French as a Second Language Programs Core French Immersion

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French as a Second Language ProgramsCore French
Immersion
French language instruction Minutes per week Grades 1-3 160 Grades 4-5 200 Grades 6-8 160 French is the language of instruction of total instructional time Grades 1-3 85 Grades 4-8 50
Early entry grade 1 Early entry grade 1
Available in both elementary and secondary Available in elementary with a secondary pathway in place
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French Immersion ClassroomProgram Delivery
Grade French English
1 - 3 Language Mathematics Science Social Studies Arts Religion Physical Education
4 8 Science Social Studies Physical Education (Health/Dance) Arts Religion Family Life Math Music Language

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CurriculumFor Subjects Taught in French

• Students will be taught the Ontario Curriculum
• Expectations in each grade are as outlined in the
  English-language 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

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Is the French Immersion Programright 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

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Application Process

• 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
• Students within the English school boundary of
  the French immersion school
• Students within the schools French Immersion
  boundary
• Students outside of the French Immersion boundary
  but within the York Region.

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Application Process

• If the number of applications exceeds the number
  of available openings, a public lottery process
  will be conducted here at 500 p.m. on February
  10th, 2015.
• 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 childs placement.

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Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions
YORK CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOLBOARD
Collaborative Learning Inspired By Jesus
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• Why Early French Immersion (EFI)?
• Research shows that Early Immersion leads to
  the highest fluency in French
• 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.

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1. 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 childs 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.
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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.
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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 childs first language.
Currently, all FSL students and parents in
YCDSB have free access to Voila
Learning, an online French homework help
site.
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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.
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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_fr
ench- immersion_programs