Sandra Derby (left) and Brenda Martin lobbied for a French immersion program at Centennial School.
Centennial Public School will introduce middle French immersion programming this September as part of a city-wide expansion to eight Ottawa schools.
Middle French immersion starts in Grade 4, as opposed to the early French immersion programming that starts in kindergarten or Grade 1.
Children in middle French immersion start with about 80 per cent of their classes in French – everything except English language arts.
Jennifer McKenzie, the area’s school board trustee, says the new program comes from the city’s plan to phase out many late French immersion programs, such as the one at Glashan Intermediate School.
Late French immersion programs start in Grade 7 or 8 and tend to be ineffective in easing children into a French environment, says McKenzie.
She adds that Centennial was chosen to host the program partly because of the community’s support for the program.
“[This] part of the city has a strong demand for French immersion,” she says.
Centennial’s principal, Brenda Martin, says parents wanted a French immersion option that was in downtown, but points out that middle French immersion was more appealing to a lot of parents than the early French immersion programming at other public schools.
Martin says she thinks that middle French immersion ensures children develop English language skills thoroughly before being introduced to completely French classes. She says some parents are more comfortable with this option as a compromise between the early and late French immersion programs.
“It’s a decision that parents have to make,” says Martin. “They know their children best.”
Although there’s been a strongly involved group of parents supporting the program at the school, Martin says less people have signed up than expected so far. “Because it’s new, people are still mulling it over,” she says.
Sandra Derby is one of the eight parents at Centennial who rallied at the public delegation for the school board’s decision to show their support. They also worked with parents at Glashan to submit a request for the program at Centennial.
The nearest school that offers this French immersion programming is Hopewell Elementary School in old Ottawa South. Derby says she and the other parents felt this was just too far to travel when Centennial is right in the heart of Centretown.
“It’s all a personal choice for parents,” says Derby.
Centennial has a strong community of new Canadian families and Derby says many of these parents are hoping to have the option of French immersion at Centennial.
She says these parents have expressed their interest in learning both of Canada’s languages.
Derby says she and the other parents of Centennial couldn’t be more pleased about the changes. “We’re just really, really happy,” she says.