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Early French Immersion (Junior Kindergarten entry)

While admission to the Early French Immersion (JK entry) or Middle French Immersion (Grade 4 entry) programs is guaranteed at the entry points to all eligible on-time applicants, admission to a specific school is NOT guaranteed. Applications to begin these programs is open to all students not already enrolled in a French program. 

Transportation: Where transportation is approved by the Transportation Department, students meeting the distance criteria for Kindergarten to Grade 5 will be transported by bus, and students from Grades 6 to 8 will be provided with TTC tickets, where applicable.

Early French Immersion (Junior Kindergarten (JK) Entry)

The entry point to Early French Immersion is Junior Kindergarten. Currently eligible applicants were born in 2021.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

Application process opens: November 4, 2024

Deadline for applications: November 29, 2024

 

Please note:

  • Offers of placement will be ongoing throughout the weeks and months following the close of the application period. Please check your email regularly, including junk mail folders, and follow all instructions. You must take action to reserve a spot by the deadline.
  • While every effort will be made to place students in the school identified as their area French Immersion school, this is not always possible. In cases where the number of applications in a given area is greater than the number of allotted program spaces in the school, students may be redirected to schools with available program space.
  • Placements are made based on the child's primary home address of record prior to the application deadline. If the address changes between the application deadline and the fall of the entry year, there is no guarantee of placement in the new area.
  • Late applicants will be held on a local school waitlist and considered subject to available space until the end of September of the entry year.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Early French Immersion?
  • Early French Immersion begins in Junior Kindergarten.
  • All class activities are conducted in French until the end of Grade 3 although some specialist subjects (like Physical Education) may be taught in English. Formal English instruction is introduced in Grade 4 and represents half of the daily class time for Grades 4-8. Students who successfully complete the Secondary French Immersion program will receive a Certificate of Bilingual Studies in French Immersion from the TDSB upon graduation.
Q: What are the steps to apply to Early French Immersion (JK entry)?
  • Please visit the Program Application & Registration System (PARS) during the application period.
  • Select the “Non-TDSB Student” option and follow the steps to generate an identification number.
  • It is called a PARS ID and will start with the letter “A”.
  • You must then return to the Program Application & Registration System (PARS) and follow the application procedure with this number.
  • Once in PARS, please select the Early Immersion Program from the drop-down menu and complete the application process.
Q: Is the application process a first-come, first-served?
  • No, all applications received by the deadline are treated with the same priority and at this time are guaranteed a place in the program (placement in a given school cannot be guaranteed).
  • All applications received after the deadline will be held on a waitlist; there is no guarantee of placement.
Q: Are we able to select a particular school or location for my child to attend Early French Immersion?
  • Placement in French Immersion via the central application process is based on the child’s current home address of record prior to the application deadline. If the address changes between the application deadline and the fall of the entry year, there is no guarantee of placement in the new area. There is no place on the application to state a preference nor location.
  • Placements in French Immersion are offered based on the child’s current home address of record prior to the application deadline, not on location or enrolment in childcare.
Q: Will transportation be provided?
  • Transportation routes are determined by the Transportation Department. In accordance with the Transportation of Students Policy and the Transportation of Students Procedure, students meeting the distance criteria for Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5 will be transported by school bus, and students from Grades 6 to 8 will be provided with TTC tickets, where applicable.
  • If a child’s home is more than 1.6 km from the French Immersion school where they are placed, transportation on a school bus will be provided from JK to Grade 5, at which point the distance requirement goes up to 3.2 km, and TTC tickets are provided, where applicable.
  • These routes are usually from the home English school to the French Immersion school and not from home addresses.
Q: What if I wish to attend a school other than the one associated with my home address?
  • Placement in French Immersion via the central application process is based on the child’s current home address of record prior to the application deadline.
  • Any family who wishes to attend an Early French Immersion program at a school other than the one designated for their home address, may apply via the “Out-of-Area” Admissions process prior to the deadline.
  • For information regarding the “Out-of-Area” Admissions process, including forms and timelines, families may visit the Out-of-Area Admissions page.
  • Families are asked to follow the process as indicated within the timelines specified on the online application. There is no guarantee of placement via the “Out-of-Area” admissions procedure; if admitted, no transportation is provided.
Q: What if I do not speak French at home?
  • All French Language programs are designed for families who do NOT speak French at home.
  • Families may support their children in Early or Middle French Immersion in much the same way they would in the English program. It is not necessary for a parent/caregiver to speak French for a child to thrive in French Immersion.
Q: Is my child suited for French Immersion?
  • The French Immersion program is open to all students. Research shows us that there is no such thing as an “ideal candidate” for intensive French programs. All students are welcome, encouraged and supported in all French Language Programs in the TDSB (i.e., Core French and French Immersion). Students with a range of learning needs, learning styles and linguistic backgrounds are currently participating and thriving in French programs.
  • Educators in French Language programs employ the same range of strategies to accommodate a wide range of learning styles and learning needs as they would in the English program.
Q: How would you suggest we prepare children entering JK Early Immersion?
  • There is no preparation required particularly for French Immersion in Junior Kindergarten.
  • All the students will be beginners together and the educators will program and support them with that in mind.