Early Immersion
French immersion is a program in which French is the language of instruction for a significant part of the school day; that is, several or all subjects are taught in French. Immersion is designed for students whose first language is not French.
The objective of the French Immersion program is full mastery of he English language, functional fluency in French, as well as an understanding and appreciation of the French culture. As with core French, the expected outcome in terms of mastery of French is directly related to the total amount of exposure to and use of the language.
Early immersion in Fort McMurray Catholic Schools begins at the pre-school level with Premier Pas at St. Paul School. Early Immersion Entry also occurs in Kindergarten or grade 1.
Middle Immersion provides entry to the program at the grade 4 level. Students entering the middle immersion at grade 4 will be in their own classroom (not with students that started the program at a younger age) until grade 7 when both groups will join.
Students in the French Immersion Programs will attend Ecole St. Paul School until grade 6. French Immersion program from grades 7 to 12 are offered at Holy Trinity Catholic High School. Transportation services are provided to the French Immersion Schools from any location in Fort McMurray and Saprae Creek.
Research on its effectiveness of French Immersion in Canada has been extremely positive. French Immersion students show advantages mainly in reading and writing skills, but their resulting bilingualism may also positively influence their performance in other subjects. It is true that students will most likely not become fully bilingual, but they will have enough knowledge of the French language to function in a French-speaking community. French Immersion offers solid academic benefits as well as promotes bilingualism among its students.
When making educational choices for their children, more and more parents are recognizing that knowing a second language is an important skill in today’s ever-shrinking world—and will be even more important in their children’s future. Consider the many advantages!
Alberta Curriculum Handbook for Parents - French Immersion
Kindergarten Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3
Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7
Grade 8 Grade 9 Senior High (10 – 12)
Information and Research on French Immersion
Alberta Education – Information and Inspiration for French Immersion Parents
Canadian Parents for French – Alberta Branch
Canadian Parents for French – National
University of Michigan – Research on French Immersion in Canada
Canadian Council on Learning – French Immersion Education in Canada
