École Georges P. Vanier School 509-32 Avenue NE, Calgary, AB T2E 2H3 t 403-777-7460 f 403-777-7469 georgespvanier@cbe.ab.ca Georges P. Vanier School Late Immersion Program Principal: Martin Poirier Assistant Principal: Julie Milligan 403-777-7460/ GeorgesPVanier@cbe.ab.ca For more information about G.P.Vanier School, visit our website at: www.cbe.ab.ca/b635
What is Late Immersion? Late Immersion is a unique, exciting opportunity for students in Grade 7. This program enables any student interested in learning French a chance to develop competencies in French, while simultaneously learning provincial curriculum objectives of that grade. Once embarking on the adventures in Late Immersion, you will find opportunities popping up that result from learning French as another language. Late Immersion offers students a formal classroom environment for learning French. We approach our teaching with many creative, innovative lessons to teach French. Students are also given more time to complete assignments and can receive one on one instruction during lunch time or after school if necessary. Teachers will also use different strategies to ensure that students understand the assignments (visual aids, acting, drawing, choice of words similar in English, slower rate of speech, etc.) and will communicate mostly in French from the beginning. To complement our classroom work, students will have opportunities like hands-on learning, presentations, clubs, camps, exchanges, debates and field trips. This year, for the third year running, our grade 9 students are going to Quebec City, Montreal and Ottawa for a week long immersion in French Canadian culture and the French language. Late Immersion at the junior high level is a three-year program (Grade 7, 8, 9). By completing these three years, successful students are bilingual. At the end of Grade 9, the Late Immersion students skills are comparable to students who have been in immersion since Grade 1 an impressive feat! These French skills open the door for further opportunities in high school. Students from our immersion program may then take high school immersion courses and become eligible for the Bilingual Competency Certificate. Students who choose to return in the English Program for High School usually receive credits for French 10 and French 20 due to their studies in the Late Immersion Program in Junior High. 2 7
The Late Immersion classes learn very quickly that students, as well as teachers, are a great means of support through their language acquisition. As a result, the Late Immersion students tend to be a group that is very tolerant of each other and supportive to each other. As you can imagine, there are times when students feel overwhelmed and times when they do not know the answer due to their limited language base. Because there is such a shared experience amongst the students, it is a natural tendency to support each other. Due to its intense language learning nature, Late Immersion is a uniquely positive, supportive learning environment, unlike any other program. 3 7
Late Immersion Objectives Fulfilling all curriculum demands set out by Alberta Learning Developing a high level of proficiency in the French language Using language acquisition strategies to further develop English and French skills Exposing students to various French cultural activities Developing a love for the French language Providing students with a positive education experience For Parents of Late Immersion Students A parent does not have to be fluent in French in order to enroll his/her child in the late Immersion Program. The decision to register in a Late Immersion Program should be one between the student and parents, with input from the Grade 6 teacher. A critical element of the Late Immersion Program is commitment to a positive attitude. This program is rewarding and intensive and requires positive encouragement from home. Extra emotional support will be needed during the first few months of Grade 7, as students develop a natural habit of listening and speaking in French. During these initial months, students will find that the level of listening and concentration is greater than what they have experienced in other years. Development of these critical skills directly enhances their ability to learn French. Parents should be aware that students might find themselves with a higher level of fatigue than usual. 4 7
Who can enroll? Anyone who has successfully completed Grade 6. Late French Immersion is a program of choice available to all students. However, students who have experienced significant difficulty with the academic program in grade 6 may not have the skills to be successful in a second language environment. We may request an interview with parents and students in a situation of this nature. Students who are already fluent in French may enroll in the Continuing Immersion Program at G.P. Vanier. Courses of Studies The following courses are offered in French: French Language Arts Math Social Studies Science The following courses are offered in English: English Language Arts Physical Education Options Life Skills Students in the Late Immersion Program follow the same curriculum as the Continuing Immersion and English Program students. More time is spent in the early part of the year on vocabulary development, speaking and listening skills. By year-end, the provincial curriculum is covered. 5 7
Transportation Transportation to the school can sometimes be a challenge - especially for students who have been walking to their neighbourhood elementary school. Our students either take charter buses (the yellow ones) to school, or city transit. This depends on where the students live in relation to the school. Parents can find out what the transportation mode is for their neighbourhood by calling the school, or by calling Calgary Board of Education Transportation Department (403) 817-7433. The current charge for charter bus service is $295 per year per student. City transit passes are purchased by parents each month, and a rebate is deposited to your bank account at the end of the month when the bus pass is turned in to the school office, resulting in a final cost of $295 per year as well. School Organization As a group of professionals working with teenagers, we respect and address the developmental needs of our budding adolescents. We structure our school organization around these developmental areas. We have three programs running in our school: Late Immersion, English Program and Continuing Immersion, and we value a school-wide culture. Our programs are integrated for homerooms, Life Skills, Options, and Physical Education. This enables students to meet as many people as possible, and develop healthy relationships with peers. Senior High Program Students from Late Immersion look forward to continued immersion success in high school. Several high schools offer French Immersion Programs: William Aberhart, Western Canada, Dr. E.P. Scarlett, and Lester B. Pearson. In high school, Continuing and Late Immersion students are integrated. Research shows that late immersion students have succeeded in developing language skills and are successful in the integrated setting of these high school level courses. Registration Information In order for schools to plan for the upcoming year, our Late Immersion Program registration begins on Monday, January 6 th, 2014. This is done at our school from 8:00-3:00 weekdays. Those who register 6 7
later than March 15, 2013 are only accepted subject to space availability. Parents must register in person. This will take about 20 minutes to complete. Students are required to provide a copy of their Grade 5-6 report cards. If the student is coming to our school from outside of the Calgary Board of Education, a copy of their birth certificate must be present upon registration. A letter will be sent home in early April to inform the student about his/her acceptance in the Late Immersion Program. Our Location and Designated Communities Georges P. Vanier School is the designated French Immersion School for families residing east of 14th St. NW (including MacEwan) and families residing west of Deerfoot trail, North of the Bow River to the city limits in the North. If you are not sure if you are designated to G. P. Vanier for French Immersion, just give us a call. For a complete list of schools offering late immersion programs, please see the Calgary Board of Education s website: www.cbe.ab.ca. This website will also offer you details on each school. We look forward to having you in our school! Questions? If you have any questions about the program please call the school. The Principal (M. Poirier) or Assistant Principal (J. Milligan) or the Admin Secretary (M. Mikkelsen) will be happy to answer any questions you may have. 403-777-7460/ GeorgesPVanier@cbe.ab.ca 7 7