questions and Comments