Island classrooms prepared for changes to French immersion, minister says

P.E.I. classrooms are ready for changes to French immersion, Education and Early Learning Minister Doug Currie says.

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Starting this year, more than 400 Island students will enrol in French immersion programs at West Kent Elementary and Birchwood Intermediate schools, Currie said in a news release Tuesday.

Over the summer, classrooms have been prepared, materials ordered and teachers hired to welcome 165 new early French immersion students at West Kent, and 240 new continuing and late French immersion students at Birchwood.

"We are pleased to offer these new access points for French Immersion closer to home and to create opportunities to build French culture in more Island schools," Currie said.

$58K in new funding

"With the tremendous support of staff throughout the summer, and $58,000 in new funding for reading and literacy materials, we will be able to provide high-quality French immersion programs at West Kent and Birchwood," Currieadded.

The new money went toward new French-language materials for the school libraries, classroom libraries and literacy labs, as well as 30 laptops to support digital intermediate science textbooks, leveled books and resources for individual and small group literacy instruction, and professional learning resources.

New French teachers

More than $40,000 ofthe funding was spent at West Kent to meet the needs of kindergarten to Grade 6 students, who receive 75 to 90 per cent of their instruction in French. West Kent has hired 11 new French immersion teachers.

And more than $16,000 was invested in materials for Birchwood, which will welcome 100 new continuing immersion students, 140 late immersion students and nine new French immersion teachers. Intermediate students receive 50 per cent of their instruction in French in continuing immersion, and 75 per cent in late immersion programs, according to the release.

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