French Immersion coming to Centennial Hylands

November 25, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Brock Weir

A new French Immersion program will be put in place at Centennial Hylands Elementary School in the 2017 – 2018 school year, following a boundary review by the Upper Grand District School Board.

The School Board made their decision on Tuesday following a series of meetings throughout North Dufferin where, here in Shelburne, the proposals received a less-than-enthusiastic response from many parents.

“Trustees were presented with a Final Boundary Review Report [on Tuesday], which has been underway since August 30,” said the Board in a statement on Wednesday. “The purpose of this review was to resolve immediate overcrowding concerns at Princess Elizabeth Public School and Mono Amaranth Public School and confirm the viability of a French Immersion (FI) program in North Dufferin.

“A FI Feasibility Study was completed and at the Board meeting on October 25, trustees approved the start of FI in North Dufferin effective September 2017. At the November meeting, trustees approved a number of recommendations related to the North Dufferin Boundary Review, including the approval of the Modified Implementation Plan, which involves the establishment of a FI program at Centennial Hylands Elementary School effective September 2017. The modified plan also involves reassigning a number of Regular Track students to Primrose Elementary School. The modified option reflects a more gradual implementation of boundary changes for both Regular Track and French Immersion students.”

According to the Board, students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 3 in the Regular Track system, now finding themselves within the new boundaries Primrose Elementary School, will be re-assigned in September, but students in Grade 4 – 8 within the new Primrose boundary will have the option of remaining at Centennial Hylands or accompanying their younger siblings to Primrose.

As for French Immersion, students from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 5 in the new Centennial Hylands FI boundaries will be assigned to Centennial Hylands while older students from Grades 6 through 8 will be grandfathered at Mono-Amaranth P.S.

Full maps are available at www.ugdsb.on.ca/ndbr.