The French Immersion program provides your child with the opportunity to become functionally bilingual while achieving success in all areas of the Alberta curriculum. French immersion is modeled after how children acquire their first language. Bilingualism is an asset in both academic and personal pursuits as it opens their minds to other languages, cultures and avenues to success.
CANADIAN ROCKIES PUBLIC SCHOOL’S FRENCH IMMERSION GUIDELINES
Vision for CRPS French Immersion program
Through the French Immersion program, CRPS is committed to providing students opportunities to acquire a high level of proficiency in French while maintaining and developing English language skills.
French immersion is modeled after how children acquire their first language. Bilingualism is an asset in both academic and personal pursuits as it opens their minds to other languages, cultures and avenues to success.
Alberta Learning clearly states the desired entry point for French Immersion is Kindergarten or Grade 1 (and is intended to continue to Grade 12). There have been four cases of students transferring to the French Immersion program in CRPS over the last 20 years. Those four students started in either Grade 2 or Grade 3. Every year a child goes without being in FI, the level of difficulty (transferring into FI) increases exponentially.
If parents of children in Grades 2 or 3 express a strong interest in placing their child in a French Immersion program, the following steps will be taken:
- a meeting must be scheduled with the Principal:
Parent’s will share answers to the following questions:
- How would you describe your child's competencies in his first language (Do they have strong communication skills in his/her first language)? Rationale: Learners learn their second language much like they learn their first language
- What grade level is s-he reading and writing at?
- Does your child express an interest in learning another language?
- Does your child enjoy language (such as reading, being read to and listening to music)?
- How would you describe your child’s listening and focusing skills?
- Does your child enjoy new experiences?
- It will be clearly communicated to parents there will be no extra support for children trying to catch up.
Evidence of Learning will be collected:
- Parents will be asked to share some of their child’s work
- Previous report cards and teacher comments
- The French Coordinator or French Immersion teacher will record a conversation with the child. It will be assessed using an oral rubric (contact Nadine Trottier for this document).
- Reading Assessment using GB+ can be used