HWDSB French Immersion programs

[Ciel]

Tonight, there is a meeting on Hamilton Mountain for parents from four schools between 6:30-7:30pm on the French Immersion program. http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/elementary/pr...nch-immersion/

[Ciel]

The school board is considering a centralized application system for FI but parents would not be able to choose the school.
I can see an issue for families in Binbrook or Waterdown that might get a placement for their child in Hamilton but maybe not have a car to bring them into the city. Or conversely, Hamilton family near HSR routes getting a Waterdown (there is HSR service to GO Aldershot) or Binbrook placement (no HSR service) and again, not having a car to drive the child to the assigned school.

http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-sto...ion-enrolment/

[Ciel]

One of the current public consultations being conducted by HWDSB relates to their French Immersion program. Comments are requested by Oct. 21. http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/blog/hwdsb-se...gram-strategy/

[Ciel]

Change in FI deadline:

Trustees agreed to push back the application deadline to the end of November after their French immersion advisory committee and more than a third of respondents to an online survey this fall opposed a proposed mid-October cutoff. As a result, the board will now offer parents a location for French immersion in mid-December and give them a month to register their child.

http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-sto...sion-deadline/

[Ciel]

Accomodation review related to Ancaster elementary schools sees one plan favoured to rebuild CH Bray, close Fessenden and Queens Rangers schools and rebuild Ancaster Senior as JK-8 school with French Immersion program (currently offered across the road at Fessenden).
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-sto...er-school-map/

[Ciel]

Four information meeting nights are coming up this month:
http://www.hamiltonnews.com/news-sto...ns-this-month/

[Ciel]

If you have been following the Accomodation Reviews for the West region, Fessenden is one French Immersion school slated for elementary school closure.

[Ciel]

Spotted in today's Spectator an ad by HWDSB regarding upcoming boundary change public meetings for French Immersion.

One is scheduled for next week (East Hamilton) while the other one is in early Nov (in Ancaster for the Ancaster/Dundas/Flamborough section). http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/about/boundary-reviews/

I find it interesting that Ancaster Senior will be used as the venue. Several years ago, another French Immersion public meeting raised the idea of razing that school in order to rebuild a grade 1-8 school to also house French Immersion students.

BTW, the college strike action has impacted some HWDSB programs at Mohawk College. I did not know.
http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/blog/mohawk-c...ur-disruption/

[Ciel]

Lively meeting last night in Ancaster. The boundary changes raised two key issues for local parents. Do read the board website for updates, as public consultation meeting input is going into a draft report that is going to the board later this month.

[Ciel]

Saw this opinion piece in this week's Toronto Star on French Immersion. The Halton Catholic District School may be ending its French Immersion program.
https://www.thestar.com/opinion/comm...immersion.html

This bit caught my attention:

And apart from whether French immersion offers a comparable education, most kids in the program don’t even end up learning French. Doug Willms of the University of New Brunswick has reported that only 9 per cent of French immersion students in his province graduate high school actually proficient in the language.
The reality is that the vast majority of students across Canada who enrol in French immersion drop out by high school, and are then thrown back into the English stream, often with both language and subject matter gaps in their learning.

From the Halton Catholic District School Board site on its French program review:
https://www.hcdsb.org/Programs/frenc...Committee.aspx

[Ciel]

The Toronto Star published an article on the French immersion in Halton story:
https://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/...ng-crisis.html

I take exception to the plans to possibly hire teachers from abroad. There are teachers seeking jobs in Ontario-surely there are French immersion teachers on the new teacher list? Or from within Canada? Jobs come down to contracts, full-time work and benefits. No one wants to be stuck in contact hour part-time work without benefits.
Since the Ontario College of Teachers regulates teachers in elementary and secondary schools, who is going to pay for out of Ontario teachers to get their qualifications verified and updated if needed? Market rate exams and courses cost money, something elusive for under-employed or unemployed teachers.

[Ciel]

French Immersion program will stay in the Halton Catholic school board:
https://www.thestar.com/yourtoronto/...lic-board.html

[Ciel]

Tomorrow is the last day to apply for Grade 1 French Immersion through the HWDSB site. Please note the feeders schools that will lead to one of two secondary schools, based on the proposed 2018 catchment boundaries.
http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/elementary/pr...cond-language/