8 Comments
I feel there a good alternative solutions to a continued successful FI program that would enable my child to continue with the FI program at Admiral. I also feel this issue has been approached purely at a facilities problem, not with a vision to ensure the long term success of the FI program with good accessibility.
The proposed relocation of the Admiral FI program is a poorly thought out facility focused decision that is at the expense of the students involved. The county has produced a transient French program that has outgrown every facility it has inhabited due to poor management and lack of planning. Ultimately what we need is access to French programs at multiple locations vs. limited locations that quickly become overwhelmed with the demand. We need a well thought out plan that involves consultation with parents, students and teachers.
Note that I live within the attendance area of the school and within walking distance to the school. I'm not sure why it has registered me as Owen Sound.
As an Admiral parent I felt quite fortunate to be able to offer my child the chance to have a french enriched education without having to change schools. However now I feel as though the board or planning committee has effectively slapped us in the face by, making such an arbitrary decision with little or no public consultation that we were aware of. While, I understand that when we first enrolled in the french immersion program, that Admiral was still working the "bugs" out of the logistics of the program.. but really this is one heck of a "bug" not to forsee. Perhaps if enrollment had have been more limited then this problem wouldn't have arisen so quickly. But since it wasn't, perhaps a solution would be to have other schools available to take the 'over flow' of enrollments. Thus reducing the restriction and serving those families who truly want to offer their children the fullest education that they can within the public school sector. Also it would give a few of the younger teachers a chance at a promising career
I have written letters and am strongly opposed to this recommendation.
I could not agree more. However, there are incredible logistical problems with that idea as I'm sure the Board would tell you (for example, it would require the hiring of many new French language certified teachers). French is one of Canada's official languages, yet the amount of French education students receive on a weekly basis is pitiful. Perhaps a solution to the problem would be to offer double the French programming each week. Or triple it. Unfortunately, that is not a realistic option. Therefore the solution is to create programming like the one that exists now. A permanent site for French language instruction. The program already exists at Admiral. The focus is to provide stability and long term prosperity. Having a program that is transient as a lack of foresight and planning is unacceptable.
In order to make this a truly equal opportunity for all students of Simcoe county, the French programs must be in either no ones or every ones home school. Having it in some schools, which is inevitably the home school to some students and making the others have to travel, some great distances, is very unequal as there are families who cannot schedule driving their child to school or bus pick up points, and those children should not be forced to be left behind.
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8 Comments
We moved to this area recently in part because of Admiral's French program. Due to the age of our children they were not eligible for the Immersion program but the oldest one is in ESFL. I see a great value in having children of various ages in one school learning a new language that is little used outside of the school. Having French language resources in the library, bi-lingual announcements and assemblies as well as giving the older children an opportunity to read with the younger ones for example; all these things add value to the experience the children have with the French language and no doubt add to its success. It would be a shame to lose the French culture that the school has worked so hard to achieve.
I feel there a good alternative solutions to a continued successful FI program that would enable my child to continue with the FI program at Admiral. I also feel this issue has been approached purely at a facilities problem, not with a vision to ensure the long term success of the FI program with good accessibility.
The proposed relocation of the Admiral FI program is a poorly thought out facility focused decision that is at the expense of the students involved. The county has produced a transient French program that has outgrown every facility it has inhabited due to poor management and lack of planning. Ultimately what we need is access to French programs at multiple locations vs. limited locations that quickly become overwhelmed with the demand. We need a well thought out plan that involves consultation with parents, students and teachers.
Note that I live within the attendance area of the school and within walking distance to the school. I'm not sure why it has registered me as Owen Sound.
As an Admiral parent I felt quite fortunate to be able to offer my child the chance to have a french enriched education without having to change schools. However now I feel as though the board or planning committee has effectively slapped us in the face by, making such an arbitrary decision with little or no public consultation that we were aware of. While, I understand that when we first enrolled in the french immersion program, that Admiral was still working the "bugs" out of the logistics of the program.. but really this is one heck of a "bug" not to forsee. Perhaps if enrollment had have been more limited then this problem wouldn't have arisen so quickly. But since it wasn't, perhaps a solution would be to have other schools available to take the 'over flow' of enrollments. Thus reducing the restriction and serving those families who truly want to offer their children the fullest education that they can within the public school sector. Also it would give a few of the younger teachers a chance at a promising career
I have written letters and am strongly opposed to this recommendation.
I could not agree more. However, there are incredible logistical problems with that idea as I'm sure the Board would tell you (for example, it would require the hiring of many new French language certified teachers). French is one of Canada's official languages, yet the amount of French education students receive on a weekly basis is pitiful. Perhaps a solution to the problem would be to offer double the French programming each week. Or triple it. Unfortunately, that is not a realistic option. Therefore the solution is to create programming like the one that exists now. A permanent site for French language instruction. The program already exists at Admiral. The focus is to provide stability and long term prosperity. Having a program that is transient as a lack of foresight and planning is unacceptable.
In order to make this a truly equal opportunity for all students of Simcoe county, the French programs must be in either no ones or every ones home school. Having it in some schools, which is inevitably the home school to some students and making the others have to travel, some great distances, is very unequal as there are families who cannot schedule driving their child to school or bus pick up points, and those children should not be forced to be left behind.
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We moved to this area recently in part because of Admiral's French program. Due to the age of our children they were not eligible for the Immersion program but the oldest one is in ESFL. I see a great value in having children of various ages in one school learning a new language that is little used outside of the school. Having French language resources in the library, bi-lingual announcements and assemblies as well as giving the older children an opportunity to read with the younger ones for example; all these things add value to the experience the children have with the French language and no doubt add to its success. It would be a shame to lose the French culture that the school has worked so hard to achieve.