The Lucknow Sentinel, 1985-06-26, Page 4Page 4 - Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, June 26., 1985
French immersion to be phased into Bruce Grey Seperate schools
By Sharon Dietz
The.Bruce Grey Separate School board
has decided to phase. in French immersion
parallel program in its French first
language clasp:; at its Kincardine and Port
Elgin school,,. The junior and senior
kindergarten programs have been con-
ducted as early French immersion classes
for the past two years. With more children
enrolling in French immersion programs,
the board will phase in French immersion
programs beginning with kindergarten this
year followed by grade 1 through 8 in suc-
ceeding years, one grade each year.
Director of Education Bill Brown told the
board at 'its June. meeting the immersion
and French first language programs have
operated successfully in the same class and
he does not see a•problem with this continu-
ing over the eight grades. Brown said the
additional cost is minimal with the dif-
ference being the board is responsible for ,
the local share of the grant which.is nominal
for the number of students involved:
"There is no difference in the amount of
English and French being taught," said
Brown.
A review of French language ,program op-
tions by the educational services committee
indicated low enrolment in the french
language instructional units. French as a
first language program, for students. who
are French speaking .would require com-
binations of.three or more grades to make it
feasible as a separate program. A number
of non -French families in both Kincardine
and Port Elgin spoke out because there
wasn't a French . immersion program for
their children.
A number of students are French speak-
ing according to .the Education Act. French
is their family's first language or their
parents are .of French heritage, but they
come to school with little or no knowledge of
the French language and for program pur-
poses are really immersion students.
Meetings with French parents indicated
they want to keep the French language in-
struction unit which gives them a feeling of
security as it •guarantees the amount of
French. However, they feel they 'have no
guarantee of the amount of French in an im-
mersion program.
In the report they want non -French speak-
ing° immersion students admittedto the
French Unit, nd many indicated they want
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their children to learn English and n to
graduate functionally bilingual in both
languages. M a result more are enrolling
their children in the immersion programs
and the board will continue to monitor the
enrollment in the French languagein-
struction unit to determine its feasability.
Projected enrellment for Kincardine is 19
immersion studentsand three—French unit
in junior kindergarten; and twenty-three in
immersion and five, in French unit in senior
kindergarten and 15 in. grade 1 immersion
with seven in French unit grade 1. At Port
Elgin, 19 are enrolled in the immersion
junior kindergarten program and only two
in the French unit program with 10 in un-
mersion and 13 in senior French unit senior
kindergarten and 11 in immersion grade 1
and seven in French unit grade 1.
Brown commented he had a phone call
from a parent following the meeting to say
he would withdraw his child if more English
was not taught at the senior. levels in the
French language program because they
want their child to be functional in both
languages. Should the French language unit.
program be phased. out, the board would
negotiate an agreement with a local board
of education to provide French instruction
to a child who wants instruction in French
as a first language. The closest boards with.
these programs are London, Simcoe and
Wellington.
Joe Virdiramo, superintendant of French
programs, told the board .at the June
meeting the board will still provide French
as a first language by purchasing the ser-
vice 'from another board if it is requested.
He said there is no difference'' in the in-
struction of French as a first language and
French immersion. Children who speak
French as their first language take an
enrichment program as do children gifted in
English. An advanced program is provided,
he said. .
All teachers at both schools are qualified
to teach :both courses and additional
teachers will not be required to phase. in the
immersion' program unless student enroll-
ment
makes it necessary.
The Bruce -Grey Separate School Board
will be phasing in immersion programs' at
three schools in its jurisdiction - Kincardine,
St. Anthony's, Port Elgin St. Joseph's and
Formosa Immaculate. Conception where the
program is French immersion only.
TO
To the Editor: /
Ten years ago this summer, families and
friends gathered together to re -kindle
friendships and remember the 'good old
days.'
Once again "Ripley's Alive in'85."
Many will remember the highlights of the
last reunion such as the mammoth parade,
dancing nightly, beard growing contest, the
Shirt Tail Parade, just to mention a few It
will all happen again this year plus much,
much more.
Be sure to set the week -end of August 1-5,
1985 aside and plan to "Come Home to
Ripley in `85."
Consider this your -personal invitation to
join in the celebrations...."Ripiey's Alive in
'85."
Yours truly,
Janet Tranter,
Publicity pommittee,
1985 Ripley -Huron Committee
To The Editor:
I am writing as coordinator of the ,Blyth
Centre for the Arts recent Booksale to thank
the people of Huron County for their
generous support of our event. We were par-
ticularly heartened by the number of people•
who donated all sort of books of very good
quality to the sale and who took the time to
deliver them to us as well. We had more
such donations this.yearthan ever before!
A big thank you as well to the many who
came June 1st and 2nd to buy books and. at-
tend the. readings given by Micki McClear
and ,Gisele, Ireland. We were very happy
with the attendance, and are happy to report
that the event raised over $1,600 for 'the
Blyth Centre for the Arts.
We certainly appreciate the enthusiastic
response of the public to this annual event.
Marian Doucette
Board of Directors
Blyth Centre for the Arts