Bienvenue à Munn’s Welcome to our Grade 1 French Immersion Program Night

French Programs in Halton: • Core French - Grade 4 - 9 • Core French - Grade 1 in 24 schools in 2014 • Early French Immersion - Grade 1 - 12 (all geographic areas) • Late French Immersion - Grade 7 - 12 (located in Burlington only)

Early French Immersion Grade 1 - 12 • Optional program beginning in grade 1 • Bussing is provided (haltonbus.ca) • 50% French and 50% English (integrated curriculum focus) • 10 French secondary credits for French Certificate

Munn’s is… … a single-track French Immersion school that receives students entering grade 1 from: Specific HDSB schools (Falgarwood, Sheridan, Joshua Creek and Montclair) Other (private schools, day cares, other school boards for students living in our boundary area) At Munn’s ALL students receive half of their instruction in French and the other half in English. Note: English only programs are not offered at Munn’s

So many things to learn …. The kindergarten years require the child to: adjust to the routines of a learning environment strengthen social & self-regulation skills develop understanding of literacy and mathematics concepts in a school context Expected PM Benchmark reading level by the end of senior Kindergarten is level 5. *

The Grade 1 year: deepens the foundation for strong literacy and mathematics skills can be a time to introduce a second language – French *

Learning a second language can: “strengthen first language skills in areas of reading, vocabulary, grammar and communication skills” if the child has a strong foundation in their first language. Source: http://education.gov.ab.ca/languages/benefits.asp *

Early French Immersion: promotes greater oral mastery of the French language supports the developmental process of second language learning encourages risk-taking and academically challenges students Please note: your child will not be bilingual by the end of grade one! 8

Is French Immersion the best fit for my child? Does my child… demonstrate a curiosity and willingness to explore and experiment with language want to learn another language handle new situations, change and transitions, using positive strategies display confidence and persevere when learning … continued 9

FI is a mainly oral program. Does my child… … continued like to play with language (rhyming, memory games, vocabulary games) in English explain a story or events in proper sequence listen effectively demonstrate self-regulation (e.g., taking turns) demonstrate independence (e.g., ties own shoes, takes care of personal items)

What is our curriculum? The Ontario Curriculum includes learning expectations for: language (English and French) mathematics (English: grades 1 - 8) science & technology (French: grades 1 - 8) social studies (English: grades 1 – 5; French: grade 6)‏ history and geography (French: grades 7 & 8)‏ the arts (music, drama, dance) (English / French)‏ health and physical education (English / French)‏ 11

In addition to our academic program, we promote a safe, caring, inviting and collaborative learning environment. As a school we use the Tribes agreements and Kelso’s Choices for problem solving strategies, to build community, guide our teaching and learning and support our commitment to student success.

How can you help your Kindergarten child Home-school partnerships are vital to the positive development of a child. How can you help your Kindergarten child to be ready for grade 1?

Read with your child

Participate in Mathematics Learning Build strong, positive attitudes about math. When children feel positively engaged and successful, they are more likely to stick with an activity or a problem to find a solution. Students’ attitudes have a significant effect on how they approach problem solving and how well they succeed in mathematics. Begin with activities that meet your child’s level of mathematical understanding. Early success in solving problems will build your child’s confidence. Ask them If you and your child are more comfortable in a language other than English, use it. Your child will understand concepts better in the language that he or she knows best.

French Immersion Student at Munn’s A Day in the Life of a Grade 1 French Immersion Student at Munn’s

Munn’s Schedule 8:15 – 9:55 Learning Block 1 8:00 Supervision begins   8:15 – 9:55 Learning Block 1   9:55 – 10:45 Nutrition Break (Lunch) 10:45 – 11:35 Learning Block ----English/French Classroom Switch---  11:35 -12:25 Learning Block 3  12:25 - 1:05 Nutrition Break (Snack)‏   1:05 - 2:45 Learning Block 4   2:45 Dismissal 17

Nutrition Breaks 9:55 – 10:45 First Nutrition Break Primary students eat first (9:55 – 10:20) then they go outside 12:25 - 1:05 Second Nutrition Break Primary students eat first (12:25-1:45) then they go outside Pack healthy snacks and lunches Pack two bags (for two breaks)‏ Food must be nut free and peanut free Support our ECO school initiative by using reusable containers 18

Grade 1 French Immersion at a Glance 19

January: What are we reading in French?

January: What are we Writing in French?

Grade 1 English in a French Immersion Setting

The Mathematics Program – Curriculum Strands Your child will recognize and identify patterns to make predictions based on their observations. Your child will understand how numbers work and how they relate to each other. Your child will explore how mathematicians determine the height, length and width of objects, as well as determine the area that objects cover, the amount that objects hold (capacity) and the space that objects take up (volume). Your child will learn how to collect, organize and interpret information. Your child will become familiar with shapes and spatial relationships in their environment leading to an understanding of the principles of geometry. Source: Doing Mathematics with Your Child

Expected Reading Levels for Children in Grade 1 September June Grade 1 5 16 What does this look like?

Reading for beginning of grade 1

These foundations are the same as in an English only language classroom, BUT time spent daily on English language skills are reduced in French immersion – the time for learning French has to come from somewhere!

Studying in French or English can be a lot of fun Conversations with the SK classroom teacher and consideration of your child’s learning strengths and needs are important factors to consider.

Registration Information SK in HDSB: Submit registration forms to your home school Non-HDSB: come to our office to register by Friday, February 6, 2015

Munn’s Family Picnic on Please come to our Munn’s Family Picnic on Saturday, April 23rd

Avez-vous des questions? Call the school at 905.844.9461 30