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1120-10 | French Immersion Regulation

Date Approved: August 17 2008
Date Reviewed/Amended: July 17 2017

In addition to provincially prescribed French courses, students in this school district have the opportunity of receiving instruction in French language, one of Canada's official languages, through French Immersion at the elementary, middle school and secondary levels. French Immersion operates as an optional District managed program.

The Provincial goal for French Immersion is to provide the opportunity for non-francophone students to become bilingual in English and French. The Early Immersion program provides students with an education equivalent to that which is available in the English language program, while providing students with the opportunity to acquire a high level of proficiency in French.

The School District will:

  1. Endeavour to maintain an Early French Immersion Program for students in Kindergarten through Intermediate within guidelines of the Ministry of Education, provided that there is adequate student enrollment in the program and that staffing requirements can be accommodated.
  2. Attempt to maintain a dual track, French/English system of school organization that emphasizes multiculturalism and coexistence.
  3. Attempt to provide the elementary immersion schooling (Kindergarten to grade 5) in the same facility.
  4. Provide French Immersion programming in secondary school subjects within guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Education, as facilities, financial resources, staff resources and school organization permit and provided that there is adequate student enrollment in the program.

ENTRY

The French Immersion Program is not intended to be a selective program and it is in the students' best interest that classes contain students with a variety of aptitudes, cultures and backgrounds. French Immersion instruction should be available to all students who desire to be enrolled in the program unless unavailability of appropriate staff would result in a detrimental learning environment. Therefore:

1.  Kindergarten shall be the normal entry point for students without previous French instruction.

2.  Any student may enrol in the Early French Immersion Program, if the entry point is appropriate.

3.  Entry into Early French Immersion at a higher level for a student without previous French instruction shall be determined by the Principal after consultation with and following a probationary agreement with the Early French Immersion teacher and the Principal of Early French Immersion.

4.  If enrolment in Kindergarten is such that the learning environment will deteriorate because an additional Kindergarten class would be required and cannot be offered due to unavailability of immersion staff, then enrollment should be limited to numbers that would permit an acceptable educational environment and students should be admitted in the following priority.

  • Students who have a sibling or siblings in the Early French Immersion Program.
  • Students who have a sibling or siblings attending the school in which the Early French Immersion Program is located.
  • Students who do not have a sibling in the Early French Immersion Program or in the school in which the program is located.

   The Superintendent, or designate, will adjudicate whenever the above criteria fails to produce a decision.

5.  Students transferring into School District No. 52 who are already enrolled in French Immersion Program elsewhere will be placed in the program subject to space and resources being available. Transfers out of the program will be made by the Principal in consultation with parents, teacher and counsellor agreeing that the transfer will solve a specific problem for that student.

6.  French Immersion students/programs will not displace students out of their neighbourhood school.

TRANSPORTATION

Transportation to and from the French Immersion school is the responsibility of the parent.

SUPPORT SERVICES

Support services such as Learning Assistance, Library and Gifted will be available to French Immersion students on an equitable basis with regular program students and, where possible, available in French and English.