Sea to Sky re: Late Immersion No Images? Click here Late French Immersion in Sea to Sky District #48February 19, 2018 Dear Sea to Sky School District, On behalf of Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon, I am writing to express our deep concern for the proposed cancellation of the Late French Immersion (LFI) Program in your district. Cancelling the program would be a tremendous loss for students in Sea to Sky as LFI provides students the last opportunity to enter and participate in the French immersion (FI) program. By closing this door, the Sea to Sky School District is denying a life-changing opportunity for students. In addition, closure of the LFI program undermines any efforts to maintain and build a robust secondary FI program and neglects to take advantage of Federal French Funding available for the program. There are various reasons why a child may have missed the Early French Immersion (EFI) entry point. First, some parents register their children in the English stream as they fear the French Immersion may be difficult for their child. Putting their child in English may help them assess their child’s development and address any learning needs. Once concerns are alleviated, many of these parents place their child in the LFI program in Grade Six. The LFI program also allows another entry point for those families who move into the district and who did not register their children in the EFI program. There are numerous communities where families are turned away from FI because of a lack of capacity. In fact, some families choose to move to those school districts with a LFI program largely because they want their children to enter the program. As well, some families are unaware of the EFI program and miss the opportunity to enrol their child. They hear about the positive benefits gained from bilingualism and actively seek out the Late Immersion program later. Finally, some seek a program to challenge their child and the LFI program can offer that. All together, there are many excellent reasons why LFI is an important ‘second chance’ for families. LFI is also a great mechanism for addressing attrition concerns which may arise in the EFI program. The additional LFI numbers bolsters the FI program as the LFI and EFI programs merge in Grade Eight. Many districts across BC use LFI as an essential component to maintaining a robust secondary FI program, and many are adding this program to compliment the EFI track. Furthermore, cancelling the LFI program denies children an incredible educational opportunity with many extraordinary benefits. They include French language proficiency, better employability, higher social mobility, cultural awareness, empathy and sensitivity, and cognitive flexibility. Knowledge and skills backed by evidence-based research state that given the right supports all children can learn in French Immersion (Bourgoin, 2014). We should also not forget that there are additional French Federal funds to supplement the cost of education in French available to districts offering the FI program. These funds are calculated based on student enrolment in French times the percentage of time in these classes. The Grade Six LFI program is considered to be 100% in French and therefore qualifies for the maximum amount of funding available. The strength and popularity of the FI program is shaped by the efforts of our teachers and parents; their passion for the LFI program is evident and should be celebrated and given room to grow! We believe that as prudent leaders in education, the school district should do everything it can to make sure no student is denied such a valuable educational opportunity. We will be communicating directly with families in the coming weeks and months to share our concerns and offer our support. We hope that the school district will reconsider and reverse its decision so as to allow the LFI program to remain open and allow the maximum number of children possible the chance to become bilingual. In so doing, we will guarantee those same children the maximum potential of jobs, flexibility, and openness to others. Thank you for considering this. Sincerely, Glyn Lewis Executive Director of Canadian Parents for French BC & YK
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