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St. Rose of Lima Open House
April 12, 2018
Ever-loving God,author of life and source of hope,
grant that the members of the Humboldt Broncos,who tragically died on route to a hockey game,
may know your mercy and enter into the fullness of life that you have prepared for them in the company of all the saints.
Bring your consolation to all who mourn for them, especially their family members and team mates.
May their hearts and minds be filled with happy memoriesand may they find comfort and support in one another.
Heal the injured and bring them peace.
Help them to recall and celebrate the camaraderie they shared.Keep the flame their passion for sports, life, and joy
and help them to move beyond this loss.
Bless the community of Humboldt and all hockey families.Grant them courage to journey through the days ahead and
guide their steps. May they go forth with trust and live in the joy and love of your
abiding presence. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Territorial Acknowledgement
We would like to acknowledge that this meeting is taking place on the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in southern Alberta.
Today’s program● Overview of Late French
Immersion● Student Success Stories● Talent Showcase● DPA● Lunch● Scavenger Hunt● Breakout Activities● Hometime
So...what is the next step
● Letter home● PPT will be on St. Rose of Lima
website● Please invite your parents to
come to hear our presentation and chat with some of our teachers tonight at 6:30.
● Registration for the fall can happen any time after today.
French Immersion in a nutshell
● An innovative program developed in 1960s.
● Subject material is taught in the second language.
● Students come to school not speaking or understanding the target language.
● Early and Late: What’s the difference?● Why French Immersion?● What about high school?
French Immersion programs have existed in Canada since the mid 1960s. They were created as a way for children of English speaking Quebecers to learn French. Since then, these programs have spread throughout Canada and they are common in all provinces and territories in Canada.
The main hallmark of French Immersion is that the subject material is taught in French. So, this means that students will learn maths, science, social studies and French language arts in French. In elementary grades only religion and English language arts are taught in English. Here in Calgary Catholic, students receive English instruction for 1 hour per day starting in grade 1.
99 % of our students come from homes where no one speaks French. You may be wondering how students get by and what parents can do to help and I will hopefully answer those questions later in this presentation.
Early immersion entry points are in Kindergarten and grade 1. Late Immersion in Calgary Catholic begins in grade 7.
You may also be wondering why French Immersion? Although there are other language programs in Calgary Catholic those programs are considered bilingual programs. For example, St. John Paul II offers Spanish bilingual program. The main difference is that there is less instruction in the target language in bilingual programs and most of the time students in those programs speak the target language at home. French also enjoys official language status in Canada so that is another reason to
choose French.
In High school the program is called Extended French and the amount of instruction in French typically goes down somewhat as the requirements to obtain a bilingual diploma call for fewer credits completed in the target language. Students in the extended French program at Bishop McNally typically take French Language Arts - 1 or - 2 level courses as well Social studies and maths. The rest of the high school program is usually completed in English but there is also an extended Spanish program at McNally for speakers of Spanish. The good news is that there are many language options available for High school.
The Importance of Parental Involvement
● How can I help with homework?● How can I get involved?● Resources for my child?● Is this program suitable for all children?● Will my child follow the same program
or content?● Canadian Parents for French● Google Translate?● What strategies will teachers use?
There is not typically much homework in the lower grades. Calgary Catholic has a well developed administrative procedure outlining homework expectations. Generally speaking, your child would not be assigned homework he or she could not complete on their own. Because literacy skills transfer from language to language we would encourage parents to read to their children in their mother tongue rather than completing worksheets or tedious tasks. The emphasis for homework in K or grade 1 should be on literacy and developing a love of reading whether you choose a regular English program or French Immersion.
In grade 7 there will definitely be work and assignments to complete outside the classroom. It stands to reason that fluency will be difficult to achieve if the student only attends class with little outside work. Of course, teachers are available to provide support to late immersion students and we encourage all students to seek help when needed as well as to complete assignments, prepare for assessments and continue to develop good study and work habits.
Parental involvement is greatly encouraged and appreciated. You can get involved by coming to School Council meetings and sharing your voice and input on school decisions that will affect your child. You can attend social events and network with other families and with staff. There are also numerous volunteer opportunities within the school. Simply offering to work with children while they read in French is very powerful and beneficial to students working to become fluent in the target language.
There are many resources available for parents of children in French Immersion. For
example, here at St. Rose we have a full time guidance counsellor and a fulltime diverse learning teacher. Their jobs involve developing supports for students who may be struggling. There are also resources in the community such as Canadian Parents for French that offer supports to parents who may have questions about French Immersion.
I believe in my heart that all children can do French Immersion. This does not mean however, that all students complete the program. In general it comes down to how motivated he or she might be, support at home, their literacy levels and their ability to learn. Some children are inevitably more successful than others but we accept and welcome diverse learners here at St. Rose and we encourage ELL students to give it a try as well. With smaller class sizes and more support available French Immersion is sometimes the ideal program for English language learners.
What about Google translate? We discourage the use of translating technology because these tools do not encourage the thoughtful learning process that goes into learning a language. Learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint and it takes time to develop fluency. Google translate is helpful for getting you out of a bind in a foreign country but it is not particularly useful for learning language.
Strategies. The teachers who work in French Immersion settings are well versed with a wide variety of strategies to encourage language acquisition, but they are not nearly as complicated as you may think. For those of you who had to learn English or another language later in life, you will recognize the strategies on the next slide.
French Immersion Learning Strategies
Some of the strategies your future teachers will use are: Apprendre le vocabulaire. Who has an idea of what that means?
Avoir du courage. Avoir le sens de l’humour, demander de l’aide, Écouter, Faire des gestes, poser des questions, prendre des risques, regarder.
So how do we learn language?
The video above details one of the strategies that a teacher must use when teaching students a language while using the target language. As a teacher I had a similar experience in teaching English to students who did not understand a word of English. Indeed, there are thousands of English language teachers in Asia that use this very technique.
Which of the strategies from the previous slide did the teacher use?
Benefits of French Immersion
● Cultural Benefits● Future career benefits● More languages are better● Cognitive or Brain benefits● Multilingualism
Let`s talk a bit about the benefits of French Immersion. Here at St. Rose we have a very diverse and multicultural population. Both staff and students come from many different cultures. It goes without saying that learning another language opens you up to many different cultures. Not just Canadian or French Canadian.
Future career benefits. From an employment or career perspective it always pays to have as many languages as possible.
Why stop at two. More languages are better.
Learning a language at a young age has cognitive or brain building and development benefits.
Multilingual people have a wider perspective and are more open to other cultures.
Cultural Benefits● French communities in Alberta● Long history of multilingualism in Alberta● Maintaining your heritage language does not
prevent you from learning another language. ● Bilinguals and multilinguals in Alberta is on the
rise. ● French is one of two official languages in
Canada● French is the mother tongue of 7.3 million
Canadians● Bilingualism and multilingualism are the norm
around the world
So what are the cultural benefits?
Alberta has a long tradition of multilingualism and there are many communities in Alberta that were founded by French speaking people and you can still hear French spoken in St. Paul, Lac La Biche and Bonnyville. French is the mother tongue of about 7.3 million Canadians. This is about 20% of the population. Canada has two official languages, French and English so it stands to reason that as a Canadian you would benefit from being able to speak both.
For ELL students we believe that there is no better program than French Immersion. Research indicates that it is possible and beneficial to learn two languages at the same time. Your first language will not be lost and many of our students are English language learners.
Finally, bilingualism and multilingualism are the norms around the world. Speaking both French and English gives you access to many European and African countries. If you can add Spanish to the list the number of countries you could travel to or function in is huge.
Fun Cultural Activities at St. Rose● Quebec Trip● Carnaval + Francophone week● Extracurricular activities● Breakfast club● Drama Activities● Taste of St. Rose● Opening BBQ
One of the biggest and best cultural activities we offer at St. Rose is our annual trip to Quebec. All grade 9 students have the opportunity to participate in this unique and exciting trip. In just a couple of days 25 gr 9 students will leave for a trip to Quebec for 5 days. We will explore many historic and cultural sites. It is the trip of a lifetime because students receive the chance to practice everything they have learned in an authentic setting.
Every year we also hold a French traditional carnival where we play lots of games and have fun learning opportunities as well as French presentations and musical performances.
We have a full range of extracurricular and sports activities and clubs and our teachers are dedicated to leading extracurricular activities.
We offer breakfast club. Everyday, there is a nutritious and delicious breakfast served to students starting at 8:05.
We have an excellent fine arts program with band, drama and visual arts options available to all junior high students.
Taste of St. Rose is our annual food and cultural festival. Each spring we invite our school community to come out for a potluck featuring food from different countries.
We also host an opening bbq before school starts as well other activities like movie
nights and dances.
St. Rose is a lively place and there is always something going on.
Future Career Benefits● Employers prefer bilingual candidates● By becoming bilingual you contribute to
the economy and your future.● Academic benefits IE scholarships &
bursaries.● Bilinguals and multilinguals earn more
on average.
Future career benefits.
This is usually what interests people the most and there is no denying that bilinguals are favored by employers. If all things were equal and you had to choose, who would you choose? The unilingual or bilingual employee?
By becoming bilingual you will open future doors for yourself. Not only that, but as a bilingual student there are bursaries and scholarships that are available to you which your unilingual counterparts cannot access.
Although career benefits are often touted it is my opinion that the cognitive or brain benefits outweigh the career benefits.
Body Break
The Importance of Learning Languages● Language is at the core of what
makes us human.● Communication +
understanding=harmony● It is the vehicle of the arts● Language defines us.● Access to different perspectives
and viewpoints● Knowledge of a language never
goes obsolete.● Opens the door to culture
Studying and learning languages has never been less important than it is now. Our global economy demands that its citizens be comfortable in as many languages as possible.
Language is at the core of what makes us human. Communication plus understanding promotes peace and harmony in the world. Language is the vehicle of the arts, film, drama and literature all come to us through language. In order to appreciate and love a culture you must understand and speak that language.
Language helps to define us. It is our identity and it influences the way we think and view our surroundings. It gives us access to multiple viewpoints and perspectives.
Brain Benefits
● Brain develops differently than in unilingual learners.
● Learning at a young age is preferable● Language learners score higher on cognitive
abilities tests.● Enhanced conceptual and analytical
thinking.● When bilinguals read they activate both
languages.● Bilingual children recognize written
characters earlier.
Brain benefits.
As I stated earlier, it is my opinion that the biggest benefit to a program such as a language immersion program are the brain benefits. Many studies have been completed on French immersion programs in Canada and the model that was developed here in the 1960s and 70s has been adopted by many educational jurisdictions in the US and around the world. This is because they work.
The effects of learning languages on the brain has been well researched and some of the documented benefits are that learning at a young age is good for children.
Language learners often score higher on cognitive abilities tests.
Language learning enhances conceptual and analytical thinking skills.
More brain benefits● Second or third language
learning can help in learning the first language
● Syntax and grammatical awareness
● Metalinguistic awareness● Enhances effective
communication● Multilingualism is powerful● Learning subsequent languages
is easier
Second or third language learning can benefit learning in the first language.
It creates syntax and grammatical awareness.
Learning subsequent languages is made easier. This means that the more languages you learn the easier they become to learn. There is no limit to the number of languages people can learn and we have teachers and staff here at St. Rose that speak 3 or 4 languages. We have a very diverse and multicultural staff.
Challenges of French Immersion● What does it take?● Who can do it?● How hard is it?● What strategies will I need to
use?● How can I learn my school
subjects in a language I do not understand?
● Factors to consider
We have gone through many of the benefits of learning a second or third language however, I would not be doing my job if you left here thinking that it was easy. Just like anything worth doing, learning French and French Immersion, especially late French Immersion is a huge challenge.
What does it take?
It takes a strong commitment and a steady effort to learn French or any other language. As I said before, learning a language is a marathon, not a sprint. You try and learn a little each and every day. You go home and you watch French tv or videos on youtube even though you do not understand. You try to speak French to French speakers every chance you get. You make it your main pursuit and by doing this, you will achieve your goal. You have to keep your eye on the prize at all times.
Who can do it?
I sincerely believe that anyone who sets their mind to the task can do it. But, it is not easy, so although anyone could do it, not everyone does it.
How Hard Is It?I would ask how many of you have learned another language before? How many of your parents are new to Canada and had to learn English to survive? I would begin by asking them how hard it was to learn English in a foreign country. What supports did they access? How did they do it? Then, I would tell you, it is not as hard as that.
It is not as hard, because you have dedicated teachers who care about your success and want to see you learn. Does it take work? Effort? Studying outside of school? Sacrifice? You bet, but the payoffs can be enormous.
Factors to consider
What kind of student are you? How are your social skills? Are you friendly? Outgoing? Do you have a sense of humour? How well do you do in new environments? Are you open to new ideas? How is your behaviour? How well do you get along with your current teachers?
These are all important questions to consider when looking at French Immersion.
Safe and Caring Schools
● Catholic Community of Caring Values
● Permeation of Catholic values and traditions
● Home - School - Parish partnership● Emphasis on Faith● Regular liturgies● Sacramental recognition
St. Rose of Lima is a Catholic school. This means that we teach religion and we hold regular prayer meetings called liturgical celebrations. We encourage students to attend Mass and we also encourage all students to prepare for and receive Sacraments.
Catholicity permeates all that we do here at St. Rose of Lima and faith is a critical component of the education and services we provide. We are a French Immersion school but we are first and foremost a Catholic school.
Our school is a safe and caring school and we emphasize the values of caring, respect, responsibility, trust and family.
Students who choose French Immersion at St. Rose may not necessarily be Catholic but everyone is expected to participate in all aspects of religious life and activities at St. Rose.
CTF - Options● Changes from year to year.● Depends on staff and what subject areas
they can teach.
This year we offered:
● Band● Art● Recreational Leadership ● Robotics● Drama● Wildlife
We do our best each year to offer an interesting selection of CTF options. Last year the way options work in Junior high changed. All options courses now fall under the CTF umbrella.
This year we offered the following courses: Band, art, recreational leadership, robotics, drama and wildlife.
The way it works is that, we will create a Google Form and give the link to everyone at the same time. You select your course and that is pretty much it. We change the courses at the end of January except for Band students.
Your Questions
● How the program works?● How will learning French affect my career?● What if I can’t speak French? Why should I go to St. Rose?● What options are offered?● Do you have to speak French in every subject? What sports are
offered?● Am I up for the challenge of French Immersion?● What is the grade 7 curriculum like?● How do you help late French Immersion students get through?
The cat and the mouse: A second language fable
Once upon a time there was a little mouse that lived in his mouse house. One day he came out and he saw and smelled across the room a very scrumptious crumb of cookie that someone had dropped. Now, this mouse knew that there was a cat that prowled the house and he was wary of the sharp teeth and claws that awaited him if he got caught by the cat.
So, he looked to the left and to the right and decided to make a run for it. He scurried across the room as fast as he could, scooped up the crumb and spun around to make his way back to his house. But there in front of him stood the cat, licking his lips and getting ready to pounce. The little mouse froze and stared wild eyed at the cat. The cat started to move slowly toward the mouse and the little mouse closed his eyes, held his breath and waited for the inevitable.
Suddenly he had a thought. He quickly opened his eyes, stood on his hind legs and summoning all of his courage barked at the top of his lungs: “woof, woof, woof.” The cat was confused and afraid so he turned around with a loud meow and ran away. The little mouse, with his crumb ran back to his house and breathed a sigh of relief.
And the moral of the story is….Never underestimate the power of speaking a second language.
It has a been a pleasure speaking to you today and I hope to see many of you in the
fall.
References● Advantage for Life: Short video discusses the benefits of language learning. ● Fred Genessee: Linguistics researcher at McGill University discusses
lessons from research on Immersion programs in Canada. ● Canadian Parents for French● Alberta Education French Language Education Overview● Calgary Catholic French Immersion resources and information. ● Bilingualism Translates Into Higher Pay: Study from University of Guelph
