French Immersion Program
Parent Information Night
St. Joseph Aurora
December 1, 2014
Prayer
We are all here tonight to support our students in the next stage of their lives. Let us pray for
guidance as we prepare to make a pathway choice for our children and their education.
Lord, we give you thanks for having
given us children.
We accept them with serenity and all the
worries and fears we have.
They are our joy.
Give us the wisdom to guide them,
The patience to teach them and
The courage to set a good example.
They are our hope.
Help us to respect and nurture the
person you made them to be.
They are our love.
Amen
St. Joseph Aurora
Principal
Mrs. deHaas
Staff
35 staff
School Council
Co-Chair
21 Members – Ms. Wells and Ms.
Gontier
Students
380 K-8
School Building
52 years old – 3 phases
School Activities/Events/Committees
Spirit Days – Halloween,
Valentine’s Dance-a-thon
Luke 4:18
Annual Community BBQ
Christmas Sing-a-long
Carnaval
Celebrating Diversity Events
Lunch Clubs – Lego,
Reading, Games
Celebrating Diversity Events
Luke 4:18 Social Justice
Committee
Track and Field
Play Leaders
Oral Communication
Presentations
Faith Day
June Play Day
Music Star / Choir
Terry Fox Run/Walk
Scientist-in-the- School
School Liturgies and Masses
School Activities/Events/Committees
(continued)
Junior and Intermediate Girls
and Boys Basketball
Author Visits
Bullying Prevention Plays
Cross Country
Book Fair
Catholic Education Week
Advent Community Mass
Clothing and Food Drives
Lenten Outreach Initiatives
Intermediate and Junior
Boys and Girls Volleyball
Jamboree
Talent Show
Sharelife and St. Vincent de
Paul Activities
You’re the Chef
Catholic School Council
Eco School Initiatives
Welcome to Kindergarten
Yearbook
Committee
Community Partnerships

Catholic School Council

Our Lady of Grace Parish – St. Vincent de Paul

York Region Public Health – Healthy Schools

Music Star of York Region

Aurora Fire Department

Aurora Food Bank

Share Life

Aurora Senior Retirement Home

York Region Police – Grade 5, 6, 7, 8 VIP Program, Community Safety

Kinark Family Services – SNAP

Girls Inc – Girls Circle

York Centre – Bullying Prevention
St. Joseph, Aurora CES
French Immersion Boundary Feeder Schools
Transportation
Transportation will be provided to:
 Grade FDK – 3 students residing 1.2 km beyond the school
 Grade 4 – 8 students who live beyond 1.6 km but within French
Immersion (FI) boundary
Students are required to walk a short distance to and from
these centralized bus stops
 Siblings of students registered in the FI program, for as long
as one child remains in the FI program
Rationale
 French is one of Canada’s two official languages
 French is 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
French as a Second Language Programs
Core French
Immersion
 French language instruction
 French
 Minutes per week:
 % of total instructional time:
is the language of
instruction
Grades 1-3
= 160
Grades 1-3
= 85%
Grades 4-5
= 200
Grades 4-8
= 50%
Grades 6-8
= 160
 Early entry: grade 1
 Early entry: grade 1
 Available in both elementary
 Available in elementary with a
and secondary
secondary pathway in place
French Immersion Classroom
Program Delivery
Grade
1-3
French
English
Language
Religion
Mathematics
Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
Arts
4–8
Science
Religion
Social Studies
Family Life
Physical Education
Math
(Health/Dance)
Music
Arts
Curriculum:
For Subjects Taught in French
 Students will be taught the Ontario Curriculum
 Expectations in each grade are as outlined in the Englishlanguage subject curriculum documents
 Learning resources provided in French align with the Ontario
English language curriculum.
 Students will be expected to achieve the English language
curriculum expectations before the end of Grade 8
 Assessment and Evaluation of students is consistent with
Board procedures and practices for all students
Is the French Immersion Program
right for my child?
Research suggests that children who are
successful in French Immersion are:
 Risk takers
 Interested in learning
 Attending school regularly
 Positive in their attitude toward school
 Able to communicate well verbally in their first language
 Able to read at grade level or beyond
 Effective listeners
 Capable of good memory skills
Application Process
1. All students interested in the French Immersion program must
apply online by completing and submitting the YCDSB French
Immersion on-line application form at www.ycdsb.ca by
February 4th, 2015. If you are experiencing any difficulty
accessing the on-line application, please contact the school.
2. In the placement process, student applications will be
prioritized as follows:
• Siblings of students presently in the French Immersion
program
• SK students presently attending St. Joseph CES
• Students within the school’s French Immersion boundary
• Students outside of the French Immersion boundary but within
the York Region.
Application Process
3. If the number of applications exceeds the number of available
openings, a public lottery process will be conducted here at
5:00 p.m. on February 10th, 2015.
4. Approved applicants will be notified by the school between
February 13th – 17th, 2015.
5. Approved applicants must register at the school no later than
February 24th, 2015, to confirm their child’s placement.
Top 10 Frequently
Asked Questions
YORK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOLBOARD :: Collaborative Learning Inspired By Jesus
1. Why Early French Immersion (EFI)?
Research shows that Early Immersion leads to the highest
fluency in French
2. How does the French Immersion program impact student
achievement in other subjects such as mathematics?
Research indicates that the performance of French
Immersion students in other subjects is equal to the
performance of students in the English program.
3.
How do students perform on standard provincial
assessments (EQAO) in grades 3 and 6?
French Immersion schools exempt students from writing the
grade 3 EQAO test in English and write only the
mathematics section in French.
Across the province, results show that schools with French
Immersion Programs tend to exceed the provincial and
board average on the grade 6 EQAO test in English.
4.
Will my child’s English skills suffer ?
There is a certain lag in English Language Arts in
grades 1-3, specifically spelling skills in English.
However, the gap is minimized with the introduction of
English in grade 4.
5. 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, standardized French.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
Currently, all FSL students and parents in YCDSB have
free access to Voila’ Learning, an online French
homework help site.
9. 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.
10. How can I learn more about French Immersion research?
The following website links provide information on French
Immersion research studies:
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of
Toronto (OISE) Immersion Education for the Millennium:
What We Have Learned from 30 Years of Research on
Second Language Immersion by Jim Cummings
http://www.carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/modules/strategies/
CUMMINS/cummins.pdf
University of Michigan:
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/356.hess/research_on_frenchimmersion_programs