February 6, 2015

Again this year, nine Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO) schools will offer a free basic French language program until the end of the school year. The “À petits pas . . . . Small Steps program” seeks to support parents/guardians who have enrolled a child in a full-time kindergarten program in a French Catholic school.

This 30-hour learning program is offered at the following French-language Catholic schools: École Saint-Joseph (Blind River), École Sacré-Cœur (Chapleau), École St-Augustin (Garson), École St-Antoine (Noëlville), École St-Charles Borromée (St-Charles), École Notre-Dame-du-Sault (Sault-Ste-Marie), École St-Denis (Sudbury), École Jean-Paul II (Val Caron) and École Saint-Joseph (Wawa).

The French as a second language program will provide parents with basic French language skills to help them communicate with their child regarding the kindergarten program and school activities. They will learn basic French in a relaxed and fun-filled atmosphere! The program’s focus is on practical vocabulary and expressions commonly used in a school setting and in the Catholic Francophone community.

Traditionally in Canada, the majority of parents sending their children to Francophone schools in a minority setting were couples where both partners were Francophone. Today, no less than 65% of Ontario families accessing French language schools are in mixed Francophone/non-Francophone relationships. This French as a second language program is of interest to families where one of the parents is a non Francophone and who strive to offer a high level of bilingualism to their child by registering them in a French language Catholic school.

The Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario offers a French Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSCNO provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 7,000 students in 27 elementary and 10 secondary schools.

 INFO:

Paul de la Riva
Communications and Community Development Coordinator
Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario
(705) 673-5626, ext. 294
(705) 677-8195 – cell phone