French Immersion Schools

*Baden, Baden Hespeler, Cambridge Sandhills, Kitchener Brigadoon, Kitchener Highland, Cambridge Sandowne, Waterloo *Clemens Mill, Cambridge John Mahood, Elmira Sheppard, Kitchener Crestview, Kitchener Keatsway, Waterloo Southridge, Kitchener Driftwood Park, Kitchener *Laurelwood, Waterloo Suddaby, Kitchener Elgin, Cambridge *Lester B. Pearson, Waterloo Westmount,Kitchener Elizabeth Ziegler, Waterloo Mary Johnston, Waterloo Westvale, Kitchener *Empire, Waterloo N.A. MacEachern, Waterloo *W.T. Townshend Franklin, Kitchener

NOTE: Schools that are marked with an (*) asterisk beside them will accept students from within the residential boundary only. They will not accept any out of area students.

All registration forms that are received at the Education Centre will be processed within 48 hours upon receipt. If you are mailing this registration form by Canada Post please send it to:

Ian Mann Co-ordinator of Learning Services The Waterloo Region District School Board 51 Ardelt Avenue Kitchener, ON N2C 2R5

French Immersion Registration Deadlines

January 10, 2008 ( at 8am sharp) – January 31, 2008

 French Immersion registration begins on the WRDSB website: www.wrdsb.on.ca  Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis

February 2008

 Classes are finalized and approved

March – April 2008

 Parents are notified by the immersion school regarding the enrollment status of their child Core French and French Immersion What is the Core French Program? What is the French Immersion Program?  An optional French program made available to  The regular French program offered to students the school through Federal and Provincial in grade 1 to grade 9 grants  The Ministry mandates a minimum of 600  Non-mandated by the Ministry hours of Core French by the end of grade 8  Emphasis placed on the acquisition of oral  Strong emphasis on oral communication communication and literacy skills in French  Less emphasis on reading and writing (these (reading and writing skills are taught right skills are emphasized starting in grade 6) away, in grade 1)  Other areas of the Ministry curriculum taught through French immersion How much French instruction do students How much French instruction do students experience? experience?

The WDRSB Core French program consists of: The WDRSB French Immersion program consists  A minimum of 140 minutes per week in of: grades 1-8 (French Language taught in French  Half day of instruction in French in grades 1- for 3 periods a week) 6 (French Language, Mathematics, Social  One compulsory grade 9 credit for secondary Studies and Visual Arts all taught in French for graduation diploma 15 periods a week)  Optional credits offered in grades 10, 11, and  Minimum of 120 minutes up to 150 minutes 12 of instruction in French daily in grades 7-8 (French Language and Social Studies only taught in French)  Extended immersion at 6 Secondary Schools (7 secondary credits)  Immersion at KCI only (10 secondary credits) What level of proficiency might students attain What level of proficiency might students attain by the end of the grade 12 year? by the end of the grade 12 year?

The level of proficiency attained is unique to each The level of proficiency attained is unique to each individual, however, most students will: individual, however, most students will:  Be able to express themselves in a variety of  Be functionally bilingual familiar situations  Able to communicate in a French milieu  Have a working understanding of information heard and read Will my child require transportation: Will my child require transportation:

 Core French is offered at all elementary schools  Immersion programs are offered in designated in the Waterloo District schools in Waterloo (20 students need to be  No extra transportation is required enrolled by February of 2008 in order to begin a grade 1 class)  Transportation is not provided  Parents are required to arrange for transportation if necessary