This year École Innisfail Middle School is home to grades 4 to 7 French Immersio=n. Our grade 4 and 5 class is new to the school and is taught by M. Pivert. Our grade 6 and 7 class is our veteran class and is taught by our new teacher M. Martin. With administrative support, we strive to provide an excellent French Immersion in Innisfail. It is our goal to continue to build on the quality French Immersion program at École John Wilson Elementary School.

Our students spend about 70% of their day in French. Their core subjects of French Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Mathematics re taught in French to develop French language mastery.  Our students also take an English Language Arts class to ensure developed competency and proficiency in English. Our French Immersion students are also integrated into different parts of the school by enrolling in complementary classes and FIT classes. They also participate in various grade-wide and school-wide activities.

Don’t hesitate to contact us if you want to more about our quality program. You can contact us at the school, give us a call or send is an email. Also check back regularly for updates about French Immersion events and activities.

You don’t have to speak French to help your child in French Immersion

If you do not speak French at home you are still able to help your child in French Immersion. The program is designedfor children of non-French speaking French parents. The best way that you can help your child is to be involved and supportive in your child’s education. You can read to them in English and have them read to you in French.

• Show your child that you are committed to the program.

• Encourage your child and show an interest in what your child is learning.
• Find ways to expose your child to French or to use French outside of the school.
• Borrow French books from public library, check out French artist, have them watch movies and television at home in French and even visit some French communities or festivals.
• You can get involved with Innisfail’s section of the Canadian Parents for French by checking out their website.
• You can check out more information about the program at Chinook’s Edge School Divisions French Immersionpage.

The successful and unsuccessful student in French Immersion

Successful	Unsuccessful
Is verbal and likes to talk	In often a reluctant speaker
Imitates easily	Imitates with difficulties
Self-corrects	Doesn’t notice errors
Experiments without fear of making mistakes	Often fears making mistakes
Is exposed to many models of good modeling at home, in the community and in the school.	Is exposed to poor modeling at home, in the community and in the school
Readily accepts challenges	Has a defeatist attitude
Shows strengths in first language	Often has poor first language skills
Trusts	Mistrusts
Is usually attentive and focuses	Often is inattentive and unfocussed
Is willing	Is often unwilling
Has good auditory discrimination	Has poor auditory discrimination
Has good a memory	Has a poor memory
Has determined parental support at home.	Has little parental support at home.
Enjoys reading	Does not enjoy reading

 

 

Advantages of enrolling children in a French Immersion Program:

Learning a second language:

• develops your child's listening and learning skills as well as self-discipline
• creates more flexible thinking
• enhances his or her knowledge of and his or her ability to communicate in his first language
• makes learning a third or fourth language much easier

Knowing a second language:

• increases your child's personal pleasures such as the enjoyment of literature, art, music, theatre, travel, and personal relationships
• increases your child's understanding of and respect for other peoples and other cultures
• gives your child access to a larger pool of information and to more educational and career opportunities

         (Source: Canadian Parents for French – www.cpf.ca)

 

 

Helpful Links for Parents

http://education.alberta.ca/teachers/resources/connection.aspx

http://education.alberta.ca/parents/resources/handbook.aspx

http://education.alberta.ca/parents/educationsys/frenchlanguage/immersion.aspx

http://education.alberta.ca/search.asp?q=French+immersion

http://www.cpfalta.ab.ca/