SD23 French Programs
For further information about the French Programs, please contact:
Clara Sulz
Director of Instruction K-12
School District No. 23 (Central Okanagan)
Telephone: 250-860-8888
Core French
Core French has been offered to all students in the English program in Grades 5 to 12 since September of 1997 to meet the Ministry of Education mandate.
In Grades 5 to 7, the time allocation for English Language Arts, Social Studies, and a second language is 332.5 hours per year or 8.31 hours per week. In Grades 8 through 12, these same three subjects have in total 360.5 hours per year, or 9.01 hours per week (approximately 80 to 90 minutes per week).
The Core French curriculum is designed to provide students with exposure to the listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in the French language. It also provides students with limited exposure to the French culture.
Parents should recognize that, due to the small amount of time allocated to exposure to the French language, only a limited level of oral fluency in the French language should be expected from this program.
French Immersion Program
How is French Immersion funded?
The federal government pays a portion of the costs incurred in the French Immersion program; the Ministry of Education pays the majority of the cost. Once a class is established, the cost per pupil is similar to that in the regular English program.
Who Teaches the Program?
In School District No. 23, French Immersion teachers must be fluently bilingual (French and English) and possess a current B.C. teacher's certificate. Learning assistance is available to pupils who are experiencing difficulties in the classroom.
What about my child's achievement?
FRENCH
In this program, pupils achieve a high level of proficiency in French comprehension, speaking, reading and writing. By the end of elementary school, French Immersion pupils develop a functional level of fluency so they can communicate in the French language.
ENGLISH
The English language arts component is not introduced until the last year of primary schooling. Pupils by this time have learned how to read in French. The decoding skills required for reading in French are usually quickly transferred and applied to the English component of the program. Although there are some initial lags in English language development, namely in punctuation, capitalization and spelling, no long-term deficits in English language development have been noted.
How Can I Help My Child?
This is a common question asked by parents who are English-speaking. Parents are encouraged to listen to their child read out loud in French. An older sibling or friend who speaks French can also read to your child. Sentence structures are similar in English and French, so parents can also read to their child in English. Lastly, French Immersion teachers are willing to work closely with parents to keep them aware of their child’s progress.
These elementary schools offer Early French Immersion from K to Grade 6
* Belgo Elementary School, 125 Adventure Rd., (250) 765-8900
* Casorso Elementary School, 3675 Casorso Rd., (250) 763-8088
* Glenmore Elementary School, 960 Glenmore Dr., (250)762-3209
* George Pringle Elementary School, 3770 Elliot Rd., (250)768-5146
* Peter Greer Elementary School, 10300 Sherman Dr., (250)766-2104
* Dorothea Walker Elementary School, 4346 Gordon Dr., (250) 764-8181
(Kindergarten to Grade 3 for 2011-2012 then a subsequent grade will be added each year after)
Registration: Register at the above schools
To qualify for entry to school in September of a given year, a child must be five years of age by December 31st of that same year.
IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION NOTE:
If your neighbourhood school offers the French Immersion program, transportation will be provided for eligible riders. (Eligible is defined as children in Kindergarten to Grade 3 who live beyond 4.0 kms from their neighbourhood school and 4.8 kms for students in Grade 4 through Grade 12.)
Transportation is a parent responsibility for students registered in a French Immersion school outside their neighbourhood school catchment area.
Middle French Immersion
The following courses are offered in French at K.L.O. Middle School, 3130 Gordon Drive, (250) 762-2841.
* Français langue (French Language) 7, 8, 9
* Sciences Humaines (Social Studies) 7, 8, 9
* Mathématiques (Math)7, 8, 9
* Sciences Naturelles (Science) 7, 8, 9
* Health and Career 7,8
* PE 7, 8
Secondary French Immersion
The following courses are offered in French at Kelowna Secondary School, 1079 Raymer Avenue, (250)762-2805.
* Sciences Naturelles 10
* Français Langue (French Language) 10, 11, 12
* Sciences Humaines (Social Studies) 10, 11
* Mathématiques ~(Math)10, 11,
* Planification (Planning) 10, (semestered course offered once a week after school)
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