École St. Gerard SchoolFrench Immersion / Kindergarten Information – January 30, 2013

EARLY FRENCH IMMERSION

…a welcoming community where we nurture faith,

encourage excellence in learning and inspire students to serve others, making the world

a better place.

Should parents be able to speak French if their child is in French Immersion?

Designed for children of non French-speaking families.

Teachers are aware of this when they send home notices or assign homework.

Reporting is in English.

How can parents/caregivers prepare their children for Kindergarten?

Model a positive attitude towards school.

Read and recite nursery rhymes and stories.

Provide writing tools and paper.

Help children explore their environment.

Go on outings to expand their horizons and enhance learning.

Provide suitable toys and manipulatives to enrich play experiences.

If parents don’t speak French, how can they help their child and be involved at the school?

Provide a study area and regular routines for doing homework.

Show an active interest in their learning.

Volunteer in various ways during or after the school day.

Read to children in English and have them write to friends and relatives.

Immersion: Different From Regular English ProgrammingELA is introduced in Grade 3 rather than Grade 2. Why?Aligns with renewed curriculum in SK, all western provinces and two northern territoriesAligns with effective practices in language acquisition for primary grades.

Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Integration of subjectsProjects, inquiry and playDevelops knowledge, skills and values

Why inquiry-based learning?

Mirrors how students learn

Students explore their interests in depth

Students develop their communication skills in French

Why it works!

Authentic, meaningful contexts

Driven by student questions Oral language emphasisShapes identity as a learner of French

French Immersion Programs in Greater Saskatoon Catholic Schools

Saskatoon French École Cardinal Léger,

Sr. O’Brien, St. Gerard,

St. Paul, St. Matthew

K-2 – 100% French instruction K-2 – 90% French instruction Religious Education is in English

Gr. 3-5 – 85% French

Gr. 6-8 – 90% French except for ELA

Gr. 3-5 – Approx. 70-75% French

Gr. 6-8 – Approx. 75-80% French except for ELA and Rel. Ed., Band (Gr. 6-8), Science (Gr. 8)

Bethlehem, Bishop James Mahoney, Holy Cross, St. Joseph

Gr. 9-12—50% of high school courses in French

Cardinal Léger is a dual-track school—offering Immersion and regular programming. The others are single-track French Immersion.

Who teaches the French Immersion program?

A bilingual teacher

First or second language

Variety of accents

How is French taught to young children?

In the same way that toddlers learn to speak at home - they learn by listening and speaking.

Students tend to use single words or broken phrases by about Christmas.

Child understands most of what the teacher says in French as part of classroom activities. Children are usually speaking most of their French in group learning situations at this stage.

Usually reply to the teachers and speak among

themselves in English, but with some French “sprinkled” in.

By the end of June, they are able to speak more French themselves, but most would not converse in French.

Will French Immersion affect my child’s social development since they are not necessarily attending their neighbourhood school?

Form friendships with classmates

Socialize in extra curricular

settings

Is French Immersion for everyone?

A child who has a serious speech or hearing impairment may have problems in French Immersion due to language processing. Students with impairments can still be in immersion.

The student who would excel in a regular English program will probably excel in an immersion program; the student who would have academic difficulties in an English program will likely experience those same difficulties in immersion.

We aim to serve all students to the best of our ability with the resources available to us.

Why is French Immersion good for children?

Positive effects on brain development

Developmentally appropriate

Meets the needs of each child

How are French Immersion students assessed and evaluated?

Observe students’ progress

Record/collect evidence of learning/portfolio

Observation checklists and rating scales, rubrics…

How do parents know how well their child is doing in French Immersion?

Parent/teacher meetings, informal visits

Progress reports Teacher-parent-student

conferencesTelephone conversationsNotes home/email/blog

When do students start to learn reading and writing in English?

Pre-reading skills which are taught in the home encourage the development of literacy in any language.

Many reading skills taught in

French transfer to English.

Once some fluency in French is well established, students are ready to begin to study English Language Arts beginning in grade 3.

How does a French Immersion program affect my child’s English skills?

Initial lag behind unilingual peers in reading and writing skills.

Current research indicates that the English language skills of French Immersion students

equal and, in some areas, exceed the achievement of the students taught solely in English.

Will my child learn the same content as students in English classes?

Immersion curriculum is created by the provincial Ministry of Education and stands alone.

There are slight variations in outcomes but for the most part, academic goals remain the same regardless of the language of instruction.

Why is it recommended that students continue in French Immersion through high school?

Early years of an immersion program develop basic competencies in the French language. However, like any other skill, it will get “rusty” if its use is greatly decreased.

How much French should a good continuing immersion program offer?

Christian Ethics, some Math, Language Arts, Social Studies and History are offered in French.

Some Cyber School courses in French for students who experience difficulty fitting immersion classes into their timetable.

Advance Placement is for students who wish to study and write an exam for possible university credits.

After several years in immersion, isn’t my son or daughter already “bilingual”?

Students may seems quite comfortable in French, but that does not guarantee bilingualism.

The goal of French Immersion is to achieve “functional bilingualism”—being able to successfully manage in a personal and professional setting entirely in French.

How will colleges, universities and future employers know that students have completedpart of their education in French?

Ministry of Education identifies French courses on all transcripts.

Bilingual certificate for completing 12 courses in French at the Grade 10-12 levels.

What comes after continuing immersion?

According to tests such as the Foreign Service Exams, continuing immersion graduates are functionally bilingual, capable of functioning in most social, travel and work situations.

Bilingual graduates are more likely to qualify for jobs in government, tourism, retail, and travel services.

There are an increasing number of post-secondary opportunities for students to access courses taught in French in a variety of subject areas at English universities in every province in Canada.

What if we transfer to another school division or province?

Immersion is available in most urban centers in Canada

A child transferring out of immersion very early – before English Language Arts is introduced – may experience a brief lag in this subject.

Consultation with the new teacher and some work at home overcomes this challenge very quickly.

If a child is struggling in French Immersion and transfers to English program, will he or she likely do better?

Performance will be similar in both languages.

Parents can offer help in English which can make the move worthwhile for students.

…offering a world of opportunities for our children that they might not otherwise have experienced as unilingual citizens.

French Immersion

http://arts.ucalgary.ca/lrc/home/parent-counselling-service/video-benefits-bilingualism 22 minute video

École St. Gerard School

Single-stream French Immersion setting 460 students from K-8

20 classrooms

Our Mission

Be it known to all who enter St. Gerard School that we are striving to be

like Jesus at all times. Our mission is to develop our hearts and minds as we journey together toward the

light of God.

We are Children of the Light. Nous sommes les enfants de la lumière.

Our Teaching Staffo Classroom teacherso Learning Assistance teacherso ELO (Extra Learning Opportunity

catalyst teacher)o Band instructoro Speech Pathologist

Service and Support Staff

o Educational Assistantso French Language Monitoro Office Coordinator and Secretaryo Library Clerk o Caretakerso School Counseloro School Nurseo Police Officer (liaison)

Faitho Inclusive o Cultural diversityo Gospel values and virtueso Prayer, devotions, liturgies,

retreato Masses at St. Mary’s Churcho Safe, friendly and a positive

environmento Anti-bullying policy

Academics

o Academic focuso Second language acquisitiono Promote French language and cultureo Computer lab / Smart boardso Band program

School-wide initiativeso Nutrition Positive / In Motion initiativeso Extra-curricular activitieso Spirit Days – House leagueso Recyclingo Milk Programo Supervised lunch breako Field trips, skating at Cosmo, school rinko School websiteo Community partnership activities

Community

o Catholic Community Council o Parental involvement – Family events o Monthly hot lunch dayso Before & After School Programo Petits Pandas Preschool

Transportation

o Two-way transportation is provided west of Avenue H through First Bus

o Prairie Spirit School Division

Principles of Early Learning

Children are competent and capable

•Relationships are opportunities•Conversations are deep and meaningful

•Play is purposeful learning•Environment is stimulating and dynamic

Literacy is everywhere

Math Makes Sense

Nurturing the whole child Catholic education helps all children as they

seek to reach their full potential spiritually, academically, physically, socially and emotionally.

Beyond the classroom

• Computer lab

• Teacher librarian

• Physical education

Exploring and learning

Registration Procedures

o Registration formo Other documentso Prairie Spirit instructions

Questions?

École St. Gerard SchoolA second language is a gift we give our children!

Putting Faith in Education!