Grade 1 French ImmersionNov. 21, 2019

About our school

-we have 541 students (198 FI, 184 English)

- we have many extracurricular activities such as:Singer’s Club, sports (e.g., soccer, tack and field, intramurals for all grade levels), Student Ambassadors, Morning Annoucers, Ukulele kids in the fall and Karate Kids in the winter and many more activities!

- trips: Gr. 5 ski trip, Gr. 3 Britannia School House, Springridge Farm, Science Centre, LegoLand, local library visits, bowling

- school council – meet usually on Tuesdays, about 5 times a year

- opportunities for parent involvement – at the school, on trips

Peel board French as a Second Language programs

Core French begins in grade 4

for all Peel students

French Immersion available from grade 1

by application

Extended French available from grade 7

by application

Goals of French Immersion programs in Peel

• fluency in French • learn about the French culture• gain understanding of Canada’s bilingual

and bicultural heritage• appreciate value of learning another

language

Grade 1 French Immersion program- 50 per cent in French / 50 per cent

in English

- FI students may have two main teachers – 1 English and 1 French

- same provincial curriculum expectations as the English program

By the end of grade 1:

• follow written and verbal instructions in French

• speak in French about familiar topics• read short, simple materials in French• listen to understand and interact with

others• write short, simple pieces in French

- successful transition from home to kindergarten

- strong skills in first language

- enjoys communicating with others

- likes to work in groups

- is a confident learner

- enjoys new challenges and takes risks

- enjoys books

Is French Immersion right for my child?

Is French Immersion right for my family?

• be aware that your children may be in two or more schools

• consideration of transportation/childcare arrangements

• family in agreement to support the FI learning and program

• able to ensure regular attendance to support the language learning process

Indications that French Immersion might not be the right choice now

• students who will miss significant amounts of instructional time (e.g., frequent or extended vacations)

• struggling with the transition to school

• different opinions within the family about the program

PROCESS to APPLY FOR GRADE 1 French Immersion• Peel board allocates available spaces among the

48 schools with Grade 1 FI programs. Spaces are not offered on a first come, first served basis.

• A Random Selection Process ranks and determines which students will be offered spaces. Applications must be received on time to be considered.

• Students not accepted into grade 1 French Immersion by the Random Selection Process are placed on a waitlist.

• Each school has its own waitlist.

• Parents apply on-line to and (if accepted) attend the French Immersion school based on their home address.

• Flexible boundaries are NOT available for grade 1 FI.

• Please note that if your child enrols in French Immersion, they cannot apply for Extended French in grade 7 (even if they withdraw from FI).

Important things to note when applying for Grade 1 FI

Busing eligibility- grade 1 – 1 km - grades 2 to 4 – 1.6 km - grades 5 to 8 – 2 km

To find out if your child qualifies for busing, visit www.stopr.ca.

Central bus stops- bus does not pick up in front of your home

- children walk up to 700m to bus stop

Applications open

November 25, 20198:30 a.m.

Apply online www.peelschools.org/French

Application deadline

January 31, 2020

Parents must apply by the deadline to participate in the Random Selection process.

If you do not get email confirmation that your application was received, contact the French Immersion school immediately.

Dates to note AFTER you have applied

By Friday, March 6, 2020 you will be notified to confirm that your child was accepted for grade 1 FI OR was

placed on the school's FI waitlist.

After March 6, 2020 you will be notified only if a space becomes available for your child. A vacancy may

become available as late as the first week of school in September 2020.

If you miss the Jan. 31 deadline to apply:

Parents may apply for Grade 1 FI until September 8, 2020 (4 p.m.)

All late applications are placed on a school’s waitlist.

You will be notified only if a space becomes available for your child. A vacancy may become available as late as the first week of school in September 2020.

WaitlistThe waitlist is composed of:

1. Students not offered a place through the Random Selection process or

2. Applications received after the deadline.

If you are not told by the end of the first week of school in September (i.e. Sept. 11, 2020), that your child has a space in grade 1 French Immersion, they will not attend the program.

Keep your contact info up-to-date

After applying online, call the school if:

• You made an error in completing the online application

• You want to withdraw your FI application

• Your phone number/email address changes

• Your home address changes

First day of school

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

To maintain your spot in FI, you must provide an explanation in writing to the Principal if your child will not attend on the first day of school.

In order to remain in the program, your child must attend school by September 18, 2020.

Questions?For more information and to access resources, visit www.peelschools.org/French