Heather Latter
St. Michael’s School will see the return of the French Immersion program here this fall as required enrolment numbers were met during the two-week registration period that ended Friday.
“We have the numbers to run both an SK and a Grade 1 class—not just on this end but in Sioux Lookout, as well,” said Brendan Hyatt, superintendent of education for the Northwest Catholic District School Board.
He noted program implementation requires a minimum enrolment of 16 students to introduce a new class.
“The numbers were good,” Hyatt added, noting he expects even more students will register between now and the first day of school in September.
“It happens all the time that people wait to register,” he explained.
“So if people were sitting on the fence waiting, they don’t have to wait anymore because the French Immersion program will go ahead.”
The French Immersion program here first began in the 1980s. But the local Catholic board decided in 2006 to begin phasing it out due to a lack of enrolment and the area’s overall declining population.
However, a new generation of parents hoped to revive the program.
Calling themselves “FF Parents for French,” they approached the board in October, requesting it consider reinstating the program.
The group provided more than 50 names of parents interested in enrolling their children in French Immersion and senior board staff committed to undertake a process to further determine the viability of reintroducing the program.
The board developed a communication strategy to provide information, answer questions, receive feedback, and determine interested.
Surveys were available at both St. Michael’s and St. Francis schools here, as well as on the board’s website.
A parent meeting also was held Dec. 11 at St. Michael’s.
The board received 73 completed surveys, with 23 expressing interest to register a child for French Immersion in SK and 18 to do so for Grade 1.
Another 32, whose children were not yet eligible for the program, expressed interest for future years.
Hyatt then recommended that French Immersion be reintroduced at the SK and Grade 1 level here beginning in September.
In order for the program to go ahead, however, it needed enrolment numbers of at least 16, which it succeeded in acquiring.
“I’m very happy to see that all the hard work paid off,” said Aimee Matheson, one of the members of the FF Parents for French group, adding it is a great opportunity for young learners.
“I just really hope it will continue on beyond these two classes,” she stressed, adding there were strong numbers of children who weren’t yet eligible for school interested in the program.
Matheson also was happy to hear plenty of positive feedback from other parents, particularly those who enrolled their JK-aged students at St. Michael’s this year in the hopes they’ll be able to enroll in French Immersion the following year.
The French Immersion program doesn’t begin until SK.
“I’m so excited that we were able to bring French Immersion back to Fort Frances,” Matheson enthused.
Hyatt indicated the board also is thrilled to see it returning.
“We’re looking forward to bringing it back,” he remarked.
Hyatt previously said the recruitment of French Immersion teachers wasn’t expected to be an issue since the board’s schools here continue to employ qualified ones.
He also added that once a French Immersion class has been started, it will be permitted to proceed to the end of Grade 8 irrespective of numbers.
“It may be necessary, in some circumstances, to consider combined classes,” he conceded.
Anyone with questions regarding the French Immersion program can contact St. Michael’s School.
